Miss Julia Paints the Town

By: Ann Ross

Narrated by: Claudia Hughes

Length: 9 hrs and 38 mins

Publisher's summary

Abounding in Southern charm, Miss Julia Paints the Town finds the plucky North Carolinian pushed to the limit by a daunting heap of difficulties. Already trying to help three friends find their missing husbands, Miss Julia also must concoct a scheme to chase a slick New Jersey developer away from Abbotsville. But perhaps she's bitten off a bit more than she can chew.

©2008 Ann Ross (P)2008 Recorded Books, LLC

Critic reviews

"The memorably droll Ross has a gift for elevating such everyday matters as marital strife and the hazards of middle age to high comedy, while painting her beautifully drawn characters with wit and sympathy." ( Publishers Weekly)

A Wild Fight to save the courthouse

Life continues to hold excitement in Abbotsville, NC in Miss Julia Paints the Town by Ann B. Ross. First, her friend's husband disappears with a lot of money that people have invested through him. As her friend mourns the loss of her husband, having given him up for loss, another man in the town disappears and then another. This keeps Sam, Miss Julia's retired lawyer husband, busy trying to represent the wives and find practicing lawyers for them to help the women out.

But more drama arises when Miss Julia learns that a developer has come to town to tear down the old courthouse and erect a series of condos in its place. Enlisting the assistance of Edna Mae Wiggins, who went on Miss Julia's last adventure to Florida in search of her stolen jewelry, Miss Julia determines to show Abbotsville at its weakest to Arthur Kessler, the developer, to try to discourage him from destroying this courthouse. They introduce him to crazy old geezers, the pastor of a church not accepted by any denomination for name-it, claim-it theology. But they upset to learn that the council has met in secret the previous night and given Kessler official permission to start the demolition. Miss Julia determines that at the very least, ahe must save the statue of Lady Justice on the courtroom roof, which Kessler laughingly promised her "if it survives" the destruction. So Miss Julia sets out, if she can't save the whole courthouse, to save Lady Justice.

This book has a lot of fun details related to Miss Julia's effort to save the courthouse and then the statue. Watching them introduce Kessler to unsavory people made me laugh. Though I was "only reading" the story, I really felt that I was living it and thus having a lot of fun.

I listen to my audiobooks to gain a degree of release from my severe, nonstop migraine while I lie in bed tring to cope with the pain. Today my head was especially bad (I'm actually writing this review with only one eye open), and this book was an excellent choice for me to use to try to distract me from the agony I experienced as a result of my disease. The light humor and interesting story of this book served to keep my mind focused on the enjoyment I got from listening to this book while keeping my mind turned away, at least to some extent, from my agony. This is why I like to call my audiobooks the best medicine I have in my migraine arsenal!

I appreciate the performance of Claudia Hughes in the audiobook. She makes the story enjoyable in the job she does in bringing the book to life. This is the first book I've listened to with her narration, and while I really loved the performance of Cynthia Darlow, I enjoyed Claudia Hughes as a performer too.

Miss Julia Paints the Towncontains a really delightful story, really light and fast-paced with lots of fun details about the crazy, wacky life of Miss Julia. I was able to doze off with my migraine but be able to keep up with the plot upon becoming alert again. It was just the right book for a bad migraine day. I give the book five stars!

I love Miss Julia & Ms. Ann B. Ross!

Same as all the other books in this series, I loved this book! Miss Julia “feels like family”. I can’t wait, from book to book, to visit with her and find out what she’s up to next!

Ms Julia paints the town

Wonderful as unusual I always enjoy all the books by Ann B Ross. I look forward to her next book.

Another Delightful Experience

Ann Ross really knows how to make her readers laugh. Miss Julia has tickled my funny bone many times over the years. What a character!

So glad to have found the Miss Julia series!

As I work my way through the Miss Julia series, they get more delightful and funny with each new adventure. Ann Ross has a wonderful imagination and Claudia Hughes brings it all wonderfully to life. The whole cast of characters are wound together so carefully that you feel like a member of their community and families. Can’t wait to see what happens next.

Another fine mess!

Once again, Cynthia Darlow nails it narrating "Miss Julia Paints the Town" by Ann Ross. This is another funny book,with Miss Julia getting into several situations with various people from the Town. I love the characters Ann Ross has in this book,and Cynthia Darlow depicts them in a very believable way. Very enjoyable light read!!

I am addicted!

Every time I finish one book, I have to get the next one! I listen at home, instead of watch tv, and in the car when I’m driving! I only hate she stoped writing after book 22.

Just silly

I wanted to be entertained, but this was just too painful to finish. Skip it.