The Green Series, by Judy Christie

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This series was a very (!) pleasant surprise for me. Having been told that this was one that should definitely be read in order, I obediently started out with Gone to Green, immediately ordered Goodness Gracious Green when I was finished with the first book, and then delved right straight into The Glory of Green. And want more, more, more! Covering laughter and tears, weddings and deaths, blue skies and tornadoes, these books are a vignette into life in a small Southern town, Green, Louisiana, that could easily be mistaken for most of the small towns in my part of rural Alabama. Well, except for the alligator. I loved being part of a newspaper family for a while and, the mark of an excellent writer, Ms. Christie made me feel every one of their triumphs and disasters as personally as if I were truly there with them. I didn't want any of the books to end...

The characters were incredibly real and the stories were well-written; the dialogue was superb and all three books were easily played in my head like a movie as I read. There are quite a lot of references to religion and personal faith and beliefs, but not so much that it should ruin the story for someone who isn't religious and enough that it should be uplifting for readers that are. There are two additional books in the series (so far), and I expect them to be equally interesting, thought provoking and well-written. If you read and enjoyed the Mitford series by Jan Karon, you're sure to love these books. (Personally although I enjoyed the Karon series immensely, I felt more a "part" of Green than I ever did of Mitford, perhaps it was just the setting? Closer to my own home?).

Amazon describes the first book of the series thusly:

In Gone to Green, Lois goes from being a corporate journalist at a large paper in the Midwest to the owner of The Green News-Item, a small twice-weekly newspaper in rural North Louisiana. The paper was an unexpected inheritance from a close colleague, and Lois must keep it for at least a year, bringing a host of challenges, lessons, and blessings into her life.

When Lois pulls into Green on New Year’s Day, she expects a charming little town full of smiling people. She quickly realizes her mistake. After settling into a loaned house out on Route 2, she finds herself battling town prejudices and inner doubts and making friends with the most surprising people: troubled teenager Katy, good-looking catfish farmer Chris, wise and feisty Aunt Helen, and a female African-American physician named Kevin.

Whether fighting a greedy, deceitful politician or rescuing a dog she fears, Lois notices the headlines in her life have definitely improved. She learns how to provide small-town news in a big-hearted way and realizes that life is full of newsworthy moments. When she encounters racial prejudice and financial corruption, Lois also discovers more about the goodness of real people and the importance of being part of a community.