Miss Julia Speaks Her Mind: A Novel

This was an absolutely delightful read, I actually found myself laughing out loud while reading it! Miss Julia has quite the personality and her friend Lillian is a jewel! I'm looking forward to reading Miss Julia's other adventures!

I started out loving this book. I could hardly put it down. But after a while, I began to bristle at the way Mrs. Ross painted the church people. There was not a likable one among them, especially not Pastor Ledbetter, the church secretary and televangelist, Brother Vern. While charlatans and hypocrites do certainly exist in some churches, Mrs. Ross seemed to take delight in emphasizing it to the neglect of balancing it with the generous, honest and true majority of church members and pastors. As the daughter of a minister and the wife of a minister, I felt rather slapped in the face. Miss Julia's snarly thoughts were sort of funny at first and usually contained at least a nugget of truth, but, after a while, they began to tarnish her own image as much as the ones about whom she was thinking. If the pastor was really that bad, she should have done something about it, if only to leave the church. She seemed to be seeking out trouble rather than standing up to it. I really became disappointed at the end when her episode with Dr. Fowler got a little racy. It went downhill quickly from there. Still, I must say that Mrs. Ross's knack for humor and forthrightness was refreshing and entertaining at points. I found myself laughing out loud occasionally as I read Miss Julia speaking MY mind! I was looking forward to reading the whole series, but somehow I just don't like Miss Julia as much now as I did in the beginning. I think I will just let her go her way, and I will go mine.

When told about the Miss Julia series, I was eager to read these clever stories with the wonderful flavor of the South. This book was so enjoyable, I immediately purchased the second book "Miss Julia Takes Over". That one was so ridiculously unbelievable, I could barely finish the book.... and won't bother with the rest of the series. I was very disappointed.

This book is the first in the "Miss Julia" series. I enjoyed the audiobook tremendously! This book introduces most of the characters in the series and sets out the background for the magical relationship between Miss Julia and Little Lloyd.
Ann B. Ross writes with authenticity as we learn about the betrayal Miss Julia experiences when her recently deceased husband 's secret life comes to light.
In this book, we witness the meeting of Hazel Marie and Miss Julia, the outrage Miss Julia feels, and the subsequent slow shift in her feelings for Hazel Marie.
The book ends with a powerful, climactic scene in Miss Julia's living room that has the reader both shocked and delighted!

I could not put this book down. I have recommended it to everyone I know! Ms. Ross' characters and descriptions of small town life in the South are humorous and dead on! I thoroughly enjoyed every page and hated for the story to end. I am anxiously awaiting another book by Ms. Ross.