Looking After Lily (Curley Large Print Books) - Hardcover

Bonner's first novel, Lily (1992), a love story set in Texas circa 1880, was a winner. It told the story of hardworking, 15-year-old Lily, who shouldered her deceased mother's responsibilities but fell wildly in love with a dashing, red-headed young outlaw called Shot. Lily won many accolades and awards and will soon be made into a movie. Bonner is riding this wave of success with a sequel, but it has none of the shortcomings associated with the form. Her prose is, once again, lustrous, specific, and resonant, and she has boldly switched points of view. As the new novel begins, Lily's husband, Marion ("Shot") Beatty, has been sentenced to two years in jail just as his one surviving brother, Haywood, is being released. Shot begs Haywood to take care of Lily, who is pregnant and has nowhere to go. Haywood is appalled. A loner with a taste for whiskey, gambling, and whoring, he wants nothing to do with a pregnant sister-in-law. But gradually, after a series of disastrous misadventures and the near-disastrous birth of his niece, Emmaline Eliza, Haywood begins to grow into his role of guardian. The trouble is, he also falls in love with Lily. As these two tough, laconic, brave, and, yes, noble individuals struggle with the conundrums of passion and the demanding work of pre-industrial daily life, Bonner does more than hold us rapt with her storytelling skills; she also reveals the transforming power of love. A third installment of Lily's saga is in the works. Donna Seaman

YA-Bonner, a gifted storyteller, doesn't let this sequel to Lily (Algonquin, 1992) serve merely as a bridge to the final installment in the proposed trilogy. Instead, she has produced a "standing tall" book. Haywood "Woody" Beatty is acquitted of murder charges stemming from the gunfight in which his two older brothers were killed. He agrees to "look after Lily" for her husband, his remaining brother Marion, who is serving a two-year jail term for his involvement in the fight. Footloose since his mother's death when he was five, Haywood doesn't know what to make of this pregnant young woman who doesn't shy away from hard work, but who is quick to scold when he cusses. Changing the viewpoint of this book from Lily to Haywood ensures a strong independent narrative rather than a mere continuation of the first book. Seeing Lily through another's eyes reveals her gutsy determination offset by normal fears of pregnancy without her husband nearby. Ne'er-do-well Woody grows with the charge he's been given and tries to mend his irresponsible ways, though not without a little backsliding. Readers will be amazed and charmed by the transformation as he adjusts to his changing feelings towards Lily while remaining a gentleman. This powerful, moving tale with its strong characterizations and eye for detail will win Bonner many new fans.
Pam Spencer, Thomas Jefferson Sci-Tech, Fairfax County, VA
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.