About THE BEQUEST OF BIG DADDY
Publication Date: April 1, 2013
Koehler Books
Paperback; 280p
ISBN: 978-1-938467-27-1
Ratio Janson is the crusty patriarch with an infamous background and a hair-trigger temper, reverently referred to as Big Daddy by his family clan. His feisty great-granddaughter, Jo-Dee, overhears shocking gossip at Big Daddy's funeral and is determined to plumb his murky past, spanning the Civil War, Reconstruction and forging head-on into the twentieth century.
From a vast turpentine industry to the ruins of a decaying plantation with its feudal order a memory, Jo-Dee explores the complex nature of family and self, only to make a startling discovery. Will she betray her great-grandfather and disgrace the family name, or will she preserve his shameful secret? And on the ancient grounds of the family mansion destroyed in the Civil War, will Big Daddy's spirit claim her even from the grave?
About the Author
Jo-Ann Costa studied her craft at the knees of her clannish Alabama kin, who are among the most accomplished at fabricating outlandish tales. Thus trained as a storyteller, Ms. Costa honed her compelling voice while serving in executive roles for a mega-corporation founded by the late Howard Hughes.
Along with the wildlife, Ms. Costa now makes her home at the edge of Colorado's Weminuche wilderness, where she writes historical fiction and mysteries. She is a graduate of California State University, the University of Southern California's Managerial Policy Institute, Leadership Southern California and the Public Affairs Institute. She also studied at the UCLA Writers’ Extension Program.
The Bequest of Big Daddy is the first book in her epic saga, Longleaf Legacy.
www.jo-anncosta.com
Link to Tour Schedule: http://hfvirtualbooktours.com/bequestofbigdaddytour/
Twitter Hashtag: #BigDaddyTour
Praise for THE BEQUEST OF BIG DADDY
“Costa’s expressive voice effortlessly guides the compelling story… Costa’s debut novel tells the engaging story of a man whose tumultuous life provides an even greater tale than the grand myths that surround him.” — Kirkus Reviews
“Anyone who enjoys Southern fiction or picaresque novels will love this one!” — Lisa Alther, Author of four New York Times bestsellers
“All families have secrets, some darker than others. In her richly imagined debut novel, Jo-Ann Costa explores the impact of one family’s secret down through the decades and generations. The Bequest of Big Daddy marks the arrival of a fresh new voice in Southern literature.” — Will Allison, Author of the New York Times bestseller Long Drive Home.
“Ms. Costa writes like she was born to the craft. Wonderful storytelling and memorable characters you won’t soon forget. Big Daddy is not just any character—he gets into your head and refuses to budge.” — Hillel Black, former Publishing Executive and Editor of twenty New York Times bestsellers
Jo-Ann Costa’s Bequest is part gothic, part adventure, part mystery and wholly satisfying. Move over Tennessee Williams, there is a new Big Daddy in town.” — Claire Matturro, Award-winning author of three bestsellers
“Costa is a skilled storyteller who draws the reader into the Southern world.” — The Durango Herald
“On a scale of one to five I would easily give this one a six, because it’s just that good!” — WV Stitcher, Blogger
The story starts in 1953 at the last family gathering that the patriarch, Ratio Janson, better known as Big Daddy will have. Told in granddaughter Jo-Dee's voice, who decides to do a little more digging into the life of her grandfather and how he came to be the formidable man his family and others knew him to be. The book takes the reader from when Ratio is a child, with an uncaring mother and an absent father through the Civil War and the Reconstruction, and further on we find out how Big Daddy makes his money any way he can whether it is legal or on the wrong side of the law. The reader is taken through Ratio's life including his married life, his children and his quest to find his father...
This is a story full of wonderful characters, great story line that kept me reading until the end...I enjoyed the authors writing style and the way the story flowed. A great Southern novel that left me wanting more. I look forward to the next book by this debut author.
I received this book for review and was not monetarily compensated for my review.
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