Welcome to Eudora: Mimi Thebo

Growing up in a small town can be hard. Everyone knows who you are and all the things that you've done, from birth to death. Lottie Dougal tried to run away from Eudora; she ran all the way to London. She came back though. As hard as it may be, small towns can be a cocoon of comfort. But when something happens to disturb the secrets and tensions that lie underneath the quiet peacefulness, people learn more then they thought they knew about themselves and each other.

Lottie Dougal is considered something of an anomaly in Eudora. She colors her her hair for one thing, and that's not generally done. So when Jim Emery, the new town doctor, takes notice of her, the whole town takes notice of them. Everything seems to be going well and it appears that he's going to propose at the annual Snow Ball. Unfortunately, the ring doesn't appear as planned. Lottie decides to consult the family spellbook for a surefire way to bring the doctor to her but before she can finish the spell the doctor is called away to attend his ailing mother. When he returns to Eudora it becomes apparent that the spell backfired. Jim has a new wife, and she doesn't fit in. Angela's arrival brings many issues to the fore, one of them being the large Latino population of Eudora that the Caucasian population never really seems to have noticed. The racial friction rises to a head with the proposed closing of the town quarry and the mayoral election, with a Latino candidate who is more then qualified. The town might be able to save itself, and each other, if they stop gossiping and start taking action.

The book is written from a withdrawn point-of-view and moves around among the different characters, giving a good angle of everyone involved. There is a sense of humour overlying everything to keep it from getting too tense, which is good, given that some of the situations get a little heart-wrenching. All in all it was a very good little book, just the kind of thing to take along for a summer trip.
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Paperback: 304 pages
Publisher: Ballantine Books (July 31, 2007)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0345492196
ISBN-13: 978-0345492197
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