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Cynthia Ulmer, author of The Cedar Cove Chronicles, was inspired by childhood memories to create her characters and the novels she writes. Her southern upbringing provides endless information to add to her imagination. Like many other southern authors, she creates character driven, down-home stories that will linger with the reader. Underneath The Honeysuckle Vine is a look into narcissist Meg's mind and into the mind of her sad, withdrawn, daughter, Carin. Forced to live in conditions Meg believes are beneath her, she seeks the life she thinks she deserves, no matter the cost.
Reviewed by Courtnee Turner Hoyle for Readers' Favorite
In Underneath the Honeysuckle Vine: Beyond Cedar Cove, Book One by Cynthia Ulmer, six-year-old Carin Evans struggles to understand the ridicule she endures in a town where her mother's family is revered. As she takes in the beehive hairdos and limited views of the 1960s, she's bullied by everyone, even her own mother, Meg. Carin's friend, Tammy, and her new church life improve her situation, but she still suffers from verbal abuse. Her mother hopes to regain her family's favor and wealth by lying. When it doesn't work, Meg embarks on a plethora of bad decisions. Carin wishes she could have birthday parties and a father, like her friend's family, but her mother stays locked in her mind, making choices that could cost them everything they have.
Cynthia Ulmer's story will hold you in place until the end. Readers will become deeply invested in Carin and her story and are curious about Meg, and Carin's father. At times, I wished I could protect Carin from her schoolmates' bullying and her mother's neglect and indifference, and I was so pleased when she and Tammy became inseparable friends. Most readers know at least one person like Meg, who feels she is entitled to more, and it was infuriating to read about her decisions when they affected Carin directly. The story felt nostalgic as the author mentions era-specific products, styles, and trends. The descriptions of cars and fairs put readers in the timeframe. Readers who enjoy realistic rural stories set during the 1960s will enjoy Underneath the Honeysuckle Vine.
