The Lady
The Lady book cover

The Lady

Paperback – October 17, 2013

by
Price
$14.95
Format
Paperback
Pages
370
Publisher
Gossart
Publication Date
ISBN-13
978-0615878089
Dimensions
6 x 0.84 x 9 inches
Weight
1.09 pounds

Description

" I want to read whatever else I can lay my hands on that this author has written ..." --xa0ABNAxa0Expert Reviewer. "...[a] uniquely crafted novel with expert plotting and effortless pacing." -- ABNA Publishers Weekly Reviewer. "...The kind of storytelling that's so natural and so gifted and so deceptively effortless looking that it grabs you right away and doesn't let go. " -- ABNA Expert Reviewer. "An interesting read with some compelling answers that will appeal to a cross-section of people in the same way that 'The Help' personalized the struggles of black maids in 1960's Mississippi." -- ABNA Expert Reviewer. Judy was born in South Georgia where she grew up playing baseball, reading, and taking piano lessons. To pay for her lessons, she raised chickens and sold eggs to neighbors. She attended Mercer University for two years, and then Baylor University from which she graduated with a BA in German. She received her MA in German literature from The University of Michigan. After teaching German for several years, Judy decided to become a librarian and earned a MA in Library Science at Kutztown University in Pennsylvania. Judy's life took an exciting turn when she left her teaching job in Pennsylvania to be Head of Library at the Learning Center School of Qatar Foundation. She lived in Qatar for eight years, traveling during every vacation, and enjoying the experience of living in a different culture. Recently, she returned to the United States and lives in Lexington, KY. Judy has two children, Julia and Stephen, two children-in-law, Jim and Erin, and three grandchildren: Kyle, Jon, and Karina.

Features & Highlights

  • "This isn't a good book; This is a GREAT book!" (B. W. Amazon Reviewer)"This is one of those books that I will reread for the enjoyment, and I reread very few books because there are so many of them and so little time." (B.A. Amazon Reviewer)The greatest endorsement I can give the novel is that the mystery compelled me to finish the last half of the book in a single evening. I just HAD to know how things would be resolved. (M. R. Amazon Reviewer)When Quincy Bruce's beloved Aunt Addy is accused of being the inspiration for the adulterous woman in an infamous World War II novel, Quincy sets out to prove her innocence but discovers secrets which place her own future in jeopardy."The author presents not only a fascinating tale of a World War II era secret, but a tale of manners and ethics that will truly shape the young heroine." ABNA Expert Reviewer"This price-winning novel is a tale of manners and ethics that will truly shape the young heroine. Racial divides and small-town prejudices add depth to this uniquely crafted story with expert plotting and effortless pacing." (Publishers Weekly Reviewer)

Customer Reviews

Rating Breakdown

★★★★★
30%
(174)
★★★★
25%
(145)
★★★
15%
(87)
★★
7%
(41)
★
23%
(134)

Most Helpful Reviews

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Awesome

Great book, very well written. I can't wait for the next one...Judy higgins really transports the reader to a well-crafted world with complex and relateable characters.
8 people found this helpful
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Outstanding

I don't normally read coming-of-age novels or mysteries, so I was skeptical of this hybrid of the two genres. Within the first ten pages, I realized that my prejudice was unfounded. Higgins did a great job bringing together an original story with skillful pacing and characters who have an authentic feel to them. As each new character was introduced, I knew someone in my own life who would parallel him or her, so emotionally relating to the story was easy. And unlike so many other stories, I really enjoyed the ending. The greatest endorsement I can give the novel is that the mystery compelled me to finish the last half of the book in a single evening. I just *had* to know how things would be resolved.

I've tried to come up with a criticism of this work, but I simply can't. At times, I got annoyed with the protagonist, but then I realized that she was a sixteen-year-old, and that comes with the trappings of being self-centered and impulsive. After I got that through my head, I felt free to enjoy the character and realized how true-to-life Higgins had made her. So, in fact, the only potential criticism I had was actually of myself as a reader who wasn't being forgiving enough to a realistic character.
5 people found this helpful
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Wonderful Read!

