Sean Dietrich can really tell a story! If you aren't familiar with him and his writing, do yourself a favor and read this book. Then search for his Sean of the South website and and his other books to read his essays. They are wonderful!

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Oh, what a story! I did not want it to end. The author captures a time gone by in a small town, Moab, Florida, where everyone knows your name and your business. The characters and their situations grabbed at my heartstrings from the start, “Winston Browne knew he was dying. He couldn’t explain how he knew. He just did.”

I loved how the author took his time in introducing his colorful and bold leading characters one by one; so that the reader is fully invested in each of them. He did a great job of making readers wonder how and/or if their lives would intersect. After the intros, the reader feels the connection to these town folks as they look forward to gathering for ice cream socials and watch Jackie Robinson make baseball history All this leads up to a climatic event I didn’t see coming. The author has brilliantly woven a magical story that you will not want to end.

I loved this authors’ writing style, humor and the depth of character throughout the novel. Here’s a peek at how he sets up a scene, “The late autumn rain was coming down hard, and a small river was flowing down Evergreen Avenue pavement, collecting in the gutters, rushing toward the end of the street. The frogs were singing in the happy way that north Floridian frogs do when it rains. The sounds of the night were like a symphony.”

This is a must-read! I highly recommend this book for your next book club pick and/or just for pure enjoyment.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I have received a complimentary copy of this book by the publisher and NetGalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”

Nora St. Laurent
TBCN Where Book Fun Begins!
The Book Club Network blog www.bookfun.org

Storytelling is an art. It’s the skill takes brings forth mental images, memorable characters and an emotion that lingers long after the last words.

Sean Dietrich, red-headed with a full beard, is an artist. The Alabama native, also known as Sean of the South, takes a simple story, a thread of a plot, and spins into gold. He’s done it with his previous books, but his latest, “The Incredible Winston Browne,” is the most precious gem of all.

Winston Browne is the sheriff in Moab, a small, sleepy Florida town. It’s a gentle time (the mid-1950s), for the most part, when baseball and helping your neighbor can bring the whole town together. Think Andy Griffith and Mayberry with a darkening cloud rolling in.

We meet Winston as he and some old cronies are helping build a baseball field for the town of Moab. They want to do something nice for town kids, and grown-ups, who are playing in the streets and fields long after the porch lights come on.

Living there is easy. The most excitement comes thanks to ice cream socials, the newspaper’s weekly gossip column and radio broadcasts when Jackie Robinson takes the bat for the Brooklyn Dodgers.

No one but Winston and his doctor knows that he‘s dying of lung cancer. Life is moving along at a slow pace for everyone in Moab, Fla., except for Winston. He knows his days are limited, so he’s in a hurry to accomplish something, even if he doesn’t know exactly what it is.

Winston grows impatient with friends who won’t commit to each other, a boy who’s missing out on being a kid, and a deputy who moves at the speed of mud.

When a strange little girl turns up their town, hiding in a hen coop, Winston swears he will protect Jesse from those coming after her. Her arrival marks a change in the town, reinvigorating the townfolks’ spirit. They rally around the baseball-loving, rough-playing child who escaped from a religious cult, and in the process, several grown-ups discover feelings they thought died long ago.
Winston and longtime friend Eleanor take in Jesse, forming an untraditional “family” and finding what they didn’t know was missing in their lives. To say more would give away the story, and it’s one you should read for yourself.

And as sad it is to know that Winston Browne couldn’t defeat cancer, he did, indeed, live an incredible life, thanks to Dietrich’s rich descriptions and narratives.

It’s a simple story with subtle undertones. “The Incredible Winston Browne” is pure Sean Dietrich, an author who writes in simple words and sentences, but who tells seemingly innocent stories that always carry a message. He loves the South and the people in its communities. Whether he’s writing his 10 novels, his podcast, newspaper columns, emails or even in recent commercials, Dietrich is pure “home-grown” who easily relates to readers as if they are his neighbors, distant cousins or strangers in the grocery store.

ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for my opinion

As advertised, this is truly a story of the south and small southern towns. The characters are like many you have known if you grew up, as I did, in the south. The small town newspaper that prints all the comings and goings of the townspeople is EXACTLY like the one in my home town. I used to entertain my friends by reading the column to them from the copies my mother sent to me long after I had left.
I found the storyline confusing in places, and I never DID understand where Jessie came from. That part is actually superfluous to the story, because the life of the book is in the town of Moab and its residents. Winston and Eleanor are wonderfully characterized and it is so much fun to see Eleanor come alive through the course of the book. Buz’s character is so sympathetically drawn, and the paths of all the characters are so wonderfully true to life. It was a real pleasure to share a little time with Winston and his town.

