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A review by kathieboucher
Southernmost by Silas House
5.0
I loved this story of a Tennessee Pentecostal preacher whose community is hit with a tragic flood, and in its aftermath comes to understand his whole theology and worldview is based on suspicion and hatred. When (understandably) he can't convince his congregation of their wrongheadedness, he's led to upend his whole life.
It's always interesting to look at one-star reviews of books I rated highly. "Confirmation bias porn"? Poor character development? Unlikable protagonist? Yes, this book is certainly about An Issue. The Tennessee cast of characters aren't fleshed out further? Surprise--this isn't their story. This is a tale of one man grappling with a moral dilemma. Does Asher always make good choices? No he doesn't. I don't need to like the main character to be able to recognize a fine and thought-provoking novel. That's said, I'd love to know what ultimately happened to Jimmy and Stephen, the couple whose presence kicks off the whole cascade of events in Southernmost.
It's always interesting to look at one-star reviews of books I rated highly. "Confirmation bias porn"? Poor character development? Unlikable protagonist? Yes, this book is certainly about An Issue. The Tennessee cast of characters aren't fleshed out further? Surprise--this isn't their story. This is a tale of one man grappling with a moral dilemma. Does Asher always make good choices? No he doesn't. I don't need to like the main character to be able to recognize a fine and thought-provoking novel. That's said, I'd love to know what ultimately happened to Jimmy and Stephen, the couple whose presence kicks off the whole cascade of events in Southernmost.