There are moments when I think in my next life I would like to be a Southern woman.

To be fair, there are also moments when I want to be a potato farmer in Idaho sewing clothes for my 11 children or a lady who lunches in Manhattan meeting my children at their boarding schools.

What prompted this latest longing for the South was "The Sweet By and By" by Todd Johnson (ISBN 9780061579523).

There's just something about the strength of Southern women - at least the ones I read about in novels.

The lives of Lorraine, Margaret, Rhonda, April and Bernice intersect in not always the likeliest of ways, but their connections are no less powerful.

I found myself nodding my head in agreement at their observations. Things like "Rising up when you're weak makes a person stronger." or "Holding my grandbaby, I know that my love will outlive me." or "Sometimes it's a lot easier to see something coming when it ain't coming at you."

This slice of life deals with issues surrounding aging, mother-daughter dynamics and marriage.

Enjoy.

- Tricia Ambrose