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Here are comments from our group of Advance Readers about Sandra Dallas's TALLGRASS.
Annika from Boulder, CO
Have you previously read a book by Sandra Dallas?
I read THE PERSIAN PICKLE CLUB a couple of years ago and absolutely adored it.
What other authors do you read?
I adore historical fiction. Some of my favorite authors are Geraldine Brooks, Jenna Blum, John Shors, Indu Sundaresan, Nancy E. Turner, and Philippa Gregory. I also enjoy reading Jodi Picoult, Lisa Tucker, Lorna Landvik, Anne George and P. J. Tracy.
What did you think of TALLGRASS?
I really loved this book. It engrossed me completely in the fears and uncertainty of World War II. The Japanese internment camps were a tragic part of American history, and I felt this was an important book. The main characters were such strong, loving people. My two favorites were the narrator, Rennie, and her father, Loyal. There was a feel to this book that reminded me of TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD, and Rennie and Loyal certainly reminded me of Scout and Atticus Finch. This is a book I will recommend highly to family and friends.
Would you ever read a future book by Sandra Dallas?
Absolutely.
Thank you again for this marvelous opportunity.
Carmee from Rineyville, KY
Have you previously read a book by Sandra Dallas?
THE PERSIAN PICKLE CLUB was my first and favorite Sandra Dallas novel.
What other authors do you read?
I enjoy mostly general fiction, such as books written by Kaye Gibbons, Elizabeth Berg and Anita Shreve. I also love biographies and memoirs.
What did you think of TALLGRASS?
TALLGRASS was definitely another hit for Sandra Dallas. The story was captivating from the first chapter until the end. Her characters are always so real, and the research that went into this novel was evident. I learned a lot about a period (World War II) that took place before I was born. At the same time, I was completely entertained throughout the novel. TALLGRASS is a must-read for all Sandra Dallas fans, and new [readers] will love it as well.
Would you ever read a future book by Sandra Dallas?
I will be waiting in anticipation for her next novel. Sandra Dallas is always on my list of must-read authors.
Thank you to Bookreporter.com and to Sandra Dallas for TALLGRASS, a captivating story.
Lavonne from Gold Beach, OR
Have you previously read a book by Sandra Dallas?
I own or have read all but three of Sandra Dallas's books. The ones I'm missing are early historical titles, and I am still looking.
What other authors do you read?
The living authors I read: Maeve Binchy, Edward Rutherfurd, Gore Vidal, Sue Grafton, Margaret Truman, Diana Mott Davidson and John Dunning, to name a few.
What did you think of TALLGRASS?
At the beginning of World War II, I was 8 years old, and living in Santa Barbara County. My Dad was a Nurseryman who tried to join the military, but was rejected because of childhood polio. So, my folks took over the lease of a Japanese family who were sent to a relocation center, and had grown vegetables and berries from local grocery stores. [We continued this], but also supplied the new Army hospital with select produce. TALLGRASS brought back so many memories of that time. Rennie saw yellow buses; our people were picked up in a 3/4-ton open stake truck, everyone having to stand.
I know Sandra did extensive research and she is so skillful in using it to recreate a time, a place, and people that are so believable.
The several plots going on throughout the story made it a page turner, and the resolutions of them were reasonable and plausible.
Would you ever read a future book by Sandra Dallas?
I am looking forward to the two books mentioned in her interview that are coming out later this year.
Richard from Milwaukee, WI
Have you previously read a book by Sandra Dallas?
No --- but my wife has read THE CHILI QUEEN.
What other authors do you read?
I usually read thrillers - David Baldacci and John Grisham
Military related - W. E. B. Griffin and Tom Clancy
International historical - Wilbur Smith and Noel Barber
What did you think of TALLGRASS?
It's not really my kind of book, but I was interested in the time period, World War II, and the issue of the Japanese internment camps. My father-in-law is a WW II vet [who served] in the Pacific for 3 years, making 7 landings and ending up on Hiroshima with his amphibious engineer brigade doing clean-up work. And, I'm a Vietnam veteran.
