The 1950s were a quieter time with no cell phones, texting, twenty-four hour news or social media. Residents of rural Mississippi had more time for unfettered interactions, although in keeping with the strict, but unspoken, social rules that ordered their lives. And then there was Opal Pratt. In this sequel to the author's fi rst book, Opal, Miss Pratt is encouraged to step out of her reclusive comfort zone and learns more about human kind. Sometimes more than she wants. In addition to new characters, the reader will recognize Olivia and Levi, the former hussy Frances/Francine, the immigrant preacher now with a love interest, and Opal's rejected suitor, Lemuel, who assumes a new and special place in her life. Opal is naïve, courageous, and sometimes tragic. Follow her journey in Warren County Days.
With a distinct voice that easily portrays both small town simplicity and heartbreakingly complex nuances, Diane Thomas-Plunk has once again transported me to the South I know and love in her new short story collection. The beloved Opal Pratt is back, along with a cast of characters both new and old, but all remarkable for the feelings they evoke. One standout story is None So Blind, which brought the combination of liquor and opera together in a manner that left me truly moved. I fi nd it amazing that an author can take the folks that others would glance over and their life stories, and turn them into something exceptional. I was left wanting more, which is the definition of a powerful book in my opinion.
- Christina Huber, Candid Christine Book Review Blog
Readers who fell in love with spinster Opal Pratt in Diane Thomas-Plunk's first book will be glad to meet more of this distinctly Southern writer's small-town characters. Through interactions with old suitors, new neighbors, and roadside saviors, Opal continues to evolve with the changing times.
- Erin Z. Bass, Editor & Publisher, Deep South Magazine
Warren County Days is a believable trip back into the fifties. You're going to see characters who leap off the page, full blown, and remind you of people you've known. And a few that you haven't. Diane Thomas-Plunk, a born and bred Memphian, weaves stories about ordinary people who turn every day life into something special.
- Randolph Haspel, Columnist, The Memphis Flyer
