The Darling Dahlias (another series for you)

Book Talk #15

When I think of historical fiction my mind immediately rushes to Tudor times, or the Victorian era, both of which I am always happy to read about. This series of novels is set in more modern historical times, that is the Great Depression. Set in the 1930s in a small town in Alabama, Susan Wittig Albert’s Darling Dahlia series is pure delight. Not only is there a mystery, and you know how I feel about a mystery, but it is also a very domestic novel. By that I mean you are privy to all of the housekeeping routines of the several ladies featured in the novels. This is particularly interesting because they are set in such challenging times that the ladies in the novels must use a great deal of ingenuity and creativity to make their pennies go further.

I love that kind of thing.

The Darling Dahlias and the Cucumber Tree is the first of the ten books in the series. Albert recently shared on her substack that she won’t be writing any more and I am thoroughly annoyed by this. There are a few storylines left hanging and I want a resolution.

She did express that she may write short stories to wind up a few of the story lines and I hope that happens. The fact is that I really enjoy visiting the small town of Darling Alabama and checking in with these ladies. I’ll miss it.

This book introduces us to the ladies of the garden club of Darling. They call themselves the Dahlias in memory of a deceased member and benefactor who left them her home and garden in her will giving them a clubhouse with two bountiful cucumber trees in front and a beautiful garden to restore. The depression is starting to be felt in Darling, the market having just crashed in the past October but these ladies are determined to keep their surroundings beautiful as well as providing food via their vegetable gardens. It’s spring in 1930 and while hard times may be ahead, friends, food and gardens can do a lot to help.

Every small town has a secret or two and Liz Lacy, secretary to the local attorney and Verna Tidwell who works in the county treasurers office are privy to most of them, although they would never tell. Myra May Moswell and Violet Sims own the local diner as well as the local telephone system which works on a party line giving them the opportunity to know everyone’s business although they are adamently opposed to parting with any information and threaten their overnight operators that they will be fired if they blab.

This all proves to be very helpful when the local bombshell, Bunny Scott is found dead in what looks like a car accident. That theory is soon proved to be wrong and in trying to uncover the reasons for Bunny’s murder the Dahlias dig into her rather seedy activities as well as the reasons for the local bank possibly going under, the ghostly presence digging in their newly acquired garden and to top it all off an escaped convict is believed to be hiding in and around Darling.

Verna, Liz, Myra May, along with the other Dahlias, Opie, Beluah and Miss Rogers uncover all the secrets and bring order back to their little town.

This series gives you all the small town feels and provides a peek into what it must have been like to live in the deep south in a very challenging time. There are also recipes at the end of each book which is worth the price alone!

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I have just started Rod Dreher’s new book Living in Wonder, Finding Mystery and Meaning in a Secular Age. I have been a fan of Dreher’s writing for many years and one chapter in I can tell this is going to be good. I’ll keep you posted.

I found this article to be so interesting. Written by a young woman who felt abandoned by the party she had worked for her whole adult life. I appreciate her honesty.

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