I received an ARC from Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine through NetGalley for an honest review. Lila, Henry, and Abigail lost their father when they were young. Henry and Lila left after they graduated and Abigail stayed with her mother. When their mother died, Lila and Henry went back to Wesleyan, Georgia and Abigail told them that their mother had gone out to the muscadine arbor in the middle of the night. Abigail told Lila their mother had a spoon in her hand when she found her. When she showed Lila, she recognized it as the spoon her mother gave her when she was young. It was for digging. They went out to the muscadine arbor and discovered their mother had been digging, so they started to dig and dug up a snowman. What they uncovered will reveal secrets, and they learn that their family history isn't as they believe.
I was amazed this was Pamela Terry's debut novel. This is the journey through their lives, from why they never felt at home and left to find a home, to coming back for their mother's funeral to learn that what they knew about their family wasn't true, to when they learned of the secrets, they chose to go find out the truth. The ending made me cry not from sadness but because of how they came together.

As I usually request romance or women’s fiction novels from Netgalley, this book was a bit of a surprise. I am not sure why I requested it or accepted it to read as I knew literally nothing about this story. I will admit it started very slow for me, and I thought more than once about making it a DNR, but something made me keep reading, and then, the story really took off. Ultimately this is a sweet story about a family with many secrets, and the reader sees them unfold in a gentle, well written way. I really enjoyed Lila, Henry, and Abby as we saw them come together for their Mother’s funeral, and then find out so much more. A true family story!

The sweet taste of Muscadines are truly sweet, they are grapes grown on vines in vineyards; they are used for sweet wine, jams and jellies. This story takes place in a small town, in the southeast. With mystery and secrets as three adult children return to the vineyard as their mother has died - in the vineyard. I found this debut book to be as inviting as a "slow" southern story which is beautifully written. I really enjoyed this book as well as the characters. Thank you #NetGalley

Lila and Henry have returned home because of their mother’s death. Not only is this a tragedy itself, but they discover a family secret their mother kept hidden for nearly 30 years. This changes their lives and their sister, Geneva’s life forever.

I loved every single character in this story..heck! I know half of them. They all live in my town. The author nailed the south! I love it when they get it right. And Pamela Terry got it right.

There is also a lot of wisdom in this read. Not only did it have me laughing out loud, it had me thinking about so many misconceptions. The story starts out kind of quirky and funny, then it takes a turn toward seriousness. I am trying to be careful because I do not want to give anything away. But this is a book you do not want to miss!

Need a unique read…this one is it! Grab your copy today.

I received this novel from the publisher for a honest opinion.

This is a well written, deep, thought provoking, and emotional story. I found myself rereading sentences to make sure that I understood what the author was saying. It is not a story to skim over.
Lila Bruce Breedlove grew up in a small Georgia town but now lives in Maine where she is a successful weaver. When her younger sister Abby calls in tears that she has found their mother dead, she and her brother Henry, who owns an art gallery in Rhode Island, fly to Atlanta and meet in the airport to drive home together. When they arrive they find that Abby is not herself, not handling things well at all. Their mother didn't want a funeral so they decided to have a reception at the family home where the family is showered with kindness and love.
This is a story that I went into without knowing much about it and so I don't want to talk about it too much except to say that there are many mysterious issues and family secrets that Lila and Henry work to unravel about their family, in particular their parents. Their father was pastor of the Baptist church until he joined the Army as chaplain, only to die in action when the children were all young.
Told from Lila's point of view, she came to realize is that you have to separate God from religion to see His love. Home is more something that you carry inside than the ground on which you stand. While not a religious story per se, this is a story of healing, forgiveness, and love.
I received a complimentary ARC from Ballentine Books through NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are mine only.

Lila leaves her small town of Wesleyan to go to college and her brother, Henry, follows two years later. They both know they aren't going to go back as it never really felt like home since their father was killed in the war. Lila marries an older man and as a young widow she lives in coastal Maine and has become a master weaver. Henry runs an art gallery. They get a call from their youngest sister, Abigail, that she found their mother dead in the muscadine arbor with a spoon in her hand. Henry and Lila fly home for the funeral only to have it revealed that she didn't want a funeral.

I loved this book. There was humor in it even though it was a funeral. There was a mystery as the siblings try to figure out what their mother was doing in the arbor in the middle of the night. All kinds of secrets come to light. Abigail wasn't as well defined as Henry and Lila but I sure wish I could have been at that funeral to smell all the flowers, experience the southern ladies bringing food and providing for the family. The second half of the book takes place in Scotland and again there was a wonderful sense of place. I looked forward to reading this book as soon as I received it. I was just so intrigued by that blue door on the cover. It did not disappoint.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Random House Ballantine for providing me with my copy.

Unexpected. There is something that draws me to stories in the south - how the people act, the manners, styles etc. Loved how the story unfolded and took us from Maine to Georgia all the way to Scotland, to find out the truth behind a family's unraveling.

After her father’s death in Vietnam when Lila was a child, she and her younger brother Henry found some solace in the muscadine arbor out behind the house. With their mother behaving so coldly towards them, while doting on their younger sister Abigail, both Lila and Henry were determined to forge their own paths, leaving Wesleyan, Georgia far behind. Abigail, though, stayed in town, caring for their mother in her old age while working full time as a receptionist for the local dentist.

It was Abigail who found their mother’s body, face down in the muscadine arbor, inexplicably with a dented soup spoon in her hand. The spoon was one that their mother had given to Lila for her garden years earlier, as Geneva Bruce would never accept anything that was less than perfect in her life. It fell to Lila and Henry, after returning to Wesleyan, to solve the mystery of why their mother was in the arbor in the middle of the night, and why she was carrying the spoon.

This debut novel by Pamela Terry has mystery, secrets, love, and loyalty, along with a strong sense of tradition old and new. Lila is a strong woman, who has survived the loss of her husband as well as her father, while her brother Henry is well aware his sexual orientation was not something that would have been accepted in Wesleyan while he was growing up. I loved the way they worked together, methodically searching for the answers that were hidden from them so long ago. The descriptions were beautifully written and made it easy to imagine the sights and sounds, and I was drawn into the story from the beginning. This was a great read, and I will definitely be looking for more from this author.

A Powerful story! The Sweet Taste of Muscadines by Pamela Terry may be a fictional story but it reads like historical one a beautifully written one. Wesleyan, Georgia could be any place here in the South. The land, the love, the friendships are as much a part of my personal memories those of the characters in the story. Along with that is also the memoires of the worry about being gossiped about, the misuse of Bible quotes, home as it really was and pretending it is all perfect. So real.

Told through the oldest sister’s perspective, it is the youngest sister, Abby whose actions echo Miranda Lambert’s “This ain’t your mama’s broken heart!” Then Henry, like many men is just trying to get through it with some grace, wisdom and dignity. Some revelation within the story were expected, many were just as surprising to me as it was to these three siblings. What a reminder, that while truth may not always set us free, lies always leave casualties.

An ARC of the book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley which I voluntarily chose to read and reviewed. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

When Abigail Bruce finds her elderly mother Geneva Bruce lying on the ground partially beneath the Bruce family's old muscadine arbor, one thing is crystal clear. This time, she's really dead. It's time for Abigail to call siblings Lila Breedlove and Henry Bruce back to their ancestral home in Wesleyan, Ga. - the home the two fled upon graduation from high school in an effort to escape the high expectations and limitations of life in a small, judgmental southern town while seeking their own place in the world. When the three reunite, it is obvious Abigail’s losing it and on a suicide mission in regards to her reputation and community standing as a proper southern lady. As strange revelations surface, Lila and Henry begin digging into the mystery surrounding their mother's death. Why would the devoutly devoted, bible-carrying southern matriarch leave her home in the wee morning hours, wearing nothing but her nightgown to traipse to the far edge of the property and dig under a muscadine arbor . . . with an old spoon that was stored in the gardening shed? What Lila and Henry discover leads them to Scotland seeking answers to newly unearthed, long ago buried family secrets that threaten to destroy their family history and life as they know it.
The Sweet Taste of Muscadines flows easily from a humorous spoof on southern culture in the first half to an emotionally charged exploration into the depth and consequences of Southern family traditions and expectations in the second half - speaking gracefully of the ramifications of unresolved childhood issues, of growing up with impossible expectations, of denying one's true self. Terry flawlessly weaves plot, setting and characters into a mysterious yet beautifully rich story with all the distinctive southern flavors of hot apple pie, muscadine wine and sweet iced tea, rendering a sensual exploration of the south during the time period of the Vietnam War - highlighting the overwhelming sense of place felt by southerners - of binding ties and roots buried deep in southern soil.