Thanks to Netgalley and Thomas Nelson Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

It's been a few days since I went on this ride but I have to admit I needed that time to absorb everything and stop myself from going back and experiencing it again (I have plenty other netgalleys that need reviewing! lol) I loved the story of Moab, FL and all the characters; Winston and Eleanor and Jimmy and even the Brooklyn Dodgers. The character development is spot on and y'all know I love a story with Southern charm! This is definitely one I'll be revisiting time and time again, 5 gold stars!! 🤩

Thank you netgalley for giving me the pdf so that I can share my thoughts and opinions with y'all

I have to admit that it has been several days since I finished reading this book. But I needed to wait and absorb all of the emotions that I experienced while traveling through the pages. This is one of the best books I’ve read in a long time.

The characters are so well developed and I fell in love with them. My heart overflowed as I got to know Moab Sheriff, Winston Browne; his friends, Jimmy Abraham and Eleanor Hughes; young people, Buz Guilford and Jessie. There are lots of topics covered, including terminal illness, alcoholism, cult mentality, love, loss, friendship, etc.

One of the reasons I loved this book so much was that I had laugh out loud moments and then times when I literally sobbed out loud. It was such a pleasure to read a good clean fun book that focused on small town life and the relationships that had existed for years and new ones that developed slowly and deeply.

And then you add in the occasional “Moab Social Graces” newspaper column and you cannot help but roll your eyes and chuckle.

I cannot say enough positive things about this book. I loved it so much that I purchased more books by the author. I strongly recommend you put this at the top of your to-read list!

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson for my advanced review copy. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

There are some books that just touch your heart and remind you of the goodness of people. This is one of those books.

The book is set in Moab, Florida in the 1950s. Winston Browne has been the sheriff for decades, and loves his town and its inhabitants. But his persistent cough and pain in his chest has gotten worse, and he knows, even before the doctor says it, that it is bad.

He decides to keep going as long as he can and not burden anyone with the knowledge of his illness. A little girl has appeared, hiding in his henhouse, and he can tell she has a story to tell, if only he can get her talking. The local baseball team is hoping to compete with their big city neighbors, and the entire town (well, most of them) are cheering on the Brooklyn Dodgers, who might finally win the World Series.

This book is told in short chapters by a variety of characters, making it feel like you're having a great conversation with all of the inhabitants of Moab and learning their secrets. It is small town living at its best and worst, where no one can have a secret, but everyone pitches in to help when someone needs it.

If you need a book that warms your heart and restores your hope in community, this is your choice this spring! Thanks to Netgalley for an advance copy!

4.5 Stars

My brother and I often talk about how lucky we were to have experienced our childhood in what seems like a golden era compared to today. That's what lured me into reading this book. The book cover reminds me of the thriving storefronts of the boutique stores along Broadway in my hometown. This book takes place in the fifties when there was still the Brooklyn Dodgers, who weigh quite heavily in this story. However, the story takes place in a tiny, idyllic town in Florida called Moab, which didn't even have a population of a thousand people. This was a town where everyone knew everybody, and there was even a little publication where quaint things would be reported like who escorted who to a party, who took a vacation where, and who painted their house what color. The church held socials where people were asked to make pies, and there would always be jello and fruit mold concoctions. It was still scandalous for a woman to be seen wearing pants. Men played scrabble in the little shop across from the courthouse while nursing their coffee and smoking Lucky Strikes.

The book's main character Winston Browne is the local sheriff. He had been in Europe in the war, and came back to find that his one true love married someone else. As the book begins it becomes evident that this town is obsessed with baseball, and especially the Brooklyn Dodgers. They are always glued to their radios when the game is on. Sheriff Browne was instrumental in getting the baseball field built. He idolizes Jackie Robinson. One day a little girl named Jessie suddenly appeared in town, clearly on the run and hiding from some unknown entity. Winston entrusts Jessie's care to one Eleanor Hughes, master flower arranger for the church.

Another fact reveals itself early on in the book; Winston Browne is dying from lung cancer. He keeps it a secret from everyone. He is living each day to the fullest as if it is his last. Eleanor had been frustrated by her longtime boyfriend Jimmy who had never honored her with marriage. When he stood her up after she prepared for a big dance, to her surprise Sheriff Browne spun her around the dance floor. In fact, they danced the whole evening away. Eleanor began to feel like a woman reborn.

Winston Browne was a man who never married and had children, but he felt as if he were married to the public in his care. He safeguarded Jessie, and inspired in her a love of baseball. He also rescued a local boy growing up in a life of hardship to become his best self. His favorite author was Samuel Clemens aka Mark Twain, and he always carried around one of his books. In fact, at a funeral where the vicar never showed up, Winston read a beautiful passage from a Mark Twain book as the casket was lowered into the ground. This book, like the atmosphere in this sunny, nostalgic town, at first was slow moving. But as it crept to its end, it had me in its grip and I fought back tears many times. In the end, I loved this man, Winston Browne.

