Our book for this month is “Queen of Memphis,” by Martin Hegwood. It is part Southern Gothic, part lifestyle commentary, and, in totality, a consuming, hilarious and thought-provoking.
It is populated by characters who grew up in the South. As you read about the Winnforths of Memphis and all those in their surroundings, you will experience a sense of familiarity.
LuAnn Collier, a small-town beauty queen from the Delta, has eloped with Burniss Winnforth, the most sought-after bachelor in Memphis, and her new mother-in-law Maggie Winnforth is furious.
The Winnforths are the leaders of Memphis society, and the Colliers are considered “common,” a bunch of low-class gamblers. Maggie is not about to sit back and let this flashy gold-digger into the family without a fight, and she starts a campaign of gossip and ostracism to run LuAnn off.
Maggie is scared to death that LuAnn will uncover a long-buried Winnforth family secret, one so shocking that it could knock the family from the pinnacle of Memphis society. But running LuAnn off is a lot harder than Maggie imagined.
LuAnn is every bit as strong-willed as Maggie, and every bit as tough. With the battle lines drawn, she is determined to claw her way to the top of the Memphis social ladder as Maggie is trying to keep her from doing it.
I think this Southern novel is a must-read. By mixing dark secrets, cheating spouses, dreadful secrets and lots of shenanigans; and throwing in a little Elvis, dancing, BBQs and whiskey-drinking, you have an iconic novel that captures the heart of one of the South’s great cities.
