Rating: 
Summary: A Beautiful and Classic Vehicle
Review: With a cover that evokes Southern pathos, "Slow Way Home" enticed me with its jacket blurb and endorsements. I loved a similar looking novel, "The Secret Life of Bees," and I must say that I was expecting this book to live up to my enjoyment of "...Bees." An unfair expectation, I know.Morris is a formidable writer. He conveys the tale of young Brandon, a child pulled between a wandering mother and a loyal set of grandparents. Morris' characters and dialogue, his descriptions and numerous similes, work effectively. The book is everything one would hope for in a Southern novel. It has humor, racial issues, spiritual moments, family dysfunction, and family honor. Many scenes are worth savoring. And yet, I had a difficult time with it. Unlike "The Secret Life of Bees" or "The Lovely Bones," this novel has no mystery or secrets to drive it forward. For me, it was a beautiful and classic vehicle lacking the gas to propel me along. Yes, the jacket blurb gets it right: this novel will be remembered for the voice of its lead character. That alone is high praise. Although, with a backdrop of mystery, I could've been hooked beyond description. Without a doubt, I'll go back and read Morris' first novel. His writing is sublime.
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