The Sweetest Thing

The Sweetest Thing by Elizabeth Musser

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Mary “Dobbs” Dillard and Anne “Perri” Singleton are destined to be great friends, even though their first meeting was not pleasant. Brought together by circumstances during the Great Depression, affluent and socialite Perri still lives in a fairytale world several years after the Black Market crash of 1931. Dobbs’ wealthy Aunt Josie has brought her from her very poor world with her beloved evangelist parents and two sisters in Chicago to Atlanta to attend a prestigious, private school, Washington Seminary. Amidst the fluff of high society, tragedy strikes, and Perri’s father, a banker, takes his own life. Dobbs, who has only known poverty and want, steps in and not only boosters Perri’s spirits but shares her open, exuberant faith and sets out to discover several mysteries in the lovely Atlanta.

Love and loss, faith amidst tragedy, jealousy, abiding friendships, segregation, new beginnings, all have a say in this sweet faith-based historical fiction set during the turbulent times of the Great Depression. Even though bible verses are quoted, the message is never heavy handed. The two main characters are well fleshed out and mature as they learn from each other and I fell in love with the little, outgoing Parthenia.
A bit of history was learned – pop-calling was the rage in the ‘30s, where young men would “pop” in on marriage-aged young ladies, to sit on verandas and drink lemonade and sweet tea during lazy afternoons and evenings.




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