Dollbaby

A Novel

By: Laura Lane McNeal

Narrated by: January LaVoy

A big-hearted coming-of-age debut set in civil rights-era New Orleans—a novel of Southern eccentricity and secrets

When Ibby Bell’s father dies unexpectedly in the summer of 1964, her mother unceremoniously deposits Ibby with her eccentric grandmother Fannie and throws in her father’s urn for good measure. Fannie’s New Orleans house is like no place Ibby has ever been—and Fannie, who has a tendency to end up in the local asylum—is like no one she has ever met. Fortunately, Fannie’s black cook, Queenie, and her smart-mouthed daughter, Dollbaby, take it upon themselves to initiate Ibby into the ways of the South, both its grand traditions and its darkest secrets.

For Fannie’s own family history is fraught with tragedy, hidden behind the closed rooms in her ornate Uptown mansion. It will take Ibby’s arrival to begin to unlock the mysteries there. And it will take Queenie and Dollbaby’s hard-won wisdom to show Ibby that family can sometimes be found in the least expected places.

For fans of Saving CeeCee Honeycutt and The Help, Dollbaby brings to life the charm and unrest of 1960s New Orleans through the eyes of a young girl learning to understand race for the first time.

By turns uplifting and funny, poignant and full of verve, Dollbaby is a novel readers will take to their hearts.

Critic reviews

“In this tender coming-of-age novel, McNeal brings to life a place, an era, and an amazing cast of strong, larger-than-life characters. Heartrending, captivating, and ultimately, triumphant.”
—Cassandra King, New York Times bestselling author of Moonrise

“McNeal’s Dollbaby is such an impressive debut—a powerful roux of family drama, long-simmering secrets and resentments, and ultimately, forgiveness and redemption. Deeply evocative, with memorable characters, Dollbaby belongs on the keeper shelf along with The Help and The Secret Life of Bees.”
—Mary Kay Andrews, New York Times bestselling author of Ladies' Night

“Deeply southern and evocative, Laura Lane McNeal’s beautifully written debut, Dollbaby, takes us back to a not-so-long ago time when we were learning to look through different eyes at the fabric of our society, race, youth and family."
—Susan Crandall, author of Whistling Past the Graveyard

"This flavorful and enthralling novel brilliantly captures New Orleans during the civil rights era. It's a deeply personal tale about growing up and searching for family as well as a provocative exploration of race and kinship. I found it both thrilling and poignant."
—Walter Isaacson, New York Times bestselling author of Steve Jobs

“A vivid portrayal of post-war New Orleans, lush and evocative in its descriptions, McNeal’s unique voice shines through surprising and pleasing the reader.” —Library Journal (starred review)

“A touching coming-of-age story that is sincere and poignant.”—Booklist

Ibby Bell & The Big House

This a coming of age sothern tale about Ibby Bell a 12yr old simply dropped off by her mothers to live with Ms. Fanny. Southern life is nothing like the North and that summer Ibby learns a lesson she will never forget. 5 🌟 performance & storyline. The perfect southern story for a quiet rainy day. Narration 5 🌟 by January Lavoy. Well worth your credit.

Official DeAnn DeVille Review: Narrator, Writer, Audiobook Review Blogger , Mom

Tale of Old-New Orleans Well Paced

First off, Doll-Baby is superbly narrated. January LaVoy masterfully adapts her reading to her characters' personalities and origins. This definitely gives the story depth and adds flesh to the bones of the individuals in the tale.

The story itself is good… it holds your interest, but Ms. McNeal often stunts her tale by a too simplistic sentence structure, which leaves the listener hoping for slightly more depth in the thought and personalities of her characters. Ms. LaVoy helps to add gradations of personal qualities which Ms. McNeal often neglects. Hence the three stars for the story itself and the five stars given the performance.

Some listeners may find the characters somewhat stereotyped. But in Ms. McNeal's defense, this seems to be a matter of the depths to which she wished to mine her players' inner life. Also, all of her characters are treated to the same level of development, which does give the story an even literary treatment. In other words, there isn't a lack of development in only some of the characters, there seems to be an overall reliance by Ms. McNeal to have the reader fill in the undefined gaps on all of her characters, while mainly giving a surface development to them all. That said, you do actually get enough grit in the story to get to know the players and to care what happens to them.

If you are interested in a (non-intellectually-taxing,) solid story of a young girl's coming-of-age in unexpected circumstances, you will enjoy Doll-Baby overall, at about that four-star level.

Just don't expect to discover the next Great American Novel.

Highly Recommended

The author wrote such a compelling and heartfelt tale that I was genuinely sad when the book was over. I had felt connected to the characters and their lives that I miss them and wish there could be a sequel. You won’t regret reading, or listening, to this coming-of-age story.

Loved this audiobook

I work a lot so when I am home cleaning I put on my headphones and thoroughly enjoy listening to a book like this! I have the house clean in no time. Love my Audible app.

Nice story

Spoiler alert!

I enjoyed this story, but if could have used a little more editing...just little things, but noticeable to me. Also, a few things went unanswered like when Fannie was calling for Little Mama; I was hoping there I would find out later in the book who or what she was referring to. Also, was Dollbaby really only about 12 or 13 when her daughter Birdelia was born (Dollbaby was about 23 when 12 year old Ibby arrived and Birdelia was about Ivy's age...)

I would have loved to know if Ibby ended up moving back into the house, if Doll opened her dress shop, etc...which I guess is the sign of a good story when you want it to go on.