[[ASIN:0615878083 The Lady]]Judy Higgins is the most exciting new author in 2013! This is a must read and a "can't put down"page turner. Download for your Kindle, or order from Amazon, this is a curl- up- with- your- comfort-coffee-can't stop loving it and can't wait for the next book out read! Wait until you encounter her characters! It's a definite five star winner!
5 people found this helpful
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Top quality, well written coming of age tale

This book, set in 1950's Georgia, is a well-written coming of age tale about a young girl-Quincy Bruce whose parents leave on a two-year long missionary sabatical and deposit her with an Aunt- Addy. Quincy's dream it to become a concert pianist and Addy quickly starts helping her achieve that dream.

THe under-lying thesis of the story revolves around a mystery lady romanticized by a local writer-Nathan Waterstone, in a novel published during the second world war, and called THE LADY. As the subject matter involves an affair between and man (whom Waterstone admits was himself) there is a fair amount of scandal generated. But what everyone wants to know- who was the Lady?

That is the mystery that Quincy is drawn into as her aunt was the typist and proof reader for for Nathan and surely must know her identity. Addy ain't talking, so Quincy sets herself the task of finding out. And, the more sure learns, the surer she becomes that Addy was THE LADY, even though she steadfastly denies it.

While the plot is a little mundane, this is quality writing with strong narrative and dialogue that will hold your interest as Quincy explores her aunt's past.

Highest recommendation!
4 people found this helpful
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A love story, a mystery, and a good read

Hailed by reviewers as a coming-of-age story, The Lady is also a love story, a mystery, and a good read. Quincy, the teen-aged protagonist, who “didn’t want to end up like Mama and Hester Prynne,” follows her dreams while living with her fun, sophisticated Aunt Addy. Among the characters is an intriguing pair – the late author Nathan Waterstone and The Lady, a mysterious woman Quincy desperately wants to identify. Higgins has a knack for details (the country church has “hose snagging pews”) and for illustrating contrasts by race and privilege. It is risky to assume that any work of fiction contains autobiographical elements. Nonetheless, this reader wonders whether the author (who clearly enjoys writing) identifies with Aunt Addy’s sentiment: “I love how you can guide a pen across paper and a black line comes out, curving this way and that, and this black squiggle of a line can say something beautiful, or powerful, or funny.” I recommend reading The Lady and watching for future works by Judy Higgins.
3 people found this helpful
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Most excellent read.

From the first two pages I was drawn like a moth to flame. Could NOT put this book down. Wow, Judy Higgins, cannot wait for your next book.
1 people found this helpful
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Charming mystery; fun to read

I just read THE LADY again and I enjoyed It just as much this time, even though I knew how the mysteries got resolved. It is a story within a story, a book within a book. A precocious (and snoopy) 16-year-old girl’s curiosity leads her to become entangled in very complicated adult situations and mysteries. The author gives us a great plot, as well as history, detail, and character development. Her prose is just plain fun; for example, “…riveted his eyes on her like she was the last peppermint in the candy store.”
This book should be on everyone’s reading list for summer or any time of year!
Trudy
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and a very good read. The protagonist

The Lady is a well-crafted, interesting story, and a very good read. The protagonist, Quincy, has an unlikely dream of becoming a concert pianist. Her family and small-town environment provide little encouragement, but do not squelch Quincy's intentions. There is a central mystery lending a great deal of intrigue and speculation in the novel, coming to a most surprising conclusion. I followed the many twists and turns with interest, and found my suppositions thwarted more than once. I recommend this novel to anyone who enjoys a stimulating novel, and believe it would be of special interest for those with a love of music.
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... book club that recently read "The Lady" and everyone loved the book

I belong to a book club that recently read "The Lady" and everyone loved the book. We were fortunate to have Judy join us for lunch and a discussion of her book. What a treat!!
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Loved the story itself as well as the dream being ...

A really compelling book about a girl with a dream who accomplishes it, with so much going against her. Loved the story itself as well as the dream being music...you want to keep on reading!

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