The Scandalous Summer of Sissy LeBlanc: A Novel - Hardcover

Despres, Loraine

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0688173896 ISBN 13: 9780688173890

Publisher: William Morrow, 2001

Synopsis

Rule Number Forty-eight of The Southern Belle's Handbook might state that '°a proper southern belle never lets on how bored she is," but it's the summer of 1956 and Sissy LeBlanc simply can't help herself. She's been living in stifling old Gentry, Louisiana, since she was born, a trapped in a sham of a marriage to PeeWee LeBlanc -- who, to be perfectly honest, makes 1 skin crawl -- since she was only seventeen. In short, she's fed up, restless, and ready for an adventure. Of course she'd never consider cheating on PeeWee, since she vowed back in '4l remain faithful -- but some days she just can't help but pray that some man will come along and lead her into temptation.

Sissy just never expected her prayers to be answered on that breathless summer day as she sat smoking on her porch swing, contemplating suicide by aspirin and Coca-Cola. For although she might have been fixated on the taut muscles of the lineman shimmying down the telephone pole across the street, she hadn't allowed herself to imagine that he'd be none other than her high school sweetheart Parker Davidson! The former football star and toast of Gentry, Parker had left town in a flash fourteen years before without as much as a wave good-bye (not that she could blame him), but now he was back, standing in her very own kitchen, sipping Cokes over cracked ice and leaning in for a kiss. A kiss Sissy wants to resist but returns with passion -- at least until she opens her eyes to see the faces of her three children pressed against the screen door!

A sassy, sexy, and humorous tale featuring a captivating cast of zany characters that leap off the page, The Scandalous Summer of Sissy LeBlanc is a charming romp that shifts back and forth in time to reveal just how Sissy got stuck in Gentry -- and how she ultimately breaks out in triumph. Irrepressibly lively and audacious, this highly entertaining novel will resonate in the hearts and minds of readers everywhere.

About this title

About the Author:

Loraine Despres is the author of the bestselling novel The Scandalous Summer of Sissy LeBlanc and its tie-in title, The Southern Belle's Handbook. Raised in Amite, Louisiana, Despres is a former television writer and international screenwriting consultant. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband and continues to enjoy bad behavior.

From Library Journal:

While most readers may not immediately recognize the author's name, many will be familiar with her TV work. She's written for Dynasty, The Waltons, Love Boat, and Knots Landing and is probably best known for the "Who Shot J.R.?" episode of Dallas. Her television background serves her well in this debut novel. Her timing is excellent and the plot twists are both delightful and surprising. Sissy LeBlanc lives by a code she calls "The Southern Belle's Handbook." When a pithy idea pops into her head, she instinctively knows how that code applies to her life. Sissy understands her role as granddaughter of a suffragette, daughter of a newspaper editor, wife of PeeWee, and mother of three, but lately she's been feeling restless. When her high school sweetheart comes back to Gentry, LA, after a 14-year absence, Sissy decides that it is time to make some changes in her life if they cause a little scandal, so be it. Readers may be reminded of the movies Fried Green Tomatoes and Something To Talk About. Despres's heroine has spunk, her villains get their comeuppance, and her ending is psychologically satisfying. Recommended for public libraries with large collections of women's fiction. Pam Kingsbury, Florence, AL
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About this edition

• Publisher: William Morrow
• Publication date: 2001
• ISBN 10: 0688173896
• ISBN 13: 9780688173890
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 352