Love of Family, Love of Country, as well as Love of God

By Johnnie Dale Massey Norris

After I read Johnnie Come Lately, I turned around and read it again. Kathleen’s book and I have a thing or two in common. The main character in the book is Johnnie and her husband is Dale. My name is Johnnie Dale. The oldest son’s name in the book is D.J. and my oldest grandson is D.J. Kathleen and I did not know each other when she started writing JCL. I think we were “meant” to meet and become friends. Kathleen is so good at making her characters come to life as real people. Kathleen wrote how Johnnie was a loving mother to two sons that she adored, loved and worried over, especially with Cade going to war. Even with a marital problem, Johnnie was able to show love, respect and forgiveness to her husband, Dale, who didn’t deal with the problem well. After years of going through bulimia, overcoming the disease, Johnnie was able not to fall back into it when she had the urge to during difficult times. I loved the mystery of Victoria, Johnnie’s mother who abandoned her as a child and then we didn’t know if she were around town or not years later. Victoria playing the piano made me have goose bumps. The mysteries of Uncle Johnny, Johnnie’s dad, keeps you wanting to read ahead to find out what happens. Whit, Johnnie’s good friend and Brother Dog brought the lighter side of the book. Brother Dog loved everyone and was a happy soul throughout the book. Johnnie’s grandmother, Granny Opal, was such a sweet person, finding the good in everyone. Mr. Marvel was something else…another mystery in the book and a sadness about him. Kathleen is good at bringing emotions to her characters. I found myself getting weepy, laughing, feel sad, sometimes a feeling of what’s going to happen next, feeling aggravated, especially at Dale, feelings of compassion, happiness, and much more. Throughout the book, the cardinal played an important part in the story. When you read this book, you will see how the cardinal ties so much of it together and makes the story so sentimental. Besides the hummingbird, the cardinal has now become my favorite bird thanks to Kathleen. Kathleen writes so well about love of family and love of country, as welI as love of God. I felt so good after reading Johnnie Comes Lately. That’s why I read it twice.

“I called her late last night to thank her. She and her husband Dennis are driving three and a half hours on Saturday to the book launch at B&N @ Southlake. WOW!” –Kathleen M. Rodgers