Critical Praise

"James Villas's fiction is like his cooking, wry and ribald, languid and laugh-out-loud funny. When you are from the South, as I am, these are the characters you wish were in your family. A wonderful novel from a wonderful man. The only better thing than reading it would be to hear the author read it outloud. His delicious sass fills every page. A real feast. Serve with some sippin' whiskey and enjoy!"

——Marsha Norman, Pulitzer Prize winning playwright of ‘NIGHT, MOTHER

"Dancing in the Lowcountry is a delightful and moving account of a certain kind of upper middle-class life in the South of my own generation. I know of few, if any, novels that give such an accurate account of that life and of the rich and amusing language we've used for a long while now -- whether we're white, black or red."

——Reynolds Price, author of A LONG AND HAPPY LIFE

"James Villas has crafted an epic story steeped in the traditions and culture of the South. It’s about family and secrets, memories and regrets, lifelong passions and the inevitable tragedies we all face. Ella Dubose is a complicated, courageous woman still living with gusto, still struggling over life’s hurdles, still dancing in the Lowcountry with grit and grace."

——Cathy Lamb, author of JULIA’S CHOCOLATES

"James Villas’s Dancing in the Lowcountry resonates with the elegance and master storytelling skills that have made his award-winning food writing timeless. Simply told and yet complexly layered, Miss Ella’s journey from spoiled girlhood to endearing eccentricity vividly reminds us that there is always more to the celebrated “steel magnolias” of the South than meets the eye. Not all Southerners are good storytellers, but Villas sure makes the maxim seem true."

——Damon Lee Fowler, author of CLASSICAL SOUTHERN COOKING and THE SAVANNAH COOKBOOK