Review & Blog Tour & Giveaway: Follow Me by Joanna Scott |

My Review

Sixteen year old Sally Werner lives in rural Pennsylvania. It is the year 1946. She accepts a ride on the motorcycle of her cousin, Daniel, a decision that changes her life forever. The end up having intercourse, an act Sally didn’t consent to. She becomes pregnant, and is blamed for ruining Daniel’s life. Daniel is eager to marry Sally, Sally would rather die than marry him. Forty-eight hours after giving birth to their son, Sally leaves the child in the care of her family and runs away from a future that is not her own.

Her first encounter is with the Mason family. She accepts the role as housekeeper from seventy year old “Uncle Mason.” They build a relationship of trust of over the matter of two years that Sally works for him. However, while cleaning, Sally discovers a box that contains Mason’s entire life savings. She is no thief, yet she can’t get the money out of her mind. When her past catches up to her the local gossip begins spreading the details of Sally’s past, she must pack up and leave this family she’s grown to love. She goes to the box holding Uncle Mason’s money, only planning on taking a small amount, when Mason’s voice appears in the darkness, demanding that she take it all. Sally takes all the money, and once again runs away.

Thus begins Sally’s legacy of moving from town to town, running from her own past. She uses the Tuskagee River as a path to her future, stopping off at small towns in an attempt to settle. Each time her need to flee awakens, and Sally must pack up and move on. This continues after the birth of her daughter, Penelope, is born. She can’t seem to shake the guilt of abandoning her son. She sends letters home to her parents and includes a small amount of mone when she’s able. Yet it isn’t until almost two decades later that Sally begins to wonder what happened to her son. ..

FOLLOW ME details the lives of Sally, her daughter Penelope, and eventually her grandaughter and traces the lies created by her family to keep her in the dark about her son’s existence. Just how far will they go to keep Sally form learning the truth?

Although parts of FOLLOW ME seemed to drag a bit, it didn’t take long for me to become absorbed in the characters. The writing was powerful and descriptive. The characters were all well-rounded and seemed to share the same destiny, no matter how hard they tried to take control. I recommend FOLLOW ME to any reader that enjoys a detailed storyline with twists and turns that leaves you questioning until the very end.

About the Author

Joanna Scott is the author of nine books, including The Manikin, which was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize; Various Antidotes and Arrogance, which were both finalists for the PEN/Faulkner Award; and the critically acclaimed Make Believe, Tourmaline, and Liberation. A recipient of a MacArthur Fellowship, a Guggenheim Fellowship, and a Lannan Award, she lives with her family in upstate New York.

Giveaway

I have one copy of FOLLOW ME to give away. To be entered into the contest, comment on this post. To be entered twice, blog about it. For three entries, tweet about it (please include a link to your tweet in your comment). Contest is open to US and Canadian residents only. Winner will be announced on Friday, May 8th.

Thank you to Hachette for providing me with this review copy. Check out the other blogs participating in this tour: