Cakewalk: A Novel

Rita Mae Brown can write! Her book Rubyfruit Jungle undeniably proved that fact. While this novel isn’t quite as controversial as the 1973 publication, it draws complete characters and settings. At the end of this novel, one will feel as though they have met family and friends in a post-World War I Southern world. One could almost take a seat at the tea table and gossip with them. The main character is very likable and relatable. One take-away from the novel is that it pays to be rich and that sexuality is a continuum; labels aren’t helpful. It seems that this novel is loosely autobiographical, since one character has the unusual name of Juts, which was the author’s foster mother’s name.

The author is rueful that close ties no longer exist intergenerationally. This seems to be her way of paying respects to a simpler, easier time, a time when the Magna Carta was celebrated under the big oak tree, and the younger set made plans to honor veterans. This book is enjoyable.