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books - The Spirit of Sweetgrass
What
people are saying
Nicole Seitz joins a long line of distinguished
novelists who celebrate the rich culture of the Lowcountry of South
Carolina. Like most of us from around here, she grew up watching the
sweetgrass basket weavers who ply their ancient craft from Beaufort
all the way up to Georgetown. She joins Josephine Humphreys, Anne Rivers
Siddons, Sue Monk Kidd, and Dorothea Benton Frank in her fascination
with the Gullah culture. Her character, Essie Mae Laveau Jenkins, is
worth the price of admission to The Spirit of Sweetgrass.
— Pat Conroy, Best-selling
Author of The Prince of Tides, The Lords of Discipline,
The Great Santini, The Water is Wide, Beach Music,
The Boo and My Losing Season
Essie Mae Jenkins will capture your heart!
Seitz delivers a warm and thoughtful rendering of one Gullah woman's
plight to protect her rich and endangered way of life. A lovely debut!
— Beth Webb Hart,
Author of Adelaide Piper and Grace at Low Tide
The Spirit of Sweetgrass swept
me away! The story is timeless; the characters irresistible. Protagonist
Essie Mae’s lyrical-miracle-magical journey to the heart
of all that matters—family, freedom, faith, and forgiveness—will
warm your heart like sun on sand and show you the path to a better way
home.
— J. L. Miles, Author
of Cold Rock River and Roseflower Creek
Nicole Seitz has created a nostalgic tale
woven around traditions of the South, and narrated with an authentic
southern voice that adds charm to scenes and characters, reflecting
unique qualities of Lowcountry life.
— Michelle Buckman,
Author of A Piece of the Sky
Nicole Seitz explores the spirit of sweetgrass
through the spirit of her remarkable basket weaving narrator, Essie
Mae. Together, they weave the story of Essie Mae's family and friends
into something strong, beautiful—and inspiring.
— Michael Conner,
Nebula Award-winner and Author of Archangel
Reviews and
Buzz
From Publishers Weekly
In an enjoyable debut novel, Seitz offers an interesting first-person
narrative about the life (and seemingly, the afterlife) of an elderly
Gullah-Creole basket weaver. By the side of Highway 17 in Mt. Pleasant,
South Carolina sits 78-year-old Essie Mae Laveau Jenkins, crafting baskets
of sweetgrass and talking to her dead husband Daddy Jim. Relations are
strained with her daughter Henrietta, who thinks Essie belongs in a
retirement center. If Essie can't pay $10,000 in back taxes to save
her home, she may have no choice. More tensions: her grandson EJ wants
to marry a white girl, Essie discovers that a handsome man she's trying
to find a girl for is gay, and her daughter carries a hidden secret.
When Essie hopes she'll die and go to heaven, the book shifts less successfully
to the afterlife, where her Gullah-Creole ancestors surround her and
she's reunited with Daddy Jim. Together, they team up to return to Earth
and battle two spirits conjured up by Henrietta's voodoo that threatens
to ruin an attempt to save the sweetgrass basket weaving culture. Although
uneven after a strong start, the first-person narrative in heavy dialect
is engaging and readers will enjoy the bits of Gullah culture and history
salted throughout. (Feb. 20)
— Publishers Weekly
From Blogcritics Magazine
Literary Fiction
The Spirit of Sweetgrass by Nicole Seitz. Reminiscent
of Eudora Welty’s voice and characterization in The Worn Path,
and Why I live at the P.O., Seitz’s first novel, The
Spirit of Sweetgrass, is delightful.
Thomas Nelson, 2007.
— By Vicki McCollum,
Blogcritics
Magazine
From Aspiring Retail
The writing is superb, the tone humorous and compassionate, and her
characters—particulaly Essie Mae—delightful.
— Aspiring Retail
From Faithful Reader
Not all writers can handle regional dialect well, but Seitz does an
exceptional job here. Although the dialect is heavy, it reads smoothly
and enhances rather than detracts from the narrative...Seitz’s
imaginative story is an absorbing and even educational introduction
to the Gullah-Creole way of life. Readers will hope to hear more from
this promising novelist.
— Reviewed by Cindy
Crosby, Faithfulreader.com (Read
full review)
5-Stars from
Harriet Klausner!
This deep character study will
provide inspiration to readers as Essie Mae deals with mortality, deaths
of loved ones, sacrifice, the radical changing of her world, and coming
to heaven. [Seitz] keeps the story line flowing on earth and in heaven
as fans will be fascinated with how the sweetgrass basket weaver puts
love into her work...this is a magnificent profound look at a person
who has an inner strength few contain.
— Harriet Klausner
(Read
full review on Christianbook.com)
From Christianbook.com e-cast
There's already a buzz about brand new author Nicole A. Seitz. A South
Carolina Lowcountry native, humor and authenticity abound in her writing.
Join Essie Mae as she sits beside the highway weaving and selling sweetgrass
baskets and talking to her long-dead husband in his pink plastic chair.
Her down-home charm and unique take on life will have you laughing and
crying through her exploits at prayer-filled matchmaking, saving her
home from commercial development, and managing an "uppity"
daughter who's determined to run what remains of Essie Mae's life.
4-Stars from Romantic Times BookReviews
Magazine
In this well-written story about a basket weaver, her Gullah ancestors
and her family, Seitz shows readers her love for South Carolina. The
author's work is an entertaining feast of culture, with vivid imagery
and a strong voice.
— Reviewed by Bev Huston, Romantic
Times BookReviews Magazine (Read
full review)
From Armchair Interviews
Steeped in traditions of the Gullah people, Nicole Seitz gives readers
a rich character in Essie Mae and much local flavor. Her depiction of
heaven and the afterlife is heartwarming and unique. Armchair Interviews
says: A well-written inspirational read.
