The Sweetest Thing by Eliazbeth Musser - REVIEWED

About The Book: (from the publisher)

Compelling Southern Novel Explores Atlanta Society in the 1930s


Anne "Perri" Singleton's world is defined by the security of family, the camaraderie of friends at an exclusive Atlanta girls' school, and an enviable social life. She isn't looking for new friends when Mary Dobbs Dillard arrives from Chicago. Besides, "Dobbs," the passionate and fiercely individualistic daughter of an itinerant minister, is her opposite in every way.


But just as the Great Depression collides disastrously with Perri's well-ordered life, friendship blossoms--a friendship that will be tested by jealousy, betrayal, and family secrets...


With her endearing characters and poignant storytelling, Atlanta native Elizabeth Musser vividly re-creates the charm of her beloved city amid the poverty and plenty that shaped the 1930s.

My Thoughts:

“Quit telling me the truth, Mary Dobbs Dillard!...I am tired of hearing the truth!” (p.244)


The Sweetest Thing is a story of relationships and the powerful impact truth often has – both positively and negatively – upon them. Anne Perrin “Perri” Singleton and Mary Dobbs Dillard are the two young women at the center of this classic tale of friendship. As different as night and day when they first meet, Perri and Mary Dobbs forge a friendship that will weather both joy and tragedy. It is a friendship that is filled with truth, and sometimes the truth is so painful that it almost snuffs out both friendship and faith. It is a friendship that will weather many changes, many storms and many sorrows. As long as I live, I will never forget Mary Dobbs and Perri. Not ever.


I read a lot of books. Sometimes I read them hurriedly and probably miss a great blessing. The Sweetest Thing is a book I have savored. Set primarily in Atlanta, a place that was a huge part of my own childhood, I recognized many of the places described in the story. I recognized the timeless Southerness of many of the actions and the thought processes that motivated the characters. I have walked the “sawdust trail” – so dear to Mary Dobbs – on several occasions at tent meetings, with sawdust on the floor. In short, I connected with the characters in the story in a very deep and personal way, and when I read the definition of the sweetest thing I actually had to put the book down and weep. I’ve not been affected by a story so deeply in a very long time.


So, to say that I loved Elizabeth Musser’s The Sweetest Thing is a gross understatement! I think this is a classic story in so many, many ways. The faith written on the pages is simple, straightforward, and very, very genuine in both the lives of the characters and the life of the author. The truth about human relationship, both between the characters in the story and between the characters and God, is also very genuine and true. You cannot read this story and not feel its effect deeply in your heart and your soul. If you read one book this year, read The Sweetest Thing. It is superb in every way!


Go HERE to read the first chapter and purchase your copy TODAY!

About The Author:

Elizabeth Musser, an Atlanta native, lives in southern France with her husband and their two sons. Her acclaimed novel, The Swan House, was a Book Sense bestseller list in the Southeast and was selected as one of the top Christian books for 2001 by Amazon's editors. Searching for Eternity is her sixth novel. Visit Elizabeth's Web site at www.elizabethmusser.com