I felt the author did a good job of putting the reader in the community at that time in America's history. I thought she accurately portrayed the conflicted feelings of the townspeople --- pride in our boys overseas, distrust of the unfamiliar, worry and lashing out in anger over changes beyond our control. The characters rang "true"; I could really picture them.
I didn't really care for the focus on "women's stuff" --- the quilting and bringing food to families. Just not my thing.
Would you ever read a future book by Sandra Dallas?
I might, if the setting and background story were of interest to me.
Mary Ann from Georgetown, TX
Have you previously read a book by Sandra Dallas?
Yes, I have read all of her novels and three of her non-fiction books.
What other authors do you read?
John Grisham, Robin Cook, Michael Crichton, Sue Grafton, Kaye Gibbons, Alexander McCall Smith, Anne Lamott, Stephen White, Janet Evanovich, Elizabeth Berg and Sandra Dallas. My favorite is John Dunning, and I will read anything else that [comes] my way.
What did you think of TALLGRASS?
TALLGRASS evokes deep emotions and thoughts about prejudice and the way people interact and treat each other. Tallgrass is the Japanese internment camp just outside a small isolated community of Ellis, Colorado. Farmland people of Colorado, as in most Plains states, operate differently than people close to major cities do. The children grow up differently than urbanites, assuming responsibility at an earlier age; they are also more home-centered --- as is Rennie Stroud. However, no matter where you live, some of Dallas's characters are easily recognizable, such as the bully or person who won't listen to a different view. As in TALLGRASS, parents love their children and support their ideas; the family takes care of their own, and they really communicate with each other. Mistrust grows in small towns such as Ellis, where not a lot happens and suspicions run rampant. [Most small-town people protect themselves and their own by suspecting outsiders, outcasts, and those who are different.] Dallas has managed to intertwine a sad part of our American history with stories of family, honor, and murder. As Rennie tells the story, I was filled with compassion and empathy for the characters.
The contradictions in the story's characters are basic to every human being, and Dallas has brought them to life with flair in this novel.
With Rennie speaking, Dallas has written an unexpected ending and probed feelings much deeper than just racial prejudice.
I loved the book and couldn't put it down.
Would you ever read a future book by Sandra Dallas?
I definitely would.
Nicole from New Britain, CT
Have you previously read a book by Sandra Dallas?
I first read Sandra Dallas' BUSTER MIDNIGHT'S CAFÉ --- it was wonderful!! I loved the feel and the characters.
What other authors do you read?
[I went through a Stephen King phase, as well as a Mary Stewart phase]; I've read Sara Gruen, Jennifer Weiner, Wally Lamb, and scores of others too numerous to name. I read a lot, all kind of books and authors.
What did you think of TALLGRASS?
I thought it was great. I loved the way [Dallas] she spoke through Rennie, and thought it was very believable. She really captured small-town life as I imagine it would be.
Would you ever read a future book by Sandra Dallas?
Definitely!
Pat from Marion, SC
Have you previously read a book by Sandra Dallas?
I read THE PERSIAN PICKLE CLUB, and enjoyed that book.
What other authors do you read?
I read a wide array of authors and book styles, such as mystery/thrillers (my most recent read was Michele Martinez's new thriller), Southern literature, women's fiction, historical novels and biographies. Currently, I'm reading books by Ron Rash, Cornelia Read, Beth Webb Hart, J. L. Miles and Diane Mott Davidson.
What did you think of TALLGRASS?
I enjoyed the book, the time in American history, the coming-of-age viewpoint of the story, the small-town atmosphere that Sandra Dallas seems to understand and interpret so well in her books, and the variety of characters in the book who were very multifaceted. It was a quick and easy read, but with many thought-provoking ideas within the storyline and small-town life told in the book.
Would you ever read a future book by Sandra Dallas?
Yes, I would definitely pick up her next book to read.
Thanks for the chance to read this advance copy.
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