Guests on Earth: A Novel

Lee Smith is one of my favorite Southern authors. Her book Fair and Tender Ladies ranks up there with a book I'd read over and over. Recently she released her latest, Guests on the Earth.I must say, I don't like the title. I understand the reason for it, but that doesn't make it any better. It tells the reader nothing about the book. Furthermore the cover does nothing to entice me to read this book. That being said, I suggest you put these biases aside and read this very well-written, interesting story.Smith takes us back to an event that happened in Asheville, North Carolina in 1948, the fire at the Highland Mental Hospital. Her behind-the-scenes description of life in the hospital are sensitive and at the same time frightening. Most of us think of scenes from One Flew Over the Coo-Coo's Nest when we think of mental hospitals. Smith dispels these misconceptions with bucolic scenes of enormous and flowering grounds, walks through the woods, antics in the art room, as wall as warm relationships. The only scary part happens on the top floors where at that time modern, but at this time primitive treatments occurred. My husband, a psychiatrist, explains that medicine had no other means to help people suffering from clinical depression, schizophrenia or manic depression. Insulin and electro shock treatments worked for many of these patients. Nonetheless, Smith does not spend a lot of time shocking us.Instead she walks us through the life of one patient, Evalina Toussaint , and her tragic childhood which brought her to Highland in the first place. Then she introduces an array of characters. The most famous of those is Zelda Fitzgerald who lived on and off at Highland hospital for the years up to her death in the fire of 1948.I recommend this book to people who enjoy reading about historic events, who enjoy meeting interesting and endearing characters and who love good writing. Smith, who's own son spent time at Highland wrote, "I always knew I'd write this book." As one of her avid readers, I'm glad she did!I

"Guests on Earth" by Lee Smith is a beautifully crafted novel that envelops readers in the intriguing world of a mental institution during the 1930s. The story follows thirteen-year-old Evalina Toussaint, who finds herself at Highland Hospital in Asheville, North Carolina, after being orphaned. There, she becomes part of a unique community and is taken under the wing of the infamous Zelda Fitzgerald, one of the hospital's most notable patients.As Evalina navigates her new life, she witnesses the complexities of the human experience, where art and madness intersect in profound ways. Smith intricately weaves fictional elements with historical facts, culminating in the tragic events of the 1948 fire that claimed the lives of several women, including Zelda. The novel beautifully explores themes of identity, creativity, and the often-painful quest for understanding in a world that fears those who don’t conform to societal expectations. "Guests on Earth" is a mesmerizing read that resonates deeply, reminding us of the indelible connections between suffering, art, and the human condition. Smith's elegant prose and insightful storytelling create an unforgettable narrative that lingers long after the last page is turned.

Lee Smith ropes the reader into her books from the very beginning and tightens the cords right up through the end. She pulls this off with plot, dialog and interesting characters that few other current novelists can match, and this is especially true if the reader (such as I do) easily relates to the southern Appalachian backdrop in which she sets much of her writing. I have read most of her work and, while reading, am always imagining (and hoping) that she is in front of her computer composing one more for me to read. GUESTS ON EARTH, however, is not a favorite of mine; I read it avidly but somehow with 100 or so pages to go, she lost me. Why? I guess Evalina is just not that interesting of a main character, or narrator, plus her affair with Pan is really hard to believe or even imagine...almost nonsensical HARRY POTTER stuff. Moreover, Ms. Smith adds just too many minor characters as the book progresses and it becomes an effort to keep up with them...they add nothing to the narrative. The author claims, somewhat tongue in cheek, that the hospital is full of nutty people but there is little real effort on her part, as there should have been to my way of thinking, to introduce a more humorous element into the goings-on even if the fire is a tragic event at the end. Not a satisfactory ending either for Evalina who is still waiting for Pan...WHAT!!!

This was a rather delicious story that gripped me until it ended. It feels as if it is readying for a sequel. I won’t spoil it but it is definitely a captivating read.

An excellent read. An insightful depiction of difficult lives.

An interesting book. Loved all of the characters and the southern flavor. Lee Smith is a wonderful storyteller. Mental illness can be triggered by life events and sometimes we just shut down. The book gave me a better understanding of mental institutions and made me feel like this one was a safe comfortable haven. Also made me feel that it is OK to have mental challenges and that everyone has some degree of it, even if they do not end up in an institution.