Author Cassie Dandridge Selleck’s southern voice is so captivating I imagined sipping sweet iced tea with Miss Ora as we sat on her front porch.
The Pecan Man (pronounced Pee-can) is a name given by the neighborhood children to an elderly black man in the small Florida town of Mayville. The novella takes place 30 years earlier in 1976 and is told by an elderly woman, Ora Lee Beckworth. In her mid-fifties at the time of the story, recently widowed and childless, Miss Ora hires the Pecan Man, whom she calls Eddie, to mow her lawn and tend her flower and vegetable beds.
Blanche has been Miss Ora’s housekeeper for years and the two women have formed a strong bond. Blanche, the mother of 5 and also recently widowed, crosses from the “colored section” of town six days a week to clean and cook for Miss Ora. One day a violent tragedy occurs to Blanche’s youngest daughter. In an effort to protect the little girl, lies are told, lies that perpetuate until truth and lies form an impenetrable web that send an innocent man to prison.
I was captivated by this novella. The author, a native of Central Florida, uses the dialect of the area with ease, giving the book an authentic flavor of place. I highly recommend The Pecan Man.
Hi, Mary! I just came across this post and wanted to touch base to say thank you! 2016 was a tough year for me since I lost my mom, the real inspiration for Ora Lee, in February. She would be so proud to read reviews like this, and I’m awfully grateful to the readers who share my story with their friends.
With deep gratitude…
Cass
Cass, I’m so sorry to hear about your mother. The Pecan Man was a wonderful book and I’m thrilled to hear from you.
THis looks like a great read. Thank you, Mary! I love the tone and rhythm of the southern dialect.
It really is a good book, Carmen. I’d never heard of it until my sister-in-law gave me a copy. But I saw more than a 1,000 reviews on Amazon. So I added my two-cents.