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Monday, May 21, 2018

Flight Patterns Another Compelling Southern Family Saga From An Old Favorite

(Image from Barnes & Noble)

After fleeing the small tourist town of her birth ten years ago, Georgia Chambers swore she'd never return to Apalachicola, Florida.  The 35-year-old has made a life for herself as an antiques expert in New Orleans, where no one knows about her wild child youth or the estranged family members she left behind.  Her past comes calling, though, when a customer brings Georgia an heirloom teacup with a unique pattern she knows she's seen before.  Although the bee motif doesn't appear in any antiques catalogs, Georgia recognizes it instantly—her mother owns a matching piece.  The item has always been shrouded in mystery and suddenly, Georgia is intent on finding out why.  Since "Birdie" no longer speaks, Georgia can't exactly call her mother up on the phone.  As much as she hates to admit it, a trip to Florida is the only way she can get the answers she needs.

To Georgia's surprise, her client—a handsome New York City real estate developer named James Graf—insists on coming along to investigate the history of his teacup.  Irritated, Georgia vows to make the road trip as quick as possible.  Of course, fate has other plans.  

As Georgia hunts for her mother's missing piece of china, she unintentionally uncovers a dark secret from her family's past.  Although she's warned to leave well enough alone, Georgia won't stop until she gets the answers she seeks, even if it means shattering her mother's fragile psyche and breaking the already-frail bonds that still tie her to her family.  When the shocking truth finally comes to light, Georgia will have to decide what to do with the newfound knowledge that could forever change everything, for all of them. 

I've long been a fan of Karen White's Southern novels, but some of them definitely appeal more than others.  Although it is compelling, Flight Patterns falls into the latter camp.  Since I know nothing about beekeeping or antique china, I found those aspects of the story intriguing.  The characters less so.  They are sympathetic certainly, but I didn't feel a strong connection to any of them.  Plot wise, the novel kept my attention, even though certain aspects of it seem contrived and far-fetched.  I appreciate, though, the story's themes of forgiveness and redemption and the fact that Georgia's life doesn't wrap up in a perfect, unrealistic way.  Overall, then, I liked Flight Patterns, but I didn't love it. 

(Readalikes:  Reminds me of other Southern novels by Karen White; also of books by Joshilyn Jackson and Dorothea Benton Frank, although theirs tend to be more R-rated than White's)

Grade:


If this were a movie, it would be rated:


for violence, scenes of peril, and innuendo

To the FTC, with love:  I bought a copy of Flight Patterns from Costco with a portion of the millions I make from my lucrative career as a book blogger.  Ha ha.

14 comments:

  1. It’s too bad this one wasn’t one of her better ones.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yeah. It was compelling enough, just kind of forgettable.

      Delete
  2. What's your favorite Karen White novel?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I have a really bad memory, so I had to look at the reviews I've written of Karen White's novels to answer this question :) Looks like I enjoyed THE LOST HOURS and THE MEMORY OF WATER best.

      Delete
    2. :D Glad I'm not the only one who can't always remember the books I liked best. Thanks, Susan!

      Delete
    3. Have you heard that Louisa May Alcott quote "She has read too many books and it has addled her brain"? That's totally me. If it weren't for the blog, I wouldn't be able to remember ANYTHING I've read!

      Delete
  3. I still have not read any books by Karen White. I keep meaning to. Ha! One day. Maybe I won't start with this one.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yeah, I wouldn't start with this one!

      Delete
  4. Too bad it wasn't better. I'll admit the tea cup probably wouldn't be enough to keep my attention.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I don't have any interest in china, but I do like family secrets (in fiction, anyway!), so that's what kept me reading.

      Delete
  5. I have Karen White on my TBR and this book has seemed intriguing. I can see where the china wouldn't catch your attention but I must admit that it's made me crazy curious! Glad you enjoyed it despite the meh moments and you've got me excited to give this one a try!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. If you like Karen White, you would probably like this one. I'm just saying it's not her best book, in my *humble* opinion :)

      Delete
  6. I'm glad you liked this even if you did love it.

    ReplyDelete
  7. I still haven't read a Karen White book but I want to. Probably even own one! Glad you liked this if you didn't love it. Great review!

    ReplyDelete

Comments make me feel special, so go crazy! Just keep it clean and civil. Feel free to speak your mind (I always do), but be aware that I will delete any offensive comments.

P.S.: Don't panic if your comment doesn't show up right away. I have to approve each one before it posts to prevent spam. It's annoying, but it works!

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End of Story by A.J. Finn

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