4 stars

You can read all of my reviews at Nerd Girl Loves Books.

I loved this book. It's a heart-warming, quiet book that reaffirms your belief in love and friendship. It's set sometime after WWII (I think maybe the early 50's) in a tiny town in Florida. Sheriff Winston Browne watches over his town with a generous spirit, even after he receives terrible, life-altering news. When a young girl with a dangerous secret shows up in town all alone, Winston takes her under his wing and ensures she is cared for and protected. That includes housing her with his best friend's girlfriend, who he starts to romance after she and his best friend part ways.

At the beginning of the book Winston is a lonely character - while he has friends, he keeps them at arms length. Spending time with the young girl, and interacting with her care-taker, brings him out of his solitary life and he finally starts living, and not a moment too soon. With the town obsessed with baseball and the Brooklyn Dodgers, he also takes a fatherless boy heading down a dangerous path under his wing to help the boy's family out, and gain the boy as a catcher for his baseball team.

Reading this book is like snuggling under a warm blanket and listening to a rain shower on a lazy weekend spring day. I loved the cast of characters in the town, and loved the journey Winston took as he interacted with the people in his life. If you want to read a book that is going to make you laugh, smile and cry - this is a must-read.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley and Thomas Nelson. All opinions are my own.

Let me start off by saying that it's rare that I give a book 5 stars. I have to absolutely love it and will remember the characters for a long time in order to give it a perfect rating. The Incredible Winston Browne is my new favorite book of the year.

I enjoyed reading about the small town life of the South in the 1950s. This book included friendship, romance, mystery, and heartbreak. Although the book was somewhat predictable, I couldn't wait to get back into the life of Winston each time I sat down to read. It made sit back and think what I could do to inspire the lives of others, just like Winston.

I was given this book for my honest review.

Honestly, nothing I could write here would do this book justice. This author hit this one out of the ballpark <-- see what I did there??! 😆 It is probably my favorite read so far this year. The writing was amazing. The small town setting was wonderful. The characters were heartwarming. It had ALL the feels and then some. Everything about this book was utter perfection. Two HUGE thumbs up from yours truly.

I really enjoyed this heartwarming story. All of the characters were loveable and oozing with Southern charm. I will never forget this delightful story about small, town life back in the late 40's , maybe early 50's when life was simpler and slower and the community really pulled together for the good of all. I fell in love with Moab, Florida and all of their wonderfully endearing residents such as Jessie, Buz, Eleanor and even Jimmy and especially Sherriff Browne.

With an unforgettable cast of characters, this book was absolutely delightful. You will laugh, you will cry, but most of all you will love The Incredible Winston Browne.

4.5 Stars

Set in the small town of Moab in Florida’s panhandle during the 1950’s, the post-war era when men who had returned from WWII set about trying to return to a normal life after everything they’d seen and endured, and the losses they’d faced, as well. Some men returned, anticipating the girl who had promised to wait for them would have kept her promise, only to be disappointed to find her married.

Baseball plays a large role in their life, and it’s a game they take seriously, not only when the pros are playing, but it’s also a way for the town to get together and celebrate life.

When young Jessie ends up in Moab, Winston Browne - the town sheriff - senses something about her that has him concerned, and he tries to befriend her in an effort to find out more about her, and how she ended up in their small town. But, Winston has other concerns, as he knows that his own days are somewhat numbered after he receives a medical diagnosis, a diagnosis that seems to make him more determined to protect this young girl.

Winston Browne is a simple man, but there is much wisdom in how he sees the world, but also in how easily he gives of himself and tries to help others, at least those who are good people in his eyes. Perhaps it’s the time, the place or the people in this town, but their views on life, on living, are simple, if also wise.

’What if we don’t understand death at all? What if it’s the same as birth...One minute you’re nothere, the next minute you are here. It’s a miracle. That’s what everyone calls it. What if death is a miracle too but we’re too simpleminded to see it?’

Love permeates this story, both in the making of it and the love for the era along with the love of baseball, life in a small town, friendship, as well as a love story, and the love of this experience we call a life. A story of the beginning of a new life, and the end of another and how intertwined life and death are.

Published: 02 Mar 2021

Many thanks for the ARC provided by Thomas Nelson / Thomas Nelson--FICTION

EXCERPT: His ankle was acting up, and he was pretty sure he'd pulled his groin. He hadn't moved this fast since he wore catcher's gear. By the time he reached the chicken house, he was limping like a lame horse and his ankle was throbbing. Whatever was making the noise was tangled in the homemade booby trap of pots and pans. Before he opened the door, he handed the lantern to Robbie. 'You hold the light, I'll scare him! Whatever you do, don't let him get away!'

