Cold Sassy Tree

Burns scatters a few sobering themes in this longer-than- average novel (not YA): Civil War prejudices flourish; town kids vs the lintheads from Milltown; pneumonia and primitive medical knowledge at the turn of the century. How much must one family endure in its embarrased but sincere attempt to honor the last wishes of a beloved relative? Yup, Cold Sassy (named for a vanished gove of Sasparilla trees) seems destined/doomed to an continous chain of social shocks--ever since Grandpa stunned his own family by announcing his decision to marry his milliner, Miss Love, just 3 scant weeks after Grandma's burial! It is hard to say which is more scandalized: the town or his own family...

Will is torn between loyalty to his Grandpa (You're the son I never had, boy) and his intermittant respect for his parents. He also tries to balance his desires to befriend a mill girl yet maintain his social standing with his peers. This hilarious story reveals the internal strategies and struggles of women at war in a restrictive society. Emotional upheavals abound as Grandpa sets prissy Cold Sassy on its ears, with his crazy notions of family propriety and how to conduct commerce. Can Will survive to grow up as his own man one day? Must he forget his dreams of a profitable farm in order to honor/obey Grandpa? And which boyhood treasures will he keep as an adult? This book is darling and would make a wonderful comic mini-series. Teenagers: don't be put off by the length--you'll wish it never ends!


A great novel for reluctant readers age 13 and up.   March 16, 1997
9 out of 9 found this review helpful

As a high school teacher in rural Illinois, I am always on the look out for exciting new literature for my classroom. I stumbled upon COLD SASSY TREE while reading an article in ENGLISH JOURNAL, and decided to give it a try. I was touched by this book. It is lyric and not sappy, warm and not stuffy. To my great amazement, my freshman students consumed the thing whole. Some of the most reluctant readers in my class finished the entire novel in 48 hours. Just about any platform is served by the storyline: gender issuses, death and dying, sexual abuse (non-graphic), love, coming-of-age, ageism, socio-economic issues,and family life. You name it, it's in there. I was concerned that some parents would be uptight about Love Simpson's history of abuse, and not one word was said. Some male students asked to read out in the hall, as they were teary-eyed at the end of the book. Will Tweedy is a great character. He is an unreliable narrator who lies, listens in on private conversations, torments family members and falls for a girl from the other side of the tracks. My students all saw a little of themselves in him, good and bad. COLD SASSY TREE is on the top shelf of my presonal library. I've owned two paperback copies of the sequel and my students have worn them both out. The school librarian finally bought aa couple of hard bound editions for the library. A lovely novel all in all.