In a distinctly southern voice, Terry's lyrical prose carries hints of honeysuckle on a warm breeze and Sunday morning sermons heard through open doors and windows at the local Baptist Church. Having lived my entire life in the South, I can say it stirred some childhood memories within me as I found the exaggerations on the Southern culture quite entertaining. The Sweet Taste of Muscadines delves beneath the surface humor to reveal an emotionally evocative story that resonates with unresolved childhood memories, societal judgement, and lost dreams. The author's rendering of this story is rich in poignant quotes, but this one stuck with me "So much hurt in the world, and for so many years. All over who people love".

Many will call The Sweet Taste of Muscadines "women's fiction", but this profound story's also a fascinating mystery - a story of secrets kept buried until death by a proud southern woman - and the compelling journey of her children as they seek answers that will lead them out of the darkness into the light. A story of the many ties and complexities of home and family. Ultimately, a warm story of forgiveness and acceptance. I highly recommend it to fans of mystery, family drama, and yes, women's fiction.

This was an incredible book that I greatly enjoyed. A woman and her brother return to their Southern hometown after the death of their mother and discover some pretty life-changing truths about their childhood. The plot itself was very good but what I really enjoyed was the way the author described "stuff" whether it be locations, things or feelings. I started to highlight some examples that really spoke to me to use in my review and found that I was highlighting something on almost every page. Obviously that would be too much to quote so here is just one example. "Every house is haunted. Some are haunted in the traditional way: by spirits generally more mischievous than malevolent, who take delight in closing the open door, rocking the empty chair, or snuffing out the flaming candle, unfortunate souls who failed to squeeze enough enjoyment out of their paltry allotment of days to sufficiently satisfy their eternity. Most, however, are haunted by our own memories: bits of ourselves, individual and unique, left behind and lying dormant for decades but with the power to quicken and breathe the moment we step back inside." A few years ago I had to clean out and sell my childhood home and this is exactly how I felt as I was going through that process. There are many more examples of descriptive passages in this book but you will just have to read it for yourself to experience them. I highly recommend that you do.

3 siblings go back to their stately southern home to bury their mother and find out there are many family secrets. Big secrets that are potentially lifesaving. From Maine to Scotland to their Southern home, Henry, Lila and Abagail try to uncover what happened in the past in order to face the future.

Thanks to Ballantine/Random House for an advanced copy of The Sweet Taste of Muscadines by Pamela Terry.

The Sweet Taste of Muscadines is a Southern fiction that draws you in with the opening and then you keep reading for the beautiful writing. When Lila returns home to Wesleyan, Georgia after her mother's sudden death family secrets that have been hidden for over twenty years surface.

This was a book about the relationships between family members, small town life, the idea of home and secrets. While I liked the book and the writing, you don't really start getting into the story until halfway through and it was a little slow. I loved the ending and the scenes in Scotland. Pamela Terry's writing is so descriptive and you feel like you are there.

If you're a fan of Southern fiction and family secrets you'll enjoy the book.

It is a lovely book that is very well written. Kind of reminded me a little bit of Where the Crawdads Sing. I am usually not a fan of Southern novels, but the characters in the book drew me in and kept me reading. It is a book that has a little mystery to it, but keeps you wanting to turn the page for a little more. I really enjoyed getting to know each of the family members and how they intertwined with each other. This is a good book for book clubs. Lots of different facets to it that one can discuss.

