Books
Looking for Salvation at the Dairy Queen
February 12, 2008
It’s the early 1970s. The town of Ringgold, Georgia, has a population of 1,923, one traffic light, one Dairy Queen, and one Catherine Grace Cline. The daughter of Ringgold’s third-generation Baptist preacher, Catherine Grace is quick-witted, more than a little stubborn, and dying to escape her small-town life.
Every Saturday afternoon, she sits at the Dairy Queen, eating Dilly Bars and plotting her getaway to Atlanta. And when, with the help of a family friend, the dream becomes a reality, she immediately packs her bags, leaving her family and the boy she loves to claim the life she’s always imagined. But before things have even begun to get off the ground in Atlanta, tragedy brings Catherine Grace back home. As a series of extraordinary events alter her perspective—and sweeping changes come to Ringgold itself—Catherine Grace begins to wonder if her place in the world may actually be, against all odds, right where she began.
Looking for Salvation at the Dairy Queen is a delightful fast-paced read that is much more than a fun-filled quirky novel. Susan Gregg Gilmore deftly weaves a southern story with full-bodied characters, a rich multi-layered plot with a twist that will leave you breathless, and life lessons galore. Oh, and there are some wonderful characters that were introduced to that we hope to see again. My favorite is Gloria Jean. I hope to hear a great deal more from her in the future. -Andrea Sisco, Armchair Interviews
Bezellia Grove
Forthcoming.