Follow Me by Joanna Scott

 

The cover to Follow Me is intriguing.  Is the female running to or from something?  The first paragraph of the book jacket doesn’t answer the question but it pulled me into the story.

On a summer day in 1946, Sally Werner, the precocious daughter of hardscrabble Pennsylvania farmers, accepts her cousin Daniel’s invitation to ride his new motorcycle.  Like so much of what follows in Sally’s life, it’s a decision driven by impulse and a thirst for adventure, a decision with dramatic and far-reaching consequences. 

The story of Sally Werner and her various incarnations is told by her granddaughter and namesake.  Most of the story is told in Sally’s words and follows Sally from the age of 16 until her death.

One of the great pleasures of reading is discovering a new voice.  Joanna Scott’s work is new to me but she’s certainly not a beginning writer.  While most of Sally’s story is told in a straight forward manner, Scott is not afraid to mix things up a bit.  She’ll combine narrative, internal thoughts, comprehension of the situation and snatches of conversation for some passages.  In less skillful hands those passages could be a mess.  Scott knows when to hold back.

Some books are easy reads that don’t require much attention and can be finished in an afternoon.  When I read a book I often compare it to a loaf of bread or a meal trying to think of how to describe it.  Follow Me is like a long lunch with many flavors incorporated into the dishes.  It requires thoughtful attention and it’s so delicious you can’t help but get through it quickly.  Some of Scott’s descriptions made me laugh because they are so unique.  For example, “Uncle Mason’s whittling knife made a sound that reminded her of her younger brothers when they slurped soup.”

Follow Me is currently in the top 5 books I’ve read this year.  It was an absolute pleasure (except for the sorrowful passages) from beginning to end.  Thank you, Miriam, of the Hachette Book Group for introducing me to Joanna Scott.