Between, Georgia Book

Jackson says in the first sentence in the book that Between is a real place but she's never been there. I have. I drove through it regularly in the early 1980s on Route 78 going from Athens to Atlanta. I would always exclaim, "Here we are, in Between." My teenage son would moan and began to chide me when the town sign came into view, "Don't say it, Mom." I saw a row of unpainted houses, their porches complete with sloping roofs and old sofas alongside one side of the highway. Apparently there are several streets behind it and a town square; I regret never turning off and investigating. This is a pretty good novel. No one will mistake it for great literature but no one will go away feeling like they wasted their time. Nonny, the main character, is the link between the Fretts and the Crabtrees whose 30-year feud keeps the entire population (90 in Between) on their toes. Nonny also drifts between her home and Athens, her two disparate lives rarely intertwining and she wavers between her husband and a new direction. Generations of Fretts and Crabtrees show up, throw up, blow up, grow up and generally create mischief. The plot moves quickly and caroms nicely. Must this happen in Between? No, it could be any small town in the world but placing it in Between, Georgia adds zing. Yep, I should have turned off the highway and taken the byways.