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History has long been my keenest interest and was a childhood fascination. I followed this interest to University where I obtained my BA and MA in History. My thesis was concentrated on British colonialism in Africa, but my first historical love was England, especially those Tudors. My life's greatest passion are my two boys. My most avid hobbies are reading and travel. My favorite reads are historical fiction and my favorite travel destination Western Europe. Because of the high volume of books I read and my passion for discussion I was encouraged by friends to begin a book review blog earlier this year and so The Most Happy Reader was born.

The Bequest of Big Daddy

The Bequest of Big Daddy - Jo-Ann  Costa The Bequest of Big Daddy offers the reader a magnificent peek into the workings of a Southern family patriarch. Big Daddy is one of those swearing, fear inspiring relatives many of us who have been raised in the South remember with both nostalgia and regret. Big Daddy was born Horatio “Ratio” Janson and lives many more lives than one. He experiences parental neglect, is wrongfully charged with a heinous crime, experiences the love of a good wife but ultimately does the unforgiveable. While Big Daddy is inspirational as a survivor of many tempests he is certainly not without horrible faults.

I appreciated Costa’s ability to create characters so human and yet so complex. I suppose the ultimate compliment would be that several of the characters found within The Bequest of Big Daddy truly brought to mind several members of my family as I remembered them from childhood. Costa vividly brings to life the tension, turmoil, triumph and tragedy of the Deep South from Reconstruction to the present day.

I found The Bequest of Big Daddy an engaging read and enjoyed the novel initially as a look into the history of the South but primarily as an exquisitely crafted character study. I would recommend The Bequest of Big Daddy without hesitation.

In full compliance with FTC Guidelines, I received a free trade paperback edition of this book from the author and Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours in exchange for a fair and honest review. I was in no way compensated for this post, and the thoughts are my own.