Della and Darby | By Susannah B Lewis

by · April 19, 2024

 

 

 

 

 

NetGalley E-Arc | Book Review | Contemporary Women’s fiction
Della and Darby
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Published: February 7th, 2023
In this small Mississippi town, everyone has long memories and loud opinions. Twins Della and Darby Redd may be identical in appearance, but they couldn’t be more different. Della is outspoken, obsessed with purple, and desperate to be accepted by her peers. Darby is introverted, creative, and sees no need to speak to anyone besides her sister and grandmother, Birdie. Due to a tragedy from their past, all three women’s lives have been blanketed in judgment, scandal, and rumor, preventing them from experiencing true peace and contentment in their small town of Clay Station, Mississippi. When the sisters enter the final year of their twenties, Birdie and Della begin planning an elaborate thirtieth birthday bash. Della believes the party will finally win her acceptance with the in-crowd and dreams of bringing her boss, Dr. Brian Faulkner, as her date. But when Darby begins to form an unexpected friendship with her goofy coworker, Cliff, she learns through him about a scandalous secret involving Dr. Faulkner that is sure to end in disaster. Telling her sister the truth will force them both to face the reality of who they have become—and whether they still have a place in each other’s future. In her latest novel, beloved Southern author Susannah B. Lewis explores the burden and blessing of family legacies and the moments along the way for which to give thanks and celebrate.

 

 

 

My thoughts

 

 

 

 

 

 

Narrative and Plot

 

 

 

 

 

Della and Darby is told from three points of view, the title characters and their grandmother Birdey who raised them both. Della and Darby are turning thirty and the whole plot is their coming of age story, where they reconcile with their past selves and are hopeful for a future.

More than the plot, this book is a hangout story about the events that start from when they turn twenty-nine to their thirtieth birthday bash. How they navigate life while fighting their own inner demons.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Characters and Conflicts

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Since this is a character driven story, you can only enjoy it if the three central characters are appealing enough. Della, Darby and Birdey are quite interesting characters. They each have their own flaws and strengths. However, there is something about the story that held me back from connecting with them as much as I would have liked to.

It has layered characters and emotions that go back decades over their lifetime. Even so, it held back at some points, making you want your characters to be more active and take control of their situation in a better way. There were some strong religious themes in there, which was fine. It is more about how one finds inner strength through faith while going through a tough time.

The story spent a lot of time setting up Della and Darby’s fears and apprehensions. But the way it was all resolved felt a bit rushed. It all happened in the last two chapters rather than gradually over time. Other than that, it was an emotional coming of age story.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Conclusion

 

 

 

 

 

 

Della and Darby is a book that you can pick up if you’ve ever felt like you were meandering in life and suddenly one day you look back and realise that despite what happened you are exactly where you should have been even if it wasn’t part of your plan. This one was a one time read for me.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

About the Author

 

 

 

 

 

I received an e-ARC of the book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Get your book here : Amazon_IN Amazon_US

 

 

 

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