Girl From the South

by Joanna Trollope 

Review by Vicki Carver

 

 

            Girl From the South  is a new novel by British author Joanna Trollope.  Ms. Trollope is a member of the same family as Anthony Trollope, a famous author of the late 1800’s,  and is a best selling author in England.  The main theme of this book is concerned with a group a young people, all around age thirty, who are trying to figure out what to do with their lives.  Characters lives on both sides of the Atlantic, some in Charleston, South Carolina and others in London, England.

            Gillon, the main character, is a twenty-nine year-old woman from Charleston, South Carolina who has never been sure of how she fits in either her family or her life.  She travels to London for a short-term job and becomes friends with Tilly and Henry who have been living together for several years.  Tilly wants to marry Henry but he resists her efforts to convince him that a wedding should be part of their future together.  Henry is attempting to support himself as a professional photographer but is feeling as if his life is incomplete in some way.

            Gillon offers Henry the opportunity to visit the Low Country of South Carolina which ultimately changes the lives of everyone in this story.  Henry finds a wealth of potential photographic opportunities in America and also realizes his love for Gillon.  Of course Tilly is greatly affected by Henry’s departure from her life and is forced to face some issues in her own life and move on.

            Reading this story is somewhat like watching a British version of the popular T.V. sitcom “Friends” since it involves a group of almost “thirtysomethings” who meander in and out of each other’s lives.

            Girl From the South is written in a subtle style, which leaves much of the plot’s interpretation up to the reader.  At times the low-key style, which this book is written in, causes the plot to move at a slow pace.  However, it is an intriguing glimpse of issues facing young people in our contemporary society and is enjoyable reading.