One good thing about the rain, rain, and more rain…there is (should be) no guilt for curling up under a cozy blanket and reading the day away instead of doing all those pesky chores. Which is just what I’ve been doing! My newest adventure in fiction is a debut novel by Jennifer Niven called Velva Jean Learns to Drive. Velva lives in the rural mountains of North Carolina and after her mother passes away, decides to become a wild child (even though deep down she is scared out of her wits at the mere thought of doing wrong). I haven’t gotten too far into the book yet, but the language, setting and way of life remind me a lot of Adriana Trigiani’s Big Stone Gap novels which I truly enjoyed. Velva is a complex character and I can’t wait to see if she learns to drive and where her travels will take her!
—Maureen
Read it or Weep 