Synopses & Reviews
Having come within an inch of her life, Fannie Leary is determined to take a good look at it -- to figure out, in fact, what is her part in the tragedy.
Growing up in a small Mississippi River town, Fannie works at the local cafe, trying to hold her own in a world of slow expectations and hard boundaries. Dreaming that her cooking will be her ticket out of Persia, she cleaves to Mattie, the irrepressible black woman who runs the kitchen; to Will, the troubled, quiet boy she falls in love with; and eventually to Sheila Jones, a reclusive young girl who has returned with her mother from California to the town after her father's death. But when a young black boy suddenly disappears and the town erupts in violence, she is the only one who can piece their story together. What she uncovers is as unexpected as it is heartbreaking.
The Persia Café examines the ordinariness of racism, and what people will do to one another in the name of loyalty. It is a story of a place where dreams are paid for in blood. But it is also about a woman who has other, perhaps even more complex business to attend as she confronts a vastly transforming world, and the personal search she must make, the difficult question she must ultimately ask: How do you forgive those who show no regret, or even understanding?
A novel about innocence passing, along with an American age, The Persia Café is a story of murder, betrayal, and the possibility of redemption. With The Persia Café, award-winning author Melany Neilson establishes herself as a remarkable new voice in Southern fiction.
Review
"A haunting story; beautifully written, finely plotted, filled with people who linger long after the last page." (John Grisham)
Synopsis
Growing up in a small Mississippi River town, Fannie Leary works at the local café, trying to hold her own in a world of slow expectations and hard boundaries. Dreaming that her cooking will be her ticket out of Persia, she cleaves to Mattie, the irrepressible black woman who runs the kitchen; to Will, the troubled, quiet boy she falls in love with; and eventually to Sheila Jones, a reclusive young girl who has returned with her mother from California to the town after her father's death. But when a young black boy suddenly disappears and the town erupts in violence, she is the only one who can piece their story together. What she uncovers is as unexpected as it is heartbreaking.
About the Author
Melany Neilson grew up on a farm near Ebenezer, Mississippi. Her first book, Even Mississippi, won the Lillian Smith Award and the Mississippi Authors Award, was named Gustavas Myers Outstanding Book on Human Rights, and was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize. She now lives in Florida with her husband, Fred Slabach, and her young twin sons.
The Persia Café is her first novel.