Setting - Alpha Delta Beta sorority at Ole Miss University in Oxford, Mississippi.
438 sorority sisters - 437 white and one black

Miss Pearl is a black domestic worker at the house but more importantly she is the heart of the house - the girls rely on her for advice and for motherly love. When Miss Pearl is faced with blatant discrimination, the sorority sisters have to decide whether to take a stand or let things stay as they are.

The story is not only about Miss Pearl but also about Lilith and her daughter Anne Laurie, Wilda and her daughter Elle and Cali and her grandparents. These three daughters cover the social ladder from both ends but being high on the social ladder doesn't equal caring and compassion for others. The story is told by three main characters - Miss Pearl, Wilda and Cali and it's all about RUSH week on campus when the students find out if they've been accepted into a sorority.

I found this book to be funny and smart and very well written. From the parent's perspective it's about family and letting go of your children. From the student's perspective, it's a real coming of age story. And for Miss Pearl, it's the story of love and creating a family with people who mean the most to you.

Thanks to the publisher for a copy of this book to read and review. All opinions are my own.

So much more than the title implies. RUSH grabs you by your sorority-pinned heart and doesn’t let go.
This heart-warming, eye opening story (for some) tells not only the story of RUSH at a typical Southern sorority, but how it affects young girls lives and how it bonds them together for life.
At the center of it all is Miss Pearl, the true heart of the house. The in-house maid by title but counselor and true mother to all.
Faced with much needed change, this diverse collection of characters comes together and takes a stand for what really matters.
Do yourself a favor and RUSH to your nearest bookstore August 21st.

“Fifteen minutes ago, when I heard her knock, my heart was full of anger and resentment. Thank you, Lord, I wasn’t too stubborn to open the door.”

Thanks NetGalley!

Apparently being a sorority girl in New York is NOTHING like being a sorority girl down in Ole Miss! I loved this book, my first of Lisa Patton’s (I’ve already now bought all of her others!) which reminded me a bit of Kathryn Stockett’s The Help with a delightfully contemporary turn. Alpha Delta Beta sorority (430 members, 429 of them white) is surely an interesting place to be in 2016, especially for Miss Pearl, the housekeeper, who’s really like the unofficial therapist/second mother to these girls. Told in alternating perspectives from Miss Pearl, Cali (the genius scholarship student who doesn’t come from the “pedigree” she was told is necessary), and Wilda Woodcock, Rush chair advisor and mother to Cali’s good friend, Ellie. I loved this look into sororities in the South and all the drama that comes with the rush of new pledge classes.

This one is out in August and will be one you want to be sure to get your hands on!

While I applaud Patton's attempt to shine the line on the blatant racism that still exists in sororities on college campuses in the south, I found this book kind of appalling. Never having had the desire to join a sorority myself, I was fascinated by this look within the imaginary sorority of Alpha Delta at Ole Miss. While Patton did make some aspects of sorority life seem charming and even valuable, most of the time I felt like I was reading about a sorority right out of the 1950s. Pettiness and elitism were ever-present and the focus on appearances was really disturbing. And the fact that sorority life could still have such a strong influence on members 20 years hence (and not for the better) just made me sad. Nonetheless, RUSH was a compelling read. The characters were well drawn and the plot moved quickly; I just wish the story did not accurately portray any current sorority experience.

This book was absolutely glorious! I just finished it and am very emotional. I know that this story, and the messages, will forever stay with me. I have a feeling this novel will get the attention that The Help did, and I’m hoping it will open eyes, hearts, and minds. Part of me wants to comment that it is a cruel world, but it isn’t. There are a lot of cruel people who live in this world, but there are also amazing people living in it, too. People who love each other, regardless of skin color, and who will stand up to those cruel people and help them see things a different way, and guide them to also live a life where people are treated with respect, with equality, and with love. That is exactly what happened in Rush. Lisa Patton portrayed such an important story with beautiful characters and outstanding writing style. Her personal note at the end describing how and why she chose to write this novel was just as inspiring as the book was. What an amazing person she is! This is the first novel of hers that I have read, and I am so glad I did! I’m a fan, of her, and her writing!

This was a wonderful book. Very enlightening.

The year is 2016 and Miss Pearl is the house director for the Alpha Delta sorority house on the University of Mississippi (Ole Miss).


She has worked there for 25 years and treats the young girls who live there as if they were her own.

It costs 5,000 a year to be in the sorority and a couple of the girls go all out decorating their dorm room, one mother who is the house corp president hires a decorator..
The other girl's mother gets a loan of her share of the decorating bill ($10,000.) from her mother and doesn't tell her husband the actual cost.. She becomes the Rush Advisor so she can be close to her daughter.


