Leila Meacham is a 71 year old English teacher and this is her first work. I listened to the reviewers and publishers compare her work to Gone with the Wind and, loving that book the way that I do, I thought that couldn't possibly be true. After reading Roses, I think it is in many ways a very apt comparison.
Mary Toliver has a connection with her land and family name that is very like that of Scarlett O'Hara. They both make sacrifices throughout both books for their land, sometimes those sacrifices effect not only their own lives but also that of those around them.
The story follows three generations of Tolivers and Warwicks, but focuses mainly on the story of Mary and Percy. The book is a real page turner, you never notice the 500 some odd pages as they go by. I felt engaged by all he various characters - large and small. I cared about their lives and they felt as if they were a part of mine.
Some books, when you finish reading them, the story quickly fades from your mind as you move on to the next story. Others stay with you forever. Like Gone with the Wind, and like Roses.
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