It's hard to believe that this novel with so much heart is the debut of author Pamela Terry. WOW!! She captured my attention with the first phrase in the book "The first time Mama died..." and by the end of the page I was hooked.

The book starts when Lila (the narrator) is 8 years old. Her brother, Henry, is 6, and little Abigail is 4. They are the children of Penn and Geneva Bruce. Penn is the preacher of the Baptist church in the small town of Wesleyan, GA. Following the unexpected death of Penn's best friend, he joins the army and is killed in action within a year. After that, Lila, who adored him, says Wesleyan just doesn't feel like home anymore. Geneva dotes on Abigail, giving little attention to Lila and Henry; this further cements Lila and Henry's already tight bond which began at Henry's birth. Lila leaves the South at age 18 to go to the Rhode Island School of Design. Henry follows as soon as he is done with high school. An art history lover, he opens an art gallery. Neither one returns until they are in their 40's and a hysterical Abigail calls to tell them that she found their mother dead that morning.

As they come together following their mother's death, the siblings find themselves forced to deal with the complex relationships and emotions that being family entails. Lila and Henry discover devastating secrets that their mother kept from them all: secrets which lead them to a journey for more answers; secrets and answers that will change each of their lives.

The author's evocative writing brings scenes and each character to life with a 3D type realism, making readers feel that they know the people and places well. This book got me in the "feels"! Coming of age, sibling rivalry, love, secrets, betrayals, acceptance, reconciliation, the author covers a lot of emotions exceptionally well. I urge you not to miss this read!

My thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for allowing me to read an ARC of this novel which is scheduled to be published on 3/16/21. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

The Sweet Taste of Muscadines by Pamela Terry is one of those books you need to read slowly, but you don’t because of the interest level. The novel is well written and makes you stop and think about what might have been or could have been. From the beginning of the novel, you know that Lila is not looking forward to going to Wesleyan after the death of her mother. As the novel goes on, a clearer understanding of what going back home means.

Lila couldn’t wait to leave home when she was old enough. She left the south and moved to New England and eventually married and moved to Maine. Wesleyan, her hometown and where she and her brother, Henry always felt out of place. Her sister, Abigail found their mother in the muscadine arbor with a spoon in her hand.

The novel with the various quirks of living in a small southern town and various characters from that same town was interesting. The unraveling of threads as the siblings attempt to figure out what their mother was doing was interesting. However the findings of their mothers secrets were life changing for the three. How does one move forward with the knowledge and what comes next?

There are many places in the book especially toward the end where Pamela Terry’s words need to be considered. My favorite was “living your own life with joy is indeed a form of forgiveness.” The circles that life takes and the consequences of dealing with the circumstances are those that make a life.

The Sweet Taste of Muscadines by Pamela Terry is a book to read. The storyline and characters make the book interesting. It is the circumstances and their reactions that make the book unforgettable. The Sweet Takes of Muscadines is a marvelous read.

Wow!!!! I just absolutely loved this book from the first page! A debut author and I will differently look forward to reading more books by hers! Just amazing writing! Highly highly recommend

#thesweettasteofmuscadines #pamelaterry #randomhouse #netgalley this is a tale@of three grown children and their lives. Their mother. Widowed. Their father lost his life in the war. Now their mother has passed. But. What was she doing outside? After midnight? So begins a story of secrets we keep. Things we do for our parents. A tale as old as time. Take a journey as these three siblings do through all the stages of grief and see what secrets they discover about a family and a mother they thought they knew. #bookstagram #readersofinstagram #bookstagrammer #readersofig #booknerd #readingisfundamental #netgalleyreviewer

I simply could not get into this book. I found her take on the south very annoying. I am from the south and from the things she wrote I do not believe she has ever been.

3.5. This a little slow and meandering for my taste, but it's a solid Southern (almost Gothic) novel about a family trying to reconcile their family secrets with their upbringing and their small town. It has a cozy feel to it, and it's a pretty quick read if you're looking for something light yet literary.