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I was born and raised in Tallahassee, Florida, and married my high school sweetheart and was whisked away to Idaho, A.F.B. The thought of our children growing up and not knowing our families, except through phone calls, pulled us back home. Shortly after my daughter was born I thought of writing a novel, but life got in the way and raising my children took priority. It wasn’t until twenty plus years later that the bug bit me again. I kept my notes and writing to myself for a while. I didn’t even tell my husband, until one day while we were cleaning the kitchen he ran across a scrap piece of paper that I had written the beginning of chapter one on. I whispered in embarrassment that I was writing a story. He was more excited about it than I was and has been supportive ever since. It took three years to write my debut novel “Paisley Memories”. It is about a young teenager who is raising a child with Down syndrome by herself. With only her wits, and a little bit of money, she lives like a gypsy with her daughter, Paisley. She comes to the realization that she either needs to put roots down and raise her daughter the best she can, or find a family who can give her daughter much more stability than she thinks she can provide. My daughter also has Down syndrome and was the inspiration for my story.
Reviewed by Lisa McCombs for Readers' Favorite
When nineteen-year-old Tess finds herself alone in the world after her father’s death, she realizes the enormity of life as a single teenage mother. She had no friends, no income, and no place to call home. What else could she do but hit the road in her dad’s classic Thunderbird with two-year-old Paisley riding shotgun. There was a huge world out there, if only she could discover her role in it.
Watching young mothers interact with their seemingly normal children and knowing that Paisley could never know the meaning of normal, Tess accidentally falls into a part-time job taking photographs for the eccentric, do-gooder lady who called herself Butterball. The only hitch? Tess would have to live with Butterball for an extended period of time in the small Florida Gulf-side town of Panacea. Without any sensible alternative in mind, Tess weighs her options and decides to play things day-by-day. At least she and Paisley could enjoy the comforts of beds for sleeping and shared food on the table until the time to go became apparent. Little did she know that her temporary living arrangements would lead to the best way to raise her child.
Zelle Andrews’ debut novel, Paisley Memories: The Beginning of Me, is an absolute MUST READ. Engaging dialogue and memorable characters move this story along at a rapid pace. As Tess enters into a secure world of adulthood, she understands the goodness in people and learns to trust again. I love, love, love this book! I anxiously await more from Zelle Andrews!
