This was a very intriguing book. Set in the South spanning from the 1920's through the 1980's, told through the eyes of Miss Judith Kratt, this book is multi-layered. We have the race issues in the South, the old vs. the new, the rich vs. the poor, rumor vs. fact, the conflicts go on and on. It shows how our perceptions change over time as we grow and change. It delves into family secrets and relationships while being told by an authentic Southern voice.
A very good story that leaves you thinking about your own family and town.
I received a free copy of this book through Netgalley and the publisher and voluntarily chose to review it. ( )

Seamlessly weaving between 1929 and 1989, The Last List of Miss Judith Kratt by Andrea Bobotis is a poignant novel set in a small southern town.

Judith Kratt's inventory of her family's treasures sparks an introspective journey of the events that led to her fourteen year old brother Quincy's murder in 1929. Family patriarch Daddy Kratt rules his family and his businesses with an iron first and he ruthlessly makes his fortune through blackmail and hard work. Twenty years younger that Daddy Kratt, Judith's mother is an ethereal, wispy woman who lives on the periphery of the family. Judith's youngest sister Rosemarie lives in her own world and runs from trouble instead of facing it head on. Believing the worst, Rosemarie runs away from home right after Quincy's murder. Once the wealthiest family in Bound, SC, the tragedy sets the stage for their downward spiral.

Judith lives in family home with her childhood friend, Olva. They thrive on routine with their days languidly slipping by. The first ripple in their lives is the sudden reappearance of Rosemarie whose only contact with Judith is through blank postcards sent to Olva. Wondering why her sister has returned after all this time, Judith and Rosemarie clash virtually every time they are together. Judith is also a little hurt that Olva and Rosemarie do not include her in their daily plans.

As if Judith's life is not in enough upheaval, Rosemarie and Olva invite Marcus and his six year old daughter Amaryllis to stay with them. Marcus is struggling financially to make ends meet and he needs to lie low to escape his racist landlords, Jolly and her son Rick. Since Bound is such a small town, Marcus' history is closely intertwined with the Kratt's troubled past. Judith is initially a reluctant and unbending hostess but young Amaryllis begins to soften her hardened heart.

The Last List of Miss Judith Kratt is a multi-layered novel which does not shy away from difficult subjects such as racism and classism. Judith is stubborn but as she inventories objects in the house, she gains a new understanding of the events that culminated in tragedy. Olva is a lovely woman who is finally ready to reveal the truth about herself and her family. Rosemarie is brash and intractable as she attempts to bend everyone to her will but can her interpretation of the past be trusted? Andrea Bobotis brings her beautifully written debut to an unexpected, but completely gratifying conclusion. I greatly enjoyed and highly recommend this thought-provoking novel. ( )

I love southern literature and this debut novel has everything I like about it. The story moves between two timelines, 1989 and 1929. Miss Judith Kratt, now age 75 is sitting on the front porch of her very large house reflecting on her life and decides to make a list of the family possessions. Each item she puts on her list brings up memories that take her along with the reader back in time. This story is set in the hard-luck cotton town of Bound, SC which the Kratt family used to rule. Now, like many small towns, industry is gone and the people that are left struggle to make a living.

But, in 1929 her father is the big man in town and owns most of the mills as well as a new large department store. Judith is 15 the year the store opens and lives with her parents, sister and brother in the biggest house in town. A tragic event during this time changes her life and the life of her family forever. This history comes back to life as told through the family objects and heirlooms she has spent so many decades surrounding herself and caring for. It isn’t until her inventory begins and her long lost sister comes back home that Miss Judith begins to face the ugly truths of her past. This was an especially good book to read in the heat of summer, drinking iced tea on my own front porch! ( )

This story ended up being better than initially suspected. Working my way through the first half of the story, I didn’t really know where it was going, but the last half managed to come together really well. The rich history of Miss Judith Kratt, as told through the family objects and heirlooms she has spent so many decades surrounding herself with, provide a rich tapestry of the deep secrets that both define and tear families apart. There is a certain sadness to the story, as Judith comes to realize that the material objects she has surrounded herself with have defined most of her existence. This is a strong debut novel from Andrea Bobotis . We are provided with vivid characters who seem at home and ingrained in the almost claustrophobic nature of the small town of Bound, South Carolina. A worthwhile read for fans of historical fiction genre. ( )

Southern Gothic genre and was slow to pull me in, but once i was in, I was captured by the characters and the history that slowly spilled out as Judith did her historical, household inventory. She really captures that time in the south. If you liked The Help, or The Secret Life of Bees, I think you'll like this. ( )