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Granddaddy's Dirt by Brian Egeston will leave you wondering
about the age-old adage of unjust deeds affecting future generations and the possibility of family curses. The novel
opens with a serious crime committed and covered up in rural southern Georgia. This single act is the catalyst for a series
of events in the life of Andrew Scales, a respected businessman with a wife, two daughters, and two grandchildren. Andrew
is a proud, black man and pillar in the community who believes he has acted appropriately and righteously despite his wife's
protests to the otherwise. He feels justified in that he must protect his honor, his family, and his money at all costs
and ignores her constant pleas to "do the right thing". As the story progresses through the years we watch a web of
deceit and lies build to the brink of implosion for Andrew and his family. At the center of the story is Andrew's undying
love for his oldest grandchild, Kyle. Unbeknownst to Kyle (the third generation), who has benefited greatly from his
grandfather's wealth and reputation, very tough decisions are in order when he returns to take over the family business. Through
a series of clues, the truth starts to surface and Kyle slowly begins to unravel a twenty-year old mystery. Cosmic forces
are also at work and the evidence of a family curse is quickly upon him. Will Kyle dismiss everything to let sleeping
dogs lie? Will he face the truth, break the cycle, and do what his grandfather refused to do?
Granddaddy's Dirt is a thought-provoking
novel that effectively uses metaphors, similes and vivid imagery which heighten the reader's apprehension and allow them to
use their own intuition to determine what is going to happen next. The symbolism of the 'dirt' and cleansing waters
of the 'flood' was masterfully conveyed. The Southern dialogue was "readable and understandable" while still seemingly
authentic. The scenes were indeed funny when they were intended to be comical and heartbreaking when they were to be
sad. There are some religious overtones in this book: the concept of confessing sins, asking for forgiveness,
loving thy neighbor, passing burdens and curses onto future generations may disturb some readers, but it does not take away
from the novel. However, I concur with another reviewer when she wrote that Granddaddy's Dirt could be used as an excellent
example for teaching writing and storytelling techniques. This is good book for an easy, quick summertime read.
The Nubian Circle Book Club rating for Granddaddy's Dirt is
3.5 out of 5 stars. We welcome your comments and thoughts about this book review. Please e-mail us at this address: NubianCircleClub@aol.com.
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