Miss Pearl is asked to be the house mother one weekend and when the actual house mother returns she tell her that she is quitting and suggest Miss Pearl take over for her.


Miss Pearl is told by the house Corp president that she can't be the house mother since she doesn't have a college degree. Miss Pearl know that's not the real reason, it is because she's black and no black woman has ever been a house mother in any of the universities.

She overhears her telling one of the Pledge's grandparents that she won't get a bid to join the sorority and in fact would be a better fit at another sorority.

However the girl (Cali) does get into the sorority. Cai believes the house Corp president has been snooping around her hometown trying to get information about her.

The house advisor learns the great lengths the house Corp president went to in order to get her daughter accepted into the sorority at the expense of Cali's bid.

The house Corp president won't back down on her decision about Miss Pearl not becoming the new house mother so Pearl tells her she's quitting. The house Corp president offers her a raise: 75 cents an hour then she changes it to $1.00 an hour Pearl tells her it wouldn't matter if it were $100. she won't work under her supervision.

When the girls learn MIss Pearl is quitting and why they know the house Corp president is behind it and they put heir plan of getting benefits for the sorority house staff their class philanthropic project.

The house Corp president must approve the plan and she doesn't and she throws the information she has learned about Cali in Cali's face. Cali responds by telling her she's glad she doesn't have her for a mother.

It would cost each girl $15.00 to fund benefits for the staff, and the girls are willing to pay more.


The bylaws could be changed so a college degree wouldn't be necessary but the house Corp president would have to approve the change.


The girls take a vote and approve Miss Pearl becoming the new house director. They decide if the house Corp president still says no and the house board members say no they will organize a protest and walkout.


The board members vote to ask the house Corp president to resign. and approve Miss Pearl becoming the new hous4e director.


The news media shows up and the house Corp president has no choice but to resign.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. The jacket cover gives a good description of the subject matter, therefore no need to delve in there! The dialogue between students, staff and family is quite realistic. While reading each character's segment, you feel a little like the proverbial "fly on the wall" watching the characters and plot transpire. Her characters are very believable, (I truly believe we all know someone a little akin to each of them.) Lisa Patton offers insight into sorrority, campus life and relationships, and belief systems in the South that exist even today. I have never read this author before but would definitely read her works again. I applaud her for the enlightening and entertaining revelations that tug at the heart. Loved her personal message a the end of the book.

Lisa Patton paints a painful picture of Greek Life in the South. “Rush” depicts how easy it is for girls (and grown women) to get caught-up in the hype of fitting in. Light is shed on the extent of bad behavior and manipulation of mothers and daughters alike. To offset that though, we also get a look at some pretty incredible women with huge hearts. Those huge hearts are starkly contrasting to the bigotry in others. In short, the book is jam-packed with wealth and poverty, heartbreak, and forgiveness. A must-read.

Not the book I expected, but still enjoyed very much! With a title like “Rush” I anticipated a much more in-depth look at the drunken, hazing, part of sorority/fraternity life. This book took an in depth look at several characters, and only one was an actual pledge. The author did a great job of brining an uncomfortable subject to light without placing blame, as well as without getting political which is very difficult in this day and age. There were a number of times in the book that “rambled” a bit which could be edited down a little better and the word “staff” is continuously misspelled (staf) and definitely needs to be double checked! The ending was a little too neatly wrapped up for me as well. It is hard to believe in the last 10 pages that the antagonist suddenly had a 180 degree turn around and is suddenly a different person? Like just isn’t usually like that? While I applaud her efforts at a “happy” ending, it wasn’t necessary in this case. Overall, a book I would recommend!

3.5 Sorority life has always fascinated me. So much so, that I was briefly a member of one when I was in college. However, from what I understand, sorority life is much different at large Southern Universities. This book was compulsively readable, and I found it fascinating.

The good: it's obvious that the author is familiar with her subject, and when I read the epilogue that was confirmed. The descriptions of Southern college life are accurate (I live in an SEC town,) and I read them with interest.

The so-so: The book is kind of overlong. There are some parts that I would have taken out if I could, and characters who could have been eliminated entirely.

The bad: OMG the characterization of the speech of a few of the characters DROVE ME INSANE. I am a lifelong Southerner. My family is from the South. I see absolutely no need to spell out accents for anyone. Completely unnecessary and kind of off putting, to be honest. Every time those characters showed up in the story I read quickly to try to shove them out of the story.

