Gone to Green

Title: GONE TO GREEN
Author: Judy Christie
Publisher: Abingdon Press
August 2009
ISBN: 978-1-4267-0024-8
Genre: Inspirational/contemporary women’s fiction

Lois Barker is an editor at a large paper in the Midwest. She is on the corporate ladder, on the way up, and the owner of the paper has as much as promised a promotion to Lois. When her good friend Ed decides to get out of the city and realize his long time dream of owning his own paper, Lois is thrilled, though she wonders how she’ll manage without her good friend.

It’s a bigger surprise when Ed dies unexpectedly from leukemia, and wills the ownership of his new paper to Lois. Lois wants to give it up; she wants to move up the corporate ladder. She does not want to move to Green, Louisiana and own her own paper. So, Lois is majorly shocked when she hears herself tell the owner of the city paper that she is going to commit career suicide and head south to take care of Ed’s dream.

The paper is not at all what Lois expected. Twelve employees, total. A ramshackle building. A rat-infested house thrown in to sweeten the deal. Now, Lois must battle prejudice and financial corruption, and makes friends—and enemies—with a host of people who will change her life. Will Lois fulfill her year’s obligation to Ed’s paper and stay, or will she run to the first city paper to offer her a way out?

GONE TO GREEN is Ms. Judy Christie’s debut novel, but she is no stranger to daily newspapers. She brings that knowledge to good stead in GONE TO GREEN, a story to is completely set around the news.

This new book, the first contemporary I’ve read by this new publishing house, doesn’t have quite the same impact as the first historical I’ve read by this company, but it still provides plenty to think about, entertainment, and realistic characters that the readers will love. I’ve enjoyed getting to know Lois, and the townsfolk of Green, and even the reporters and editors in the city paper that Lois left. GONE TO GREEN is a novel to consider. Discussion questions are included at the end of the book. $13.99. 224 pages.