Crystal's Pick: Sweet Jane by Joanne Kukanza Easley

A drunken mother makes childhood ugly.

Sweet Jane by Joanne Kukanza Easley was an emotional, coming of age story about healing from past family baggage and hurts caused by generations of alcohol abuse.  Jane’s alcoholic mother made her childhood just as rough as the West Texas oilfields she grew up in.  At sixteen years of age, Jane had enough and left home for California hoping to never return to her childhood home in West Texas.  Fast forward almost two decades, Jane is doing pretty well for herself considering how difficult life was when she first left home.  She’s married to a successful psychologist and is working on her degree.  Everything is going great until she receives a phone call concerning her mother’s passing.  This brings Jane back to West Texas to confront her past. 

This book was fantastic.  Ms. Easley drew me in to the story immediately and held my attention until the very end.  I’d recommend this book to readers who enjoy coming of age stories and stories about surviving, healing, and forgiveness. - Crystal, Technical Services Librarian