Review "Lum is an engaging portrait of a village in the Virginia Blue Ridge during the Great Depression. Lum's courageous journey to selfhood is profound and moving, and a metaphor for the process of self-acceptance necessary for anyone who doesn't fit into traditional social norms." --Lisa Alther, author of Kinfolks "Libby Ware has written with a rich new southern voice and captured the dying art of storytelling in her debut novel." --Ann Hite, author of the award-winning Ghost On Black Mountain and Georgia Author of the Year, 2011 " . . .a startlingly good debut novel." --Atlanta Magazine " . . . captivating . . . Ware writes with a charismatic Southern voice that will appeal to readers of Ron Rash, Lee Smith, and Wiley Cash. I read Lum from start to finish in one day and relished its fresh characters and take on history... Select if for your book club, and get ready for a rip-roaring discussion." --Hungry for Good Books " . . . a treat for those who appreciate character-centered historical fiction. Lum's courageous journey toward independence makes her a heroine worth fighting for, and readers will find themselves missing her company after the final page turns." --Historical Novels Review About the Author Libby Ware lived the first five years of her life in West Virginia, and spent some childhood summers in the Blue Ridge Mountains of West Virginia. She is the owner of Toadlily Books, an antiquarian book business, and is also a book collector. The beginning of Lum, excerpted as a short story, "The Circuit," was published in Feminist Studies in 2009, and was a finalist in the Poets & Writers Award for Georgia Writers, judged by Jennifer Egan. Ware lives in Atlanta with her two dogs, Tilly and Robin, and a mile away from her partner, Charlene Ball. Lum won the ALA Stonewall Barbara Gittings Honor Award.
J**L
A Heartfelt Tale
In "Lum" Libby Ware has woven a heartfelt tale to remind us that we are all different, but some are more different than others. Columbia (Lum), growing up during the depression in The Blue Ridge Mountains, is told at an early age she will never marry because she is born of both sexes. Holding the positive qualities of both she is shuttled back and forth between her family members and is a fascinating, courageous and lovable character that I will always remember. The beautiful Appalachian descriptions made me want to stomp on the fall leaves beside her.
L**H
Lum, a wonderful book.
Lum is a melancholy book that reminded me of A Giant’s House by Elizabeth McCracken. As an intersex female born in the south at the turn of the century, Lum must keep a low profile in her small community to avoid being scrutinized and bullied more than she’s already been. Though she works hard caring for babies and cooking for her family’s children, her value to others is minimized nil given that she won’t be marrying and making babies. Lum is a beautifully written and captivating story of the important need in all of us to be loved and to belong.
B**L
A Masterful Evocation
Libby Ware’s masterful evocation of life in the Blue Ridge Mountains in the early years of the last century is exceeded only by the depth and poignancy with which she reveals the main character of this wonderful debut novel. Lum is different- and talented and wise - though mostly unappreciated by her controlling family. Fortunately for Lum, her life is redeemed in unexpected ways. Fortunately for the reader, Libby Ware has written a very fine novel.
M**E
This book is a wonderful read, which gives an unusual and worthwhile slant ...
This book is a wonderful read, which gives an unusual and worthwhile slant on the lives of single women in a time and place we often don't read about in mainstream literature. Beautifully written and full of the language and imagery of the low-income southern mountains, Ware evokes her setting and the heartbreaking predicament of the "extra woman" with compassion and respect. No wonder it won a major award. Read it now.
A**R
Needed More Character Development
This was an okay novel. The author developed the main character just enough for me to care about her. However, I felt I wanted more information about her and how she dealt with being transgendered throughout her life. The story went on, jumping back and forth in time and gave mere glimpses into Lum's life and challenges. I just wanted to know her and some of the other characters more.
Trustpilot
4 days ago
2 months ago
