Eat, Drink, and Be from Mississippi

by Nanci Kincaid

Book Overview

Truely Noonan is the quintessential Southern boy made good. Like his older sister, Courtney, Truely left behind the slow, sweet life of Mississippi for jet-set San Francisco, where he earned a fortune as an Internet entrepreneur. Courtney and Truely each find happy marriages -- until, as if cursed by success, those marriages start to crumble.

Then their lives are interrupted by an unexpected stranger: a troubled teenager named Arnold, garrulous,...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0316009156
• ISBN13: 9780316009157
• Release Date: January 2009
• Publisher: Little Brown and Company
• Length: 400 Pages
• Weight: 1.15 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.3" x 5.7" x 8.3"

Customer Reviews

Family in its truest form

Reviewed by Danelle Drake for Reader Views (2/09) Southern literature, really good southern literature, is one of my favorite things. I like nothing better than to snuggle down in a hammock and read by the campfire. That alone is one of the best forms of therapy ever. "Eat, Drink and Be from Mississippi" is a book that you will read over and over. The unorthodox relationship triangle between Truely Noonan, his older sister Courtney, and young Arnold Carter is something I have never seen before. The chemistry between the three makes this book great. Growing up in Hinds County, Mississippi, Courtney always knew she wanted to get away. Truely, her younger brother supported her but couldn't see why anyone would want to leave the boundaries of Mississippi. Truely is more of a homebody like his parents. He had the perfect girlfriend and would be content to spend his entire life just where he was. He didn't see why she wanted to leave, that is, until he went for a visit. After that visit he wanted nothing but to follow the path she had taken. With the reluctant support of his parents Truely moves to California. He and his sister lead very different lives with infrequent visits. Each has reached what appears to be great success when their lives intermingle with the entrance of Arnold Carter. This young African-American brought their idyllic lives to a screeching halt. Nancy Kincade has created a great story that reiterates the fact that money isn't everything, family (regardless of the dynamics), faith, and self-love are. You will fall in love with the characters and wish the book would not end. "Eat, Drink and Be from Mississippi" lets you know that really, at the end of the day, the most important thing is just to "Be."

Review of Kincaid's "Eat, Drink, and Be from Mississippi"

Nanci Kincaid's fifth novel, "Eat ,Drink , and be from Mississippi" (emphasis on "from") is a departure from her earlier works in both the setting and the gender of the narrator. Previously, Kincaid has told her stories from a female perspective and has set them almost exclusively in the deep south. In her latest novel, the protagonist is male (Truely Noonan), and by page 39 the mis en scene has moved from Hinds County, Mississippi, to the Bay Area of California. What remains constant, however, is Kincaid's sure and distinctive voice and her persistent themes: the depth and complication of family ties, what it means to be from the South, and the complex issue of race relations. A powerful sense of place always imbues all of Kincaid's works, even when the place is as far away from Mississippi as California. Rooted in Mississippi but played out in California and projected against the backdrop of the war in Iraq while dancing delicately on the shifting carpet of race, "Eat Drink and Be From Mississippi" is another gem of a novel from a gifted story teller. Entertainment Weekly says Nanci Kincaid's prose "hooks you good and pulls you in." And The Washington Post writes "This novel isn't, in the end, so much about Mississippi as it is about our American future, and on that subject it is decidedly and sweetly optimistic." Read the complete review at [...]

From S. Krishna's Books

Eat, Drink, and Be From Mississippi is a slow moving and beautifully written Southern novel. It is an extremely rich story about the meaning of family - those you are related to by blood, as well as those as you adopt as your own. I first heard about it from an Entertainment Weekly book review, in which the reviewer says that the novel isn't believable (and then goes on to give it an A-). And, upon reflecting, its true - stripped down to the bare bones plot, the novel doesn't have a very believable storyline. But the triumph of Eat, Drink, and Be From Mississippi is that it doesn't matter. It doesn't have to be believable to be utterly charming and completely readable. Though I said that Eat, Drink, and Be From Mississippi is a slow moving novel, that doesn't mean it's slow. There's a careful distinction there. Though the novel moves at a lazy pace at times, it is always gripping. It never loses its forward momentum or the interest of the reader. Instead, the novel takes its time, meandering through Truely's life. Kincaid makes sure to firmly establish Truely's character before really beginning his story. Even if the book weren't about a Southern boy from Mississippi, Eat, Drink, and Be From Mississippi would remind me of the South because of its lazy playfulness. If you like Southern novels, you'll adore this book as much as I did. Kincaid's writing is part of what makes the novel such a gem. It's beautifully whimsical - she doesn't take herself or the characters too seriously. I'm honestly not sure what it is about the writing, but it completely sucks you into the novel. I think the writing is what makes the difference for this novel. I thoroughly enjoyed Eat, Drink, and Be From Mississippi; I think it was an exceptionally well-written novel that kept me hooked from beginning to end. It's a great read for a lazy day; you won't be disappointed! 4.5 stars rounded up to 5

Over Too Soon

I really enjoyed this book and did not want it to end. Like another reviewer, I felt that the story really picked up when Arnold came on the scene. I think it calls out for a sequel to see where all of the characters end up. Also, as well as being a good story, it is really well written - not mind candy at all. This would be a great book for a book club.

A Pure Delight

Nanci Kincaid has created a beautiful, delightful, sweet story in Eat, Drink and Be From Mississippi. The title alone told me that I would be in for a wonderful reading experience from a Southern writer. This is the story of Truely Noonan and his older sister Courtney. They were born and raised in Mississippi by caring parents, but both left early in life and sought their fortunes in California. Now both are successful, have more money than they know what to do with and live in fine homes. Unfortunately, both have marriages that have crumbled or are crumbling. Into this picture comes Arnold, a young African American male, who is one of the most engaging characters I've read about in a long time. I couldn't help but smile almost every time Arnold spoke. This is a story of family, perhaps not the traditional family of mom, dad and some children, but family nonetheless. Truely and Courtney are both genuinely good people who take Arnold in and offer him a life he could never hope to achieve on his own. This is an excellent story told with true Southern charm. It's the kind of story you hate to see end and the characters stay with you long after you read the last page. I highly recommend this book to those who love Southern literature or just a kind, sweet story.