Rich stories, connections to the past and present, and the ties which bind are integral to the fabric of Texans and all families. In a new novel by Judi Taylor Cantor, achieve time travel within the Landry clan to the outskirts of Austin and the Texas Hill Country for an experience which is deeply relatable, enthralling, and heartbreaking. “Rich White Trash” has all the elements of a true epic: secrets, money, politics, sex, rebellion, and love of family and country. Spanning over a quarter of a century, the novel immerses readers in the lives of family patron VF Landry, his beautiful but abusive wife, and their eight children through circumstances, relationships, and memories.
Lifestyle
‘Rich White Trash’ is the Epic Texas Novel of a Thrilling Family Saga
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Photo: Rich White Trash
Based on a true story, this novel can be surprising to some, while revealing to others. Readers will find themselves mentally crafting the characters and their real life inspirations, drawn in by layers of birthright coinciding and conflicting with true nature. The title itself is indicative of barriers within society, the consequences of those barriers, and how perceptions can amend, for better and for worse. Even a meal in “Rich White Trash” is relevant to families universally. Imagine this scene setup from the book: ‘Everyone had brought a favorite dish. The table was laden with sausage, venison, turnip greens, tossed salad, cornbread, chili, rice, and raisin pie on the sideboard.’ This novel about this fictional family is a rare opportunity to peek into a generation set bound together by lust for land, facades alongside faith, and crises of family dysfunction within the mythology of Texas.
Morph with the Landry family as the city of Austin morphs around them, explored through themes of modernization, gentrification, and the consequences of both. The author’s carefully researched details truly elevate this work of