After a few deep breaths, Jimmy cocked the rifle, kicked open the door to the coop, and used such force he almost brought the little building down.

Chickens screamed. Virgil fluttered his wings like he was possessed by the Devil. White feathers went everywhere. Jimmy barged inside, rifle in both hands. Robbie stayed beside him, holding the lantern outward.

Jimmy dropped the rifle. He expected to see an old drunk, or a few teenagers, or a hobo tangled in wire and tin pots. But it was no man.

'That's your chicken thief?' said Robbie.

It was a little girl.

ABOUT 'THE INCREDIBLE WINSTON BROWNE':
In the small, sleepy town of Moab, Florida, folks live for ice cream socials, Jackie Robinson, and the local paper’s weekly gossip column. For decades, Sheriff Winston Browne has watched over Moab with a generous eye, and by now he’s used to handling the daily dramas that keep life interesting for Moab’s quirky residents. But just after Winston receives some terrible, life-altering news, a feisty little girl with mysterious origins shows up in his best friend’s henhouse. Suddenly Winston has a child in desperate need of protection—as well as a secret of his own to keep.

With the help of Moab’s goodhearted townsfolk, the humble and well-meaning Winston Browne still has some heroic things to do. He finds romance, family, and love in unexpected places. He stumbles upon adventure, searches his soul, and grapples with the past. In doing so, he just might discover what a life well-lived truly looks like.

MY THOUGHTS: I honestly don't know how to describe this book. I loved the characters and the setting, and I really, really wanted to love this overall, but I just didn't. I liked it. I liked it a lot, but I just didn't quite fall in love with The Incredible Winston Browne.

I loved the character of Winston Browne. He is everything to the town of Moab, and the town and its people have been everything to him, but now that he is dying there are a few things he realizes he has missed out on, including the love of a good woman. He has never married - and there is a story behind that - and has no children. But it's obviously too late for all of that - or is it? Life has a strange habit of filling the gaps in the most unexpected ways.

I also loved the growth in Eleanor's character. I was amazed at how old the characters seemed for their age. They all acted a lot older than their age if you compare them with people of the same age today. But then they didn't have all the labour saving devices that we enjoy today either. If you look back at photos of people in the 1950s, they even look older.

Jessie is the sort of character you can't help rooting for. She is determined and loyal.

This is a good story that defies categorization. There is a little romance, a little thriller, a little drama. A little like life.

⭐⭐⭐⭐.3

#TheIncredibleWinstonBrowne #NetGalley
#thomasnelsonpublishing #seanofthesouth
@ThomasNelson @seanofthesouth1
#historicalfiction #sliceoflife #romance

THE AUTHOR: Sean Dietrich is a columnist, podcaster, speaker, and novelist, known for his commentary on life in the American South. His work has appeared in Southern Living, The Tallahassee Democrat, Good Grit, South Magazine, The Bitter Southerner, Thom Magazine, and The Mobile Press Register, and he has authored ten books.

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Thomas Nelson via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of The Incredible Winston Browne by Sean Dietrich. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com

This review and others are also published on Twitter, Amazon, Instagram and my webpage.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC.

This was a slow lazy-summer-day-sipping-on-lemonade read. It details small town life, the charming and the mundane. It is a snapshot of Americana during the peak of the baseball era. When Sheriff Winston Browne receives a terminal diagnosis, it causes him to reevaluate his perspective on life and living. Meanwhile, time marches on in the small town of Moab.

It is a very classic story of family and friendship.

Sheriff Winston Browne is dying but he is not going to wallow. He proves that time and again as the pages turned. Winston is a star, an inspirational character, a highly respected man who cares about the good people in his small town of Moab, whether it be in his role as sheriff, baseball coach, mentor or friend. When he and Eleanor Hughes start spending time together, it is a match made in heaven. My one disappointment was that I wished the author had gone further with Jessie’s baseball interest. Maybe there could be another book in the works? Would love more of perceptive, loyal and fearless Jessie.

This story reminds me of a Richard Russo book, his portrayal of small town America with richly drawn blue collar characters. Some scenes made me laugh, others made me sad.

I have been craving to read something set in a small town, something that felt familiar... Haven't read a book like this since Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe!

If you loved that one, I think this would be the perfect choice for you. A small town, lots of people whose lives we get to see and the way they all intertwine together.

I loved the characters and this little town. The book was like a hug. It reminded me of Fannie Flagg books.

Thanks to Netgalley for the free copy in exchange for an honest review

Quirky small town. Four people who's lives intertwine. Unforgettable story. Really enjoyed it. Look forward to more from this author.