BOOK: Miss Julia Speaks Her Mind by Ann B Ross

How perfect, that as I began reading the first book for the Southern Reading Challenge, the weather here turned steamy. Well, as steamy as PEI can get, which means humid and a little windy. We are finally able to wear shorts. Miss Julia is a delightful little read, not too heavy and just the right amount of humor. I knew I was hooked into the story and characters when I realized I was wondering what would happen between Julia and Sam, her lawyer, and how she would finally solve some of her problems.
Julia Springer is a recent widow, and she discovers her late husband's infidelity when his mistress drops off his son at her door and asks her to take care of Little Lloyd. Poor Julia has to deal with this shocking revelation in her small southern town, with its standards and 'southernness', which I am getting a feel for even after just one book. Complicating the situation is the minister across the street who feels he/his church should have the money Miss Julia inherited. Miss Julia led a sheltered, simple life before her husband died, and she learns to think for herself, act herself, and look after herself and the assorted characters in her life. She grows up a lot in this book, even though she is in her sixties, and while everything gets resolved, Julia still has a way to go. I will look for the next book in this series, especially when I need a nice, light, enjoyable, nothing to get worked up about, book.