A review by kleedc73
Roses by Leila Meacham

5.0

Comparisons of this book to Gone With the Wind or The Thorn Birds do this book a disservice in that this book will always fall short by comparison. This is a very good book standing on its own and shouldn't be held to the high standard established by either of those classics. The book spans three generations and involves a cotton plantation, a family with a fierce love of the land and a strong-willed, dominating, admirable female character. In that way, it is facially similar to Gone With the Wind. But Roses is not structured exclusively from the point of view of one character, nor is the plot inextricably linked with events from American history (although historical events do play some role). The book is a sprawling family saga that explores relationships among parents and children, friends, spouses and the like. Roses is very character-driven and filled with regrets and lost opportunities. The book is set up in three different segments, telling the stories of Mary, Percy and Rachel respectively. Mary and Percy's stories are, in some ways, tied together by their unfulfilled love of each other whereas Rachel's is a little more independent. That said, Percy's story is much broader and richer, encompassing his relationship with his son(s) and grandson and broader development of his life and character. Rachel's story rounds out the novel, with parallels to Mary and Percy (through his grandson, Matt), exploring whether Rachel and Matt are able to overcome some of the things that defeated Mary and Percy. I enjoyed this book very much. The story is engrossing because the characters are compelling and interesting. Percy and, in particular, Percy's relationship with Wyatt, is captivating and resulted in more than one trip to the tissue box.