Title: Skinny Dipping in a Dirty Pond
Author: Lis Anna-Langston
Genre: Literary Fiction, Fictionalized Memoir
Book Blurb:
"In my family, as far back as I can tell, there was no such thing as communication, only secrets."
A young girl in a small southern town in the 80's enlists the help of an unlikely group of friends and family to help her survive an unconventional, sometimes abusive childhood. Skinny Dipping in a Dirty Pond is highly recommended for fiction readers looking for coming-of-age and family narratives that are anything but ordinary and predictable. Its lively tone packs a punch.
My Review:
Cotton Ann lives life dodging abuse while trying to swim through the morass of secrets that is ingrained in her family. Cotton Ann grows up down south in a family that is mired with abuse, dysfunction, drug abuse, mental illness, and secrets. She learns early on what it takes to survive in her family. She's shaped by her family's dysfunction and takes it all on the chin with humor and wisdom. She doesn't want to be pitied but be championed as one who thrives in the midst of her crazy world. She doesn't quite realize the danger she's in and in some way, this protects her. Will she become a stronger young woman because of her family, or will she be drawn into the dysfunction?
Skinny Dipping in a Dirty Pond is a beautiful coming-of-age tale with heart-wrenching pain and an unbelievably uplifting message. Told from the point of view of a young girl, it is a humorous look at mental illness, drug abuse, and other terrible things. I connected with Cotton right away. She's a character dealing with very dark, very disturbing things yet she doesn't see it that way. It's all normal to her. Instead of it being a 'poor girl' story, it is rather uplifting. The writing is poignant and emotional. I cried, I laughed, I cried again. The plot moves at a nice even pace with plenty of characters to interact with and realistic dialogue. If you love coming-of-age stories, you'll want to read Skinny Dipping in a Dirty Pond. If you crave family sagas, you'll love Skinny Dipping in a Dirty Pond. An unforgettable story from start to finish, you need to read this book. Highly recommend!
My Rating: 5 stars
Buy it Now:
Books A Million: https://www.booksamillion.com/p/Skinny-Dipping-Dirty-Pond/Lis-Anna-Langston/9781957730004?id=8535091506916
Indigo: https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/skinny-dipping-in-a-dirty/9781957730035-item.html
Author Biography:
Lis Anna-Langston was raised along the winding current of the Mississippi River on a steady diet of dog-eared books. She attended a Creative and Performing Arts School from middle school until graduation and went on to study Literature at Webster University. Her two novels, Gobbledy and Tupelo Honey have won the Parents’ Choice Gold, Moonbeam Book Award, Independent Press Award, Benjamin Franklin Book Award and NYC Big Book Awards. Twice nominated for the Pushcart award and Finalist in the Brighthorse Book Prize, William Faulkner Fiction Contest and Thomas Wolfe Fiction Award, her work has been published in The Literary Review, Emerson Review, The Merrimack Review, Emrys Journal, The MacGuffin, Sand Hill Review and dozens of other literary journals. She draws badly, sings loudly, loves ketchup, starry skies & stories with happy aliens.
You can find her in the wilds of South Carolina plucking stories out of thin air.
Social Media Links:
Website: http://www.lisannalangston.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lis.anna.langston/
Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/default/e/B00IXKUOEQ
Reviewed by: Mrs. N