Rating: 
Summary: What a great book should be
Review: If you liked Jackson Tippett McCrae's BARK OF THE DOGWOOD, you will love MISS JULIA SPEAKS HER MIND. McCrae and Ross, though of different sexes, seem to almost be the same person in their regard for excellent writing, southern commentary, and the creation of books that actually make sense, are fun to read, and teach us something. Not too many other writers do that. I would also recommend that you read MISS JULIA TAKES OVER as it is equally well-written. The only unfortunate thing about Ross's work is that too many people misunderstand her views. Again, southerners are never really understood and it's a pity some of the critics haven't given Ross her due. MISS JULIA is what a great book should be. Buy it, read it, and enjoy!
Rating:
Summary: Best read of 2001 so far!
Review: I adored this book! I picked it up because of the title---lame, I know. But I also discovered Lorna Landvik that way, and Jennifer Chiaverrini, so I trust my instincts. (Sometimes a book's cover does speak volumes. Thank God I'm not one of those fools who can't seem to hear the call of a fabulous story.) Miss Julia Speaks Her Mind is exactly the type of book I crave. Real, quirky, endearing characters running around in a plot that keeps my attention and entertains me with every word. Characters who *overcome*--wow! It's a rarity on most of today's pop-culture book lists. Don't give me a depressing, disturbing tale in which the characters are continually beat down by life until they eventually succumb. So-called literary merit be damned. I'd rather read about characters who overcome their problems any day, and Miss Julia does this beautifully and with panache. I can't wait for Ross's next release. Her writing is seamless and her voice is strong--as stong as Miss Julia herself! Ross just became an auto-buy author on my quite sizeable reading list.
Rating: 
Summary: Just interesting enough to finish
Review: This book has a somewhat entertaining plot but very little literary value. Miss Julia's character is wildly inconsistent throughout. It seemed, for instance, that the author could not decide if Julia knew that her pastor was a creep or not. On one page she knew that clearly, on the next she was starting over at the bottom of that learning curve. The scene in which she is accused of being a nymphomaniac is unbelievable and just plain weird.It seemed like a really bad "I Love Lucy" episode where people that you have seen to be smart and of good judgement did really odd, stupid things. The resulting situations required more unwieldy events to get back to a reasonable, and predictable, ending. On the other hand, the overall plot provided enough interest to ensure that I finished the novel. It is easy, mostly positive reading for times when you need pure, low stress escape. I don't have much interest in the sequels, but I can concede that Miss Julia may have a place in the world of light reading.
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful reading!
Review: I absolutely loved this book! I wasn't sure I would like this book but after reading some the reviews I thought I'd give it a try and I'm sure glad I did! This is a wonderful, warm, witty, humorous, suspensful story and Miss Julia is a prize. I highly recommend this book, I couldn't put it down and can't wait to read more on Miss Julia's life. She finds her husband dead in his car and from then on things keep happening to disrupt her life! I actually found myself laughing out loud at this character and at others feeling sad for her. This is the first book I've read by this author but it will not be the last, a must read!
Rating: 
Summary: Southern womanhood
Review: This rip-snorter of a novel revolves around the mess Miss Julia inherited from her late husband, Wesley Lloyd -- bank president and pillar of the community. It seems that, unbeknownst to Miss Julia, Wesley Lloyd had fathered a child, a child who is subsequently left on her front porch by his mother who then disappeared. Miss Julia is bombarded by gossipmongering fellow parishioners from the Presbyterian Church, a pastor who is long on greed and ambition and short on sympathy and comfort, a televangelist with dollar signs in his eyes, and, well, Heavens, what is a woman to do? As Miss Julia reminds us readers many times over, she didn't ask for any of this! This knee-slapper is actually fairly accurate in its presentation of women "sheltered" by men, women who are "taken care of" and not allowed to "worry" about anything. The story is well paced and plotted and offers surprises and excitement. My book club was unanimous in its opinion -- this is a winner!
Rating: 
Summary: MISS JULIA? NOT QUITE.
Review: A tad disappointing, this audio book doesn't quite capture the Miss Julia many have come to know and love. Yes, she is a prim and proper southern lady of a certain age, but she also has a backbone of steel. Authority doesn't register for this listener. Peripheral characters appear rather vague, a bit as if the reader is feeling her way through this story rather than in command of it.
Rating:
Summary: A pleasure to read!
Review: When the book opened up, Julia DeWitt Springer had just become a widow. She was from a small town in North Carolina, where everyone knew everyone else's business. Her deceased husband, Wesley Lloyd Springer, had been with the bank and had been a powerful man around the town. Julia and Wesley had been big members of their Presbyterian church, ran by Pastor Ledbetter. As for how Mr. Springer died, Julia heard her husband pull up in the driveway, right on time, but never came in. When she went out to check on him, she found him dead, slumped over his steering wheel. Miss Julia learned, quickly, how to write checks, balance the check book, and all the other little things her husband refused to let her bother her little mind with. So Miss Julia had no idea just how well off her husband was, monetary anyway. But as sole beneficiary, she was set to live comfortably for the rest of her life. Then her entire world was turned up-side-down. Miss Julia answered her door one morning to find a young woman, Hazel Marie Puckett, standing there. Hazel informed Miss Julia that the little boy with her was Wesley Springer's son, Wesley Lloyd Junior Springer. Seemed that Miss Julia's husband had been keeping a second household for several years, right under Miss Julia's nose. Since Little Lloyd and Hazel received nothing from Wesley's will, Hazel needed to go off to Raleigh, for a short time, to learn a trade. Once done, and she could support herself and her son, Hazel would return to pick up Little Lloyd. Needless-to-say, Miss Julia was shocked! And rightfully so! The whole town began talking about her. Things got worse fast! Pastor Ledbetter was mad that Miss Julia refused to give a huge chunk of her money to the church and began to find other ways to get hold of it. Miss Julia even found out that the Pastor KNEW of her husband's adultery and approved! Then there was Brother Vern, a televangelist, and kin to Hazel. He was after any money Wesley had left Hazel and would do ANYTHING to get it, including physical abuse to Hazel and, perhaps, Little Lloyd. ***** This is one of the most outrageous and hilarious books I have had the pleasure to read in such a long time! Anyone between the ages of twenty-one and a hundred cannot help but enjoy it thoroughly! Ann B. Ross has done an outstanding job in creating characters that are warm, life-like, and wacky all at once. I can hardly wait to read the second Miss Julia novel. This author has more than earned her place on my "Keeper Shelf". Brava! ***** Reviewed by Detra Fitch of Huntress Reviews.
Rating:
Summary: Very entertaining!
Review: I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Interesting and realistic characters, solid story line, happy ending. I've recommended it to several people who have enjoyed it as well. I just found out that there are three other "Miss Julia" books out in the world. Can't wait to read them!
Rating:
Summary: Poor character development
Review: I found this book poorly written as far as character development. Miss Julia seemed to be a fabricated character, rather unbelievable as a real person. Her dialogue and inner thoughts were sterotypical and predicatable. She seemed flat to me. Honestly, I found the book rather blah as a piece of literature. However, the story line does allow for some twists and turns and surprises, and I was interested enough to finish the book.
Rating:
Summary: Mildly Entertaining
Review: Miss Julia would have been a more acceptable character for me if the book had taken place in the 1930s or so. But to be in her 60s in present-day America, she was pretty annoying. She seemed much older than my grandmother, who is in her 90s and living in the Deep South. I'm sure my grandmother would find Miss Julia pretty gullible and judgmental and waaaay behind the times. And very slow on the uptake. Things that were clear to me at the very beginning didn't quite come to her for many, many pages later. Not a bad read, but I was very impatient to finish the book and forget about this backwards, overly-prim woman.
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