The Florabama Ladies' Auxiliary & Sewing Circle    by Lois Battle Order:  USA  Can Penguin, 2002 (2001) Hardcover, Paperback Read an Excerpt      Reviewed by Mary Ann Smyth Intrigued by the title, I picked up this book and immediately became engrossed in the characters who people the story ... Bonnie Duke Cullman, separated from her recently bankrupt husband, realizes that her world of leisure, money, and high society has changed overnight. She acquires a job in the small Alabama town of Florabama. Hilly Pruitt, a hard driving woman, but with a heart as big as the town, reacts to the closing of Florabama's lingerie factory, a source of income for many of the women of the area, with one of her many wonderful pithy sayings: 'We've been screwed blue and tatooed.' Hilly, Ruth, Roxy, Lyda Jane, Albertine, Celia, all affected by the closing of the Cherished Lady factory, band together and look to Bonnie to find a means of survival. Bonnie, a newcomer to a world which requires earning a living, finds a solution. But, of course, there are pitfalls along the way. Each woman has her own story, and the reader is given a chance to join in with each of them as they struggle with everyday life. This fifth book by Lois Battle is wonderfully written, and one that I found hard to put down. Read it for a slice of Southern experience, and a feel for the way a portion of America really lives. Curl up in a comfortable chair on your porch on a hot summer's day with a glass of iced tea and The Florabama Ladies' Auxiliary & Sewing Circle. You will become enmeshed in their problems and become a part of their circle, as they fight to put their lives back in some sort of order after the firing at the lingerie factory. This is a heartwarming story, about which People Magazine says - 'Norma Rae meets Steel Magnolias.' Don't expect everything, though, to turn out just right for everyone. Things don't happen that way in real life, nor do they in these pages. I was not familiar with this author, but now intend, on my next book buying spree, to indulge myself with another of her novels. Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more Contemporary books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews