The Spirit of Sweetgrass (edit title)

• Rated 5 stars

“I loved this book. A good hometown type book. Well written and love the character of Essie Mae. I read it in two days, couldn't put it down.”

• Rated 3 stars

“Having spent my childhood in the low country and longing, most of my adult life, to own a sweet grass basket made by an Essie Mae, I am biased. I was in love with the title, the cover art...The book starts strong. Loved, loved loved.The plot engaged from page one. And then...what happened? It seemed the author got a lick tired and so did I. Still rates as a good read to my mind.”

• Rated 5 stars

“I picked this book up at Barnes and Noble and couldn't put it down. I had to buy it and read it. Very well well-written. Engaging and a page turner.”

• Rated 5 stars

“Essie Mae Laveau Jenkins sits at her stand on the highway selling her sweetgrass baskets to the cars that stop. Between customers, she holds conversations with her deceased husband Daddy Jim--worrying about her family, friends, the taxes due on her home. Her life has been steeped in the Gullah culture and her voice contains the rhythm of the low country. Grab a glass of lemonade and sit a spell.”

• Rated 0 stars

“The Spirit of Sweetgrass is a pleasant book to read. It holds your attention and teaches a lot about the Gullah people in South Carolina's low country. Being from extreme north central South Carolina, I learned a lot about the low country that seems to be another world away, culture, even though I visit there occasionally.

Essie Mae, Jim, and Henrietta are my favorite characters. Essie Mae's hoodoo practices are very comical. In some areas of the South it is called hoodoo, and in some areas it is called voodoo. Either is correct. The first time I heard the word "hoodoo" was from a woman who was born in Mississippi. She is a romance story writer.

When Essie Mae talks about being in heaven, it is like heaven is a place where one lives pretty much the same as one lives on earth. They have houses and leave heaven and make visits to the Gullah areas of South Carolina whenever they desire. Their perception of heaven is "way out" to me.

If you like fiction that will hold your attention, The Spirit of Sweetgrass is one good read.

”

• Rated 3 stars

“Well here is another book that makes me go hmmmm... because it's supposed to be a Christian book yet there is so much contained in this story that is simply not Biblical. However, the fictionalized character of Essie Mae is a delight to read. I think it's important to note that what the above description from the publisher doesn't mention is that the love baskets that Essie Mae "powerfully prays over" also has voodoo rituals attached, only she calls it hoodoo. Essie would weave the hair of people into the basket in hopes of matchmaking. And in this story the hoodoo techniques always worked.

While I found some of her thoughts hilarious and her culture entertaining, this story contained quite a few weird theological moments...like when Essie thought they needed to help Jesus out when they were in heaven, and some of the things they did in heaven were "way out there". But this is a fictional story. So if you don't take it seriously and read it for mere entertainment you will enjoy the book. I'd love to believe that I will look young, beautiful, and get to make love to my husband in heaven, too, but that simply isn't so. And I found it odd that her voodoo practicing aunt was in heaven along with some other folks that practiced similar things. Like somehow that was irrelevant to their faith in Jesus? Hmmmm...I dunno.

The writing and characterization of the story was excellent, however, and I commend the author for her creativity and ability to engage the reader, but I don't think it should've been marketed as Christian fiction by a Christian publisher. But I'm only one opinion. If you can get past the warped theology and you are seeking a book that is compulsively readable, you'll like this story.”