#BookReview: Rush by Lisa Patton

About the Book

Set in modern day Oxford, Mississippi, on the Ole Miss campus, bestselling author Lisa Patton’s RUSH is a story about women—from both ends of the social ladder—discovering their voices and their empowerment.

Cali Watkins possesses all the qualities sororities are looking for in a potential new member. She’s kind and intelligent, makes friends easily, even plans to someday run for governor. But her resume lacks a vital ingredient. Pedigree. Without family money Cali’s chances of sorority membership are already thin, but she has an even bigger problem. If anyone discovers the dark family secrets she’s hiding, she’ll be dropped from Rush in an instant.

When Lilith Whitmore, the well-heeled House Corp President of Alpha Delta Beta, one of the premiere sororities on campus, appoints recent empty-nester Wilda to the Rush Advisory Board, Wilda can hardly believe her luck. What’s more, Lilith suggests their daughters, both incoming freshman, room together. What Wilda doesn’t know is that it’s all part of Lilith’s plan to ensure her own daughter receives an Alpha Delt bid—no matter what.

For twenty-five years, Miss Pearl—as her “babies” like to call her—has been housekeeper and a second mother to the Alpha Delt girls, even though it reminds her of a painful part of her past she’ll never forget. When an opportunity for promotion arises, it seems a natural fit. But Lilith Whitmore slams her Prada heel down fast, crushing Miss Pearl’s hopes of a better future. When Wilda and the girls find out, they devise a plan destined to change Alpha Delta Beta—and maybe the entire Greek system—forever.

Achingly poignant, yet laugh-out-loud funny, RUSH takes a sharp nuanced look at a centuries-old tradition while exploring the complex, intimate relationships between mothers and daughters and female friends. Brimming with heart and hope for a better tomorrow, RUSH is an uplifting novel universal to us all.

My Review

I have to say, when I first started this story is was a little slow for me. I didn’t immediately connect to the plot or any of the characters, but something urged me to keep reading. I didn’t look over the blurb before I started, and as I was a couple chapters in I assumed I was reading a story based many years or decades ago. As I continued on, I realized this was a modern day story, and I knew that my urge to keep reading was correct. As I got further into the book, I became invested in all of the characters we follow – the beloved Miss Pearl, new college student Cali, and even Wilda, who sometimes came off as trying too hard to fit in. Rush follows a sorority at Ole Miss, specifically the treatment of the staff that work in the sorority house. There are very serious topics inside especially dealing with racism, and I was quite shocked to read the author’s note at the end that this was essentially based on a true story. My review could go on for several paragraphs, but what I will say is that I urge you to read this one. It was very eye opening for myself, but also left me with a feeling of wanting to make an impact on someone else’s life, just like what several girls are trying to do in this story. A very thought-provoking read and while it started off slow for me, I would still give this 5 stars.

5 stars