Just call me Daisy Fay

I took Clay to the library a couple of weeks ago. I'd intended to check out a nice stack of books for both of us, but after we selected HIS books, he sorta lost interest. Which meant I had to hurriedly grab a tome or two of my own while making sure he didn't wreak havoc. Hovering near the end of the large-print aisle as I watched him cavort in the reading area, I finally just grabbed a book that looked halfway decent and told myself it would have to do.

The book I checked out was Daisy Fay and the Miracle Man, by Fannie Flagg. I've never read much Fannie Flagg, though I was aware she was the author of Fried Green Tomatoes. This book turned out to be a delight. The device Flagg uses to tell Daisy's story is that of a diary, and it was wonderful to hear Daisy grow up, and "listen" to her voice changing a bit as she got older.

Basically, Daisy is the only daughter of a Mississippi couple in the 1950s. Her father is charming, but he is a hard drinker. The reader follows Daisy on her adventures in Jackson, then down to Shell Beach on the Gulf Coast, then up to Hattiesburg, and finally to the Miss Mississippi contest in Tupelo. Throughout, Daisy's opinionated, honest take on the world around her will make you root for her. A funny cast of supporting characters also makes this book a joy to read.

Recommended!