Fair and Tender Ladies

By: Lee Smith

Narrated by: Kate Forbes

Author of many novels and short stories, best-selling writer Lee Smith has received numerous awards for her works, including two O. Henry Awards. Fair and Tender Ladies is an epistolary novel that traces the life of Ivy Rowe, born in the isolated Virginia mountain community of Sugar Fork.

Twelve-year-old Ivy writes her first letter to a Dutch pen pal, who never replies. She also writes many more to her sister Sylvaney, who is mentally disabled and illiterate. Gaining more from writing than receiving any replies, Ivy continues a colorful stream of letters during her long life. Through births and deaths, marriages and funerals, the decades of Ivy's life are captured in a rich dialect that carries the sounds and sights of the Appalachians in each syllable.

Lee Smith's genius lies in her ability to create the landscape of a character's mind with economy and grace. Perfectly complementing Smith's talent, narrator Kate Forbes provides a unique voice for Ivy.

©1988 Lee Smith (P)2004 Recorded Books, LLC

Critic reviews

"Readers will be thoroughly captivated by Ivy Rowe, the narrator of this epistolary novel, and will come to the end of her story with a pang of regret. Smith has produced her best work here, creating a fully rounded heroine and other vivid characters who inhabit Virginia's Appalachia region....In the old tradition of oral storytelling, Smith has fashioned a dramatic, magical, poignantly true-to-life tale." (Publishers Weekly)
"Ivy writes with a verve and immediacy which prove that her creator, Lee Smith, is a storyteller supreme." (School Library Journal)

Profoundly moving

I have just finished listening to this remarkable audiobook and I am so tenderly moved. I want to grieve over losing Ivy, as her life came quietly to an end. No, her life itself wasn’t quiet- it was far from it – but I fell as though I have lost a friend. The fact that the narrator, Kate Forbes, read with a perfect Appalachian accent (the book takes place within an hour of where I now live), helps make it even more authentic. This book, told entirely by letters written by Ivy Rowe, gives a true voice to the Appalachian life that exists still today. This is a wonderful book, rich and full, and I highly recommend it to anyone to read. A real piece of Americana and excellent writing. It made me laugh many times (I rarely laugh out loud while reading or listening), and I shed a tear or two as well. Lee Smith is from Grundy, VA (near my hometown), and I do hope one day to be able to meet her. She is a magnificent writer, in my opinion!

slow start, great finish

I had a little difficult maintaining my interest in the beginning, but about a 3rd of the way in I was hooked! The descriptions were so vivid, I felt like I was there with Ivy, that I knew her. By the end, I really cared about her.

Remarkable reader, great book

I think I might listen to this book again just to hear Kate Forbes read it. She's THAT good. And the characters in this novel will make your heart bleed and then smile and then bleed again. I love epistolary novels, and this is one to savor.

One of the Best of the Best

I loved this book. It is the story of Ivy Rowe, a young girl growing up in Appalachia, and the world through her eyes as she matures into a young woman. She makes the world she lives in and the people in it come alive. You can almost smell the pine trees. Such a captivating story. I will listen to this one over again and again and recommend to my friends.

A Glimpse Into a Unique Time and Place

Fair and Tender Ladies was pure pleasure to listen to as an audiobook. The mountain dialect and soft tones performed exquisitely by narrator, Kate Forbes, brought this gentle, captivating story to life, literally transporting me to a world that existed from early 20th century Appalachia through the 1970s. I vicariously experienced some of the immense changes in American society during this time period and was able to glimpse the profound impacts that two major wars and the growth of the coal industry had on these proud mountain people. Their life was hard, but for the first time I began to understand their fierce loyalty to this beautiful but inhospitable land. I watched as their unique culture was disrupted and ultimately destroyed by “progress.”

This is a character-driven novel. It flows lazily through the long life of Ivy Rowe and is written entirely in her letters to various family members and friends. Her tone and language develop as she grows from a very young child into an old “mountain woman.” Yet throughout it all, Ivy retains her deep love of home and family. She never loses that basic core of who she is and what Sugar Fork and its people mean to her. I respected her tremendously, and listening to her story enriched me.

Fair and Tender Ladies is not an adventure story, and it will be a disappointment to readers expecting fast-moving plot. I’m not sure how most men will relate to it since this story is told entirely through Ivy’s unabashed perspective, and she is most definitely a woman; there is no narrator to filter and objectify Ivy’s observations and remarks. But for me that was the charm of this book; Ivy is wonderful if the reader can accept her as she is. She is funny, foolish, courageous, and wise--a delightful combination of them all. I wish she were a real person so I could spend more time listening to her and learning from her. I am extremely happy that I purchased this audiobook and took the time to hear Ivy’s story. I am better for the experience and somehow feel uplifted.

Wonderful Book

I absolutely loved this book! Lee Smith did a wonderful job bringing her characters to life! There is alot of emotion with this book.

What a Beautiful Story. How I love Ivy!

Would you listen to Fair and Tender Ladies again? Why?

I'm sure I will. I already miss Ivy Rowe.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Fair and Tender Ladies?

When I started this book I thought it may be a snoozer but it became addicting. Ivy's hillbilly language was getting on my nerves but as the story unfolded I got used to it, She also read a lot which improved her speech. This may not bother anyone else and it's essential to the story. The family is in a poor, rural area about the turn of the 20th century. Anyway, I fell in love with this woman. She is at once simple and intelligent, optimistic yet realistic, and so very loving and loyal.

What does Kate Forbes bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Kate Forbes was absolutely perfect for Ivy. Her accent and inflections are spot on. I feel a lot of the impact of her words would be lost in print. That's another reason I love listening to books. And good narration is critical to a successful production.

If you could rename Fair and Tender Ladies, what would you call it?

Fair and Tender Lady :)

Any additional comments?

Ivy's religion is the country and all things beautiful to her. I loved this element of the story. She is so pure of heart, but not a goody-goody. I adored this book.

Timeless

I read this twice 15 years apart and loved it as much listening the second time as reading the first time. The main character is a person I'd like to know. She makes poor choices but doesn't let those choices identify her. She grows and faces adversity well. I am not one who normally underlines passages, but I seriously wanted to this time (except it's hard when listening).

Fabulous Book

I absolutely was absorbed into the letters and didn't want this to end. Excellent narrator, I highly recommend this book!

Entertaining

Ivy is an inspiration to all women. Her letters describe growing up poor in an isolated rural area without feeling sorry for herself. Just the opposite! Her observations of the countryside and people around her are delightful.