The Distance from the Heart of Things

by Ashley Warlick

Book Overview

Meet Mavis Black, whose confidently intimate voice invites readers into the eccentric world of her large southern family. Coming home from college to her grandfather's prosperous Carolina vineyard, Mavis takes the measure of the emotional distance she has traveled from the people closest to her heart: her dreamy mother, her practical aunt, her bewildered boyfriend, her prodigal uncle - and most of all Punk, her grandfather, who plans to make Mavis...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0395860318
• ISBN13: 9780395860311
• Release Date: June 1997
• Publisher: Houghton Mifflin
• Length: 272 Pages
• Weight: 0.65 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 5.4" x 8.4"

Customer Reviews

A book to reread at several stages in your life as a woman

I loved Warlick's style and her description of Mavis' connectedness to the earth. It 's a book that I can imagine recommending to women of all ages, as it will have different meaning depending one one's life experiences. I don't often reread books, but I know that I will reread this as I mature through the phases of my life. I look forward to Ms. Warlick's journey!

Entertaining, warm, and well written.

This tale is entertaining, warm, and well written. While it is not a profound book, there is no reason for harsh criticism. I think Punk is a great character and a great grandpa, and I applaud Ashley Warlick for sharing him with us. Boo to the nay-sayers - this is a fine book, worth reading.

Southern Fiction at its core

Ashley Warlick's novel is delicately written with the touch of a poet. She creates characters who are cleanly drawn, but ceaselessly complex beneath the surface. Her themes resonate Southern, and while the plot may be downplayed, what rises up is a subtle, effective probing of young Mavis' psyche. The problems this family encounters are relevant and realistic; the Blacks are dealing with true Southern themes: family dynamics and attachment to land. The setting, the southern cadences, and the interior landscape create a mosaic in the reader's mind that begs return again and again. Warlick is writing cutting edge literary fiction; she makes me think. I look forward to the second novel immensely.

Powerful images

The Distance from the Heart of Things is a wonderful novel full of beautiful turns of phrase and sensuous descriptions. Warlick's poetic language guides us through the lives of characters who are reckless and reserved, generous and cruel, unfaithful and forgiving. I was left thinking that Mavis Black is the kind of woman I would want to have as close friend. Readers who let the author's early success tinge their ability to enjoy this story are truly missing out.

A beautifully written coming-of-age novel

Through lyrical pose and sharp characterizations, Ashley Warlick paints an engaging, thought-provoking portrait of a young woman and her eccentric Southern family. It is a novel about growing up and letting go, yet not forgetting who you are and where you come from. Lively, entertaining, and poignant