Anyway, I enjoyed this book. It would make a great extended movie on Freeform, or whatever it is that ABC Family has turned into. Recommended for fans of southern fiction, and women's fiction in general.

Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read this book. :)

See link to goodreads review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2455695770?book_show_action=false&from_review_page=1

As an avid reader I am always looking for the perfect story.  The one I can’t put down.  The one I hate to see end.  I do read a lot of good books and some ok books but very few have that special something that causes me to fall in love with them.  I found it in Rush by Lisa Patton. I have read Patton’s other books and enjoyed them a lot. This one was of a different vein but even more enjoyable to read.  I only reluctantly put this book down twice while reading it. Both times it was to charge my kindle.

To say that Rush is about sororities and the process of rush would be to vastly under describe this wonderful novel.  Yes, it is about sororities and the process of rush but it is also about so much more. Set in Oxford, Mississippi, on the University of Mississippi campus this novel uses sorority and campus life as a backdrop for much larger issues.  Racism and classism are both tackled by Patton. She conveys the intense need to fit in and be part of a group that affects particularly college age girls but also extends to an extent into adulthood. Most importantly she brings to light the issue of how the staff of sorority and fraternity houses are treated.  The staff who work in these places are beloved by the members of their houses but in a case of overlooking a major problem these people who are so loved also live on meager incomes with no benefits. Most are not considered employees of their universities but rather employees of the different organizations which are smaller and do not offer benefits in most cases.  This novel also illustrates the changing from generation to generation in the way people think about things.


For the sake of full disclosure, I should admit I am Oxford and Ole Miss through and through.  I live in Oxford and work at Ole Miss. It is impossible for me to hear the words ‘are you ready’ in consecutive order without my mind immediately leaping to the response ‘hell yeah’.  So I may be biased based on location but that has nothing to do with the quality of the story. It only stokes my affection. Patton, who admits in her authors notes at the end of the book, is a University of Alabama alumnus and also affiliated with a sorority there, does an exceptional job of capturing the spirit of Ole Miss.  I only caught one geographical error in her novel which is pretty good for a person who is not very familiar with the terrain.

We meet so many characters in this novel but there are three main narrators:   Miss Pearl, Wilda, and Cali. Miss Pearl, a middle aged black woman who works as a housekeeper in the fabricated Alpha Delta Beta house.  She has been there for twenty five years. Wilda, an alum, is both an Alpha Delta Beta and the mother of a daughter, Ellie, who is pledging the sorority.  Cali is a young lady from a small town with a poor background who dreams of pledging a sorority and being accepted. There are many other good characters and of course some villains.  

I can see many will compare this novel to The Help.  It has the same underdog maybe doesn’t come out on top but does come out the true winner spirit.  It is a hopeful novel and sheds light on a topic that probably hasn’t even occurred to most people.  It could easily translate to a movie. If Patton is ever passing through Oxford, I would love to meet her and visit over a Co-cola.  This timely and relevant book is clearly a work of love from her heart.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this novel

I received a copy of Lisa Patton’s new book RUSH from St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley in return for my honest review. I thought it sounded like it would be light entertainment – what some call a “beach read.” Sounded perfect—I mean, I LIVE at the beach and with the crap going on in our country today, I sure felt in need of some light entertainment.

It is described as being “a story about women—from both ends of the social ladder—discovering their voices, courage and empowerment. “ It’s also described as “laugh-out-loud funny.” Frankly, I’m not sure I ever cracked a smile. As one reviewer put it, I just don’t find racist white people funny. Not with what is happening in our country (as overt racism is not only more and more common, but accepted).

In any case, the writing is good, and I would likely read more of Ms. Patton’s books. And possibly it is just me. Although I graduated from a good UC school and went to UC Berkeley for my graduate degree, the whole Greek scene was totally out of my world. I admit I find it a bit fascinating, in the same way I find cults and religious beliefs fascinating: interesting to read about and discuss, just not something that would ever be part of my own experience. I also had an atypical, terrible relationship/situation with my addicted mother, so maybe that is part of why it wasn’t for me…

Some people will love this, and some will aspire to the type of sorority life represented in this book. And I am sure some will find it funny. I didn’t. Two stars.

