(Livingston Press at the University of West Alabama, 2023)
Allen Mendenhall succeeds abundantly in presenting what he himself calls “the universal familiar” in his eighth book and debut novel, A Glooming Peace This Morning. Setting his story in the fictional county of Magnolia in the (also fictional) southern town of Andalusia, Mendenhall shows his literary skills and strong sense of place from the start, as Andalusia becomes an important character in the book. Comparisons to Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird are bound to appear as readers encounter characters reminiscent of Boo Radley (Bobby Cox) and Scout (Cephas, the narrator) and long for an appearance by a lawyer with the chops of Atticus Finch. When no Atticus appears, the town—and readers of the book—are left to accept the “glooming peace” and the sad finality of the events that will affect Cephas and others forever. The story, of course, is everything, as Mendenhall states near the end of the book when he says, “All vanishes . . . except stories.” But I contend that the writing is also everything, especially when a story is told by a gifted literary artist like Mendenhall. If you’re looking for a Hallmark story, look elsewhere. But if you don’t mind words like “looming” and “glooming” populating a narrative, and you enjoy a good Fitzgeraldish read, this book is for you. Forbidden love. Coming-of-age drama. Courtroom scenes. It’s all in there. Kudos to Mendenhall!—Susan Cushman, author of John and Mary Margaret, Cherry Bomb, and six other books.
Allen Mendenhall, in his glorious debut novel, mines the same sacred riches of Harper Lee’s Alabama, and I must say—he does her proud. His coming-of-age story is “old school,” taking its time with its wondrous setting and exploring the theme of injustice and coming to terms with it as an older man looking back on his life. The story is filled with characters that only Mendenall’s exquisite writerly mind could create and describe. They lifted from the page. I look forward to more stories from this most talented writer.—Bren McClain, award-winning author of One Good Mama Bone
Allen Mendenhall’s A Glooming Peace This Morning is more than a humorous, tightly narrated story of four boys on the precipice of manhood in the South of the Seventies. This novel exceeds its coming-of-age genre by exploring the universality of the human spirit when confronted with violence, loss, lust, and justice. While much is gained in the transition from boy to man, so much more is lost when the narrator learns people are not who he assumed they were. Cephas’s first-person account immediately connects the reader to each character, creating both empathy and shock as we realize we have met them all in our own transition from childhood to adulthood.—Johnnie Bernhard, award-winning author of Hannah and Ariela
In this book, Allen Mendenhall journeys back into the childhood of a young boy named Cephas and follows him and his unlikely friends as all of them grow and age. With the skill of Updike, the author tells heart-warming and heart-breaking stories that will keep you turning pages. It is a little masterpiece. —Joy Ross Davis, award-winning author of The Madwoman of Preacher’s Cove
Allen Mendenhall delivers a unique and poignant story that touches all the most tender places. With eloquent prose and a poet’s voice, he’ll stir every emotion and leave readers better for it. Southern literature at its best!—Julie Cantrell, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of Perennials
This is a tale of longing—for innocence and trust, for safety in community, and for faith that good will always prevail. Mendenhall weaves philosophical meaning into the recounting of events in Magnolia County, a place where hearts break below the surface, and fears have the power to change the course of history. This book will remind you of what it really means to face truths, and to grapple with being human.—Shuly Xóchitl Cawood, author of A Small Thing to Want: stories
A relationship between two teenagers causes controversy in a small Southern town in this debut novel…Mendenhall is a prolific writer of academic criticism and nonfiction, including Shouting Softly: Lines on Law, Literature, and Culture (2021) and in this first foray into literature, he shines. The title is drawn from a line in Romeo and Juliet and one can easily draw comparisons to the plot of Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird (1960). The author demonstrates a remarkable talent for relating an atmosphere of class and racial division; the region, bordered by “haunted forests” and Native American burial mounds, comes alive with elaborate and rich history….Mendenhall believably portrays the group of boyhood friends, as well as the adults who struggle to mold them into an image of purity and benevolence. Overall, this is a dynamic debut that ably depicts a community of God-fearing personalities struggling to comprehend their emotions, hopes, dreams, and fears.—Kirkus Reviews
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