Snowflakes in the South

Discover the book KIRKUS calls "...a politically engaged update to Steel Magnolias" and "entertaining from start to finish."

KIRKUS BOOK REVIEW

In Kacmar and Patrice's political satire, Southern women fight for their community's health and sanity. For 20 years, good old boy Terrence "Terry" Benedict Monroe III has served on the Weaver County, North Carolina Commission, most recently as its charismatic chairman. Terry is quick to dismiss the warnings of the state's liberal governor when it comes to a mysterious illness affecting the county's children. He prefers to stoke conservative fervor about gun rights and immigrant invasions and sleep with his disaffected mistress, Babs Marshall. As Babs grows fed up with Terry's childish attitude, a group of more progressive women come together following one of Terry's most incendiary rants. There's longtime Weaver County resident Birdie Jefferson, pediatrician Deepa Kaur (who has come under Terry's scrutiny for her Sikh faith), New York transplant Nina Gold, attorney Avery Lee, and Terry's own assistant, Lucille Preston. Desperate to protect the town from racist attitudes and the growing health crisis, the women found Project Snowflake and strategize to get Lucille elected as Terry's replacement. Terry quickly sees that he will have to up the ante to win, and the gun-toting loudmouth is ready to pull out all the stops. But with each woman bringing her own expertise and tenacity to the mix, Terry just may have met his match. Patrice and Kacmar are certainly enjoying themselves here: Dripping in Southern style, their send-up of bipartisan politics feels like a politically engaged update to Steel Magnolias. The misogynistic Terry is truly despicable, thanks to the author's smart depictions of his gun obsession and mommy issues. While each of the female characters is given her moment to shine, Birdie and Nina stand out most for their sharp one-liners (the Jewish Nina doesn't shy away from expressing her distaste for "neighbors that think [I] killed Jesus!"). The narrative is certainly playing with stereotypes and oversimplifications and can feel a bit cheesy at times, but it's all in good fun. Readers willing to get on board will find themselves satisfied by several poignant moments of female empowerment.

Larger-than-life characters keep this take on Southern politics entertaining from start to finish.