— Reviwed by Eileen Key, Armchair
Interviews (Read
full review)
From Romancejunkies.com
Written in first person using the voice of Essie Mae, THE SPIRIT
OF SWEETGRASS by new author Nicole Seitz is a unique novel that grabbed
the attention of this reviewer literally from page one. A well told
and intriguing storyline will give readers a glimpse into heaven Essie
Mae-style, and the use of Gullah language adds authenticity to the book.
Essie Mae quickly became endeared to my heart as I was reading, and
I hope to meet her and Daddy Jim in heaven some day. I look forward
to reading many more novels by this fascinating and excellent debut
author.
— Reviewed by Sherri Myers, Romancejunkies.com
(Read
full review)
From Author's Choice Reviews
Laced with cultural and historic information, THE SPIRIT OF
SWEETGRASS is a fiction novel that touches generations and brings consideration
to afterlife...the story line of THE SPIRIT OF SWEETGRASS is one of
encouragement and perspective. Essie Mae’s character is well-rounded,
dialogue intriguing, and life lessons inspiring...A quick, enjoyable
read, THE SPIRIT OF SWEETGRASS would make a good conversation starter
or group discussion book.
— Reviewed by Kay Tira, Author's
Choice Reviews (Read
full review)
From Novel Reviews
THE SPIRIT OF SWEETGRASS is a beautiful tribute to southern traditions
and lifestyle as well as a disappearing art. The history and Gullah
details Seitz incorporates in the story make it a must read for anyone
fascinated with Lowcountry culture.
Nicole Seitz writes beautifully, weaving
and crafting this saga not unlike the baskets so diligently and painstakingly
woven by her protagonist's loving fingers...If you love to ask God questions
and like to ponder heaven, or if you curl up with lazy, literary fiction,
quirky characters, cultural details and stories that wrap around your
thoughts and your heart, I think you'll enjoy THE SPIRIT OF SWEETGRASS.
— Reviewed by Kelly Klepfer, Novel
Reviews (Read
full review)
From CB Reviews
I really enjoyed reading THE SPIRIT OF SWEETGRASS by new novelist Nicole
Seitz. Ms. Seitz is a very talented author and I’m looking forward
to reading more of her works. Written in first person, I feel I got
to know Essie Mae well, and I came to care deeply for her.
The faith message is expertly woven in,
and is not preachy. The story is told like Miss Essie is sitting right
beside you the telling the story (I could almost smell the sweetgrass
and see her weaving baskets)...I highly recommend THE SPIRIT OF SWEETGRASS
as a southern fiction novel you won’t want to miss.
— Reviewed by Laura V. Hilton, faithwebbin.net
(Read
full review)
From The Romance Readers Connection
THE SPIRIT OF SWEETGRASS is Nicole
Seitz’ debut novel and she now has a fan for life in me. I found
this book to be fresh, original, funny and heartwarming. It brought
me through a lot of different emotions but left me smiling and satisfied.
The story is told through Essie Mae’s eyes and Ms. Seitz stays
true to her nature and character throughout, but also allows room for
growth and enlightenment. The richness of the Gullah/Geechee history
and traditions were highlighted but not over done. What I read encouraged
me to learn more about the culture brought by West Africans to the east
coast (an area stretching from Jacksonville, North Carolina to Jacksonville,
Florida) during the slave trade, but didn’t overwhelm me in too
much detail or hard to understand dialogue. I cannot wait to see what
Ms. Seitz delivers next!
— Reviewed by Elissa
Kyle, theromancereadersconnection.com (Read
full review)
From The Road to Romance
Seventy-seven year old Essie Mae Laveau Jenkins
makes sweetgrass baskets on the side of Highway 17. She constantly talks
to her deceased husband, Daddy Jim. She starts making what she calls
love baskets. She takes a piece of hair from each person in the couple
she wants to make and places in the bottom of the basket as she starts
the weave. She has next to no relationship with her daughter, Henrietta,
but has a wonderful one with Retta’s son EJ. Nearing her seventy-eighth
birthday, and getting ready to lose her home due to owing years of back
taxes, Essie doesn’t worry but just takes it a day at a time.
Essie is on her way to be with the Lord
and even gets to the pearly gates and sees her loved ones. When she
realizes her passing has caused problems in the family left behind that
only she can correct.
This book truly put you in the setting.
You felt as if you could smell the sweetgrass as Essie was making the
baskets. It also impressed that important message that none of us know
when our time is and we should make sure we are right not only with
the Lord but our families.
— Reviewed by Kristy Pelletier,
The
Road to Romance
From Barbara Warren
Essie Mae Laveau Jenkins is my kind of woman. She knows her mind and
she's not afraid to speak it. Her husband, Daddy Jim, is dead, but he
still shows up every day to sit with her in the stand where she makes
and sells her sweetgrass baskets. And no, he's not a `haint, but every
day he sits in the pink plastic chair she pulls out for him and they
talk about the things bothering Essie.
Like her daughter, Henrietta, who is thinking
about of putting Essie Mae in Sunnydale Farm, a nursing home, just because
she hasn't paid her taxes for several years and her house is going to
be sold on the courthouse steps. After all, she only owes $10,000.00.
No reason at all to move a God-fearing woman out of the home where she
raised her children, and loved them all, including Henrietta, although
she's acting downright mean now. Besides, Jim says he's not going to
Sunnydale with her, and she isn't ready to give him up.
Nicole Seitz has captured Miss Essie so
completely the reader knows her immediately from page one. She is honest,
outspoken, and loving. The Spirit of Sweetgrass is as warm and comforting
as Miss Essie's light bread rolls served up in a newly woven sweetgrass
basket. This one's a keeper.
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