Miss Julia is just getting over the shock of her banker husband's death, who left her surprisingly wealthy, when a woman shows up with a little boy who belongs to Miss Julia's husband. She leaving the boy with Miss Julia so she can go to North Carolina to become a beautician to support herself and her son. Now Miss Julia is saddled with a skinny 9 year-old boy. While she resents the boy, she still feels sorry for the innocent little thing.

Living in small-town southern USA, she can't escape the nosiness of her neighbors and especially her Presbyterian pastor who chides her for taking in an "orphan." When the boy's uncle comes to claim him, offering to return him to his mother, Miss Julia gladly turns him over to the uncle. After her house is ransacked and learning a bit more about the uncle, Miss Julia comes to regret her decision to let the boy go.

Although Miss Julia is rather naïve, she has plenty of grit. Unfortunately, Miss Julia has had decisions made for her all her life. She was taught from youth that her husband and the Pastor always knows best, even so far as being a submissive wife to a philandering husband. Miss Julia is beginning to see the hypocrisy that has surrounded her whole life. Though coming to this revelation, and desiring to live in her new-found freedom with the death of her more-than-frugal husband, at times it is difficult for her to always be able let go of the old paradigms and to see what's going on. When the pastor ambushes her with a Doctor of Psychology who makes a play for her, then blames her for being vulnerable to his advances, Miss Julia reverts to her fears of what will people think. They have played on these fears, threatening to tell all unless she lets them be appointed her guardian - all to get her money. However, there are twists and turns at the end.

This is an amusing and fast read.

American Dirt

 by Jeanine Cummins

I normally read the jacket covers before reading a book, just to get an idea of what the book is about. I didn't on this one, and I am so glad I made that choice. I was hooked from the first page forward. I loved reading of Lydia's bookstore; the bathroom scene at home was gripping. When Lydia realized she needed to take her son, Luca, and disappear, every scene was well thought out, and I found relying on gut instinct amazing, and learning the ways of migrants along her journey helped in making her choices.

I will be the first to admit that I have always felt that illegals entering the States is not right, but I was forced to admit that sometimes there is no other way. I never saw that coming.

Lydia and Luca's trek is filled with danger as they jump onto and from the tops of trains, along with encountering people they run into and away from throughout their trip. Lydia finds that everyone is not who they say they are, making it difficult to know just who to trust making choices from the best of bad.

I cannot imagine living in a third-world country that is filled with corruption on every level. I cannot imagine the danger that even middle-class people encounter on an every-day basis.

I consider this book life-changing, mind-blowing and a must-read.