Autumn brings about the start of the school year, the start of college for many new students. Along with that is the start of Greek life, fraternities and sororities and "rush". This book delves into sorority life on the campus of Ole Miss. Centered on the lives of the rich and spoiled, those not so rich and spoiled and those who take care of the rich and spoiled, in other words the "help". Miss Pearl the domestic black women who keeps the house in order and who the girls come to with their problems. Then there are the girls themselves, diversified from several walks of life and some of their mothers. But the main feature here is centered on the cultural difference between "the haves and have nots." The class distinction and the racism that plays an important part of this novel. Lurking in the background one cannot help but remember another book, "The Help."
The Southern accents come through loud and clear on each page along with the narrow mindedness of some of the characters. This book was written at a time in our current lives where racism has taken front stage. Not that this is a new occurrence, it most definitely is not! It has never left and is more pervasive than ever.
This book was depicted as humorous and "laugh out loud" in spots. I haven't found the humor but I have found the shame and found it was thought provoking. Did I like it? Did I find it an enjoyable read? I thought it was well written and yes, I enjoyed it. .If you want a dose of reality, then this is the book for you. If you're looking for fluff and f fairy tales, skip it. This may be a work of fiction, but truth be told, I feel it is more fact than fiction.
My thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

This story is about college sorority life on the Ole Miss campus. It is told by 3 points of view. Pearl the housekeeper and second Mom to the girls for 25 years. Cali a new freshmen who has a full scholarship and doesn't have a pedigree like the other students. Wilda who went there for college and whose daughter is a freshmen this year. It is a story of mothers and daughters, racism, and friendship. The characters are real and even the one you won't like is portrayed with truth and heart. I received and advanced readers copy from NetGalley and St. Martin's Press. All opinions are my own.

I did like the glimpse into sorority life as I never rushed. However, I know from friends that it is not near as sugar-sweet as the book makes it out to be. So that, for me, was unrealistic. It reads as someone remembering the high points twenty years later and forgot all the negative drama. I was also surprised that the character of Miss Pearl would roll over so quickly in the face of racism and not stand up for herself, even internally. Her thoughts were extremely passive compared to how I would imagine reality. I would also have backhanded Kedeisha (sp?) faster than she could blink. How Miss Pearl kept glossing over it and not getting truly upset baffles me. In the end, I just felt that many of the book's points didn't connect well into reality.

Rush
Lisa Patton
Available: August 21, 2018

Thank you to NetGalley.com for the opportunity to read an Advanced Reader Copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
So excited for a new Lisa Patton book!! Its been too long since her last trilogy. Ah Rush…. Or as we called it Hell Week and the Troll Patrol. Yes we were horrible – we were also amped up on too many diet sodas and candy bars for a few weeks – you would have gotten slap happy too. We didn’t have a house - every sorority was housed in 1 dorm and each house had their own floor. I sometimes feel like I would have missed out on the “house” experience but then I heard stories like those from UCLA who slept 10 girls to a room and missing out on a $7-10k per year Greek experience expense and I’m okay with my suitemates.
What I loved: Shout out to Blue Mountain, MS – one of my daughter’s friends plays on their softball team at Blue Mountain College but my favorite part of the book was Ms Patton’s afterwords once the story was completed for the who/what/where/why of how this book came about and I do agree with every bit and reason.

What I didn’t love: It scares me that people still think that way and it breaks my heart. On the other hand – it also bums me out that my daughter has selected a small college with no Greek system in order to play softball and I’m sad I will not be able to pin my badge on her during initiation.

What I learned: This was like a modern day version of The Help without the chocolate pie.

Overall Grade: A

www.FluffSmutandMurder.com

I really enjoyed this book. I've lived in a sorority house in one of the chapters mentioned in the book at a school in the South. I've been an advisor for years, and have sat through many rush and house meetings. The book brought me back to my college years in an instant. I liked the way Lisa Patton dealt with racism in the book while keeping the book entertaining.

The people described in the book are exaggerated stereotypes, but the author makes a strong point. All families have problems no matter how much money they have and we are more alike than we are different.

I highly recommend this book. Thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A wonderful well written book. It sadly reflects some of the deplorable happenings in today's society- racists who insist they are not racist but in subtle ways put down people of different color. "Rush" tells the story of freshman students in a southern college anxious to be invited into a sorority. But- it tells so much more.
We meet lies, deceit, bribery as some parents attempt to have their daughters accepted to the most prestigious sororities. Then we find their daughters, the students, rallying for better treatment and higher wages for the workers. Their efforts bring them a feeling of love, camaraderie, forgiveness, of the power of goodness.
Definitely a good novel!

This book reminded me of The Help. I loved it and learned quite a bit about the people who work for sororities. I disliked The Withmore family a great deal but also felt some compassion for their ignorance. I had a hard time putting this book down and when I did the characters stayed with me until I was able to pick the book back up again. This is a new author for me, but she quickly made it onto my authors I love list.