Genre: Southern Literary Fiction/Mystery
Publisher: Sourcebooks Landmark
Pub. Date: July 9, 2019
This novel has such a crisp Southern voice that the reader will be surprised that the book is a debut novel. The author, Andrea Bobotis, is no stranger to good writing. She holds a Ph.D. in English literature from the University of Virginia. Her fiction has received awards from the Raymond Carver Short Story Contest and the James Jones First Novel Fellowship. The novel is based in a fictional town in South Carolina (Bobotis is a native of South Carolina) and splits its time between1989 and 1929. The author interweaves the moving timelines throughout the novel without missing a heartbeat. Miss Judith Kratt is a white woman now aged into her late seventies. She is the eldest daughter in the family. The Kratts were once the most powerful family in a cotton town that they owned. Now their once-stately home, as well as the town, is falling apart. She lives in her family home with her black companion, Olva. Judith views her relationship with Olva as part family member, part friend, and part housemaid. Judith is writing her last list, which is made up of family heirlooms. The writing can move at a slow, Southern pace, but is never boring. In the present, through Judith’s memories, we learn of her family’s dark secrets. Some you will be able to guess. Others you will not.
There are similarities in “The Last List” to the novel, “Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Café.” Both books are narrated by the protagonist through the time period changes. They both explore the themes of the segregated south, family, aging, male brutality towards females, and the dehumanizing effects of racism. Still, both tales give the reader demonstrations of female strength while also managing to squeeze in some humor. Judith is a quirky one. It is fun to read how Olva, who is one year older than Judith, deals with her companion’s eccentric ways. “The Last List” is obviously racially charged. It is sad to realize that these same racial tensions are still around in the year 2019. It can make one feel weary. Still, the author does a good job of capturing the aspects of what can be called the genteel South and its sweet southern style. But make no mistake, the book is truly about the ugly truth hidden behind those grand Southern mansions. After most chapters, the inventory grows. Each listed item is cleverly written to connect to the story-line. Bobotis does an excellent job in these thought-provoking connections. Possibly, the author created the list to challenge the reader to examine the imprints of their own memories. And to acknowledge the unfair power that comes from the objects (or once people) that we own, begging the question: Will we ever truly live in a world of equality? The story may read slowly, but it is a page-turner.
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Leave Me Alone I Am Reading and Reviewing 
This sounds like a fascinating read.
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Oh, I didn’t feel like it read slowly at all. In fact, I practically devoured it (for me)! Bobotis is a true artist and I’ll be following her for sure!
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