Two spinster sisters realize it s just a matter of time before they end up in the Mt Horeb Cemetery remembered only as the Donnelly sisters of Pinetta Florida who never married In their loneliness in the middle of their 300 acre farm they drag a detour sign to the end of their farm lane to the Bellville Road And wait In no time unsuspecting travelers are lured to their front porch where they are served the sisters famous buttered rum pound cake as well as their irresistible charm In a twist of fate a handsome lawyer an escaped prisoner a one arm black man and his goat and an old woman with dementia decide the sisters front porch is exactly where they are supposed to be The visitors bring gossip laughter and love as well as the answers to some long held mysteries From the moment the first slice of cake is cut and served the folks in Pinetta are reminded of the value of friendship and the importance of community The Front Porch SistersGreat book The Front Porch Sisters Engaging characters delightfully funny and moving story These two spinster sisters are really only in their 30 s so it s a fun look into our not so distant past The story moves fast and is almost impossible to put down The Front Porch Sisters Writing in a voice that evokes the humor of Fannie Flagg the drama of Carson McCullers and capturing the people and places of the Deep South like Pat Conroy Sue Chamblin Frederick has written a masterpiece set in the backwoods and dirt roads of north Florida. Frederick gives her readers an opportunity to meet the Donnelly sisters Essie and her older sister Jewell The two sisters are as Southern as two genteel steel magnolias can be and they appear to rule the world they know from their front porch off the Belleville Road in Pinetta Florida Don t let the fact that Jewell has suffered a mental breakdown after the love of her life died fifteen years earlier or that Essie has never had a chance to leave the farm because she has been taking care of Jewell fool you into thinking they are soft If he could talk the escaped convict who Jewell killed would probably warn you to stay away from them. One man who has a hard time staying away is Sam Washington who has his heart set on Essie Donnelly The name Sam Washington along with the names of his brothers Bill and Mike are thrown in as Easter eggs for the folks in Madison County Florida like the names of John Bullard Lon Terry Benny Cox Hoot Gibson Simmie Moore Son Stokely Lewis Hill Curtis Earp and Pot Gandy Even those who are unfamiliar with the names familiar to Madison Countians can enjoy the characters because you probably know someone just like them If you don t pour yourself a cup of coffee from the Donnelly sisters mother s percolator and cut off a piece of the buttered rum pound cake Jewell has prepared and sit down in a chair on the Donnelly sisters front porch and meet everyone of them. It has been a long time since I have been so charmed so intrigued cheered so much laughed so hard and moved to tears by a book but The Front Porch Sisters by Sue Chamblin Frederick made me run the gamut of emotions I urge everyone to get a copy today and I am anxiously awaiting the sequel The Front Porch Sisters This was a quick easy and entertaining read The characters were likable and uncomplicated I enjoyed all of the local references to the small southern towns surrounding Tallahassee Those references along with the many descriptions of life in a small town seemed to be a little over done to me I felt the author might be trying too hard to give the book a throwback to a slower better time feel That said I did enjoy the book it was a simple fun story that kept my attention and might even require me to read the next in the series If you are not from the South or have not read a lot of southern literature you might enjoy the exposure the descriptions are well done and it might make you want to visit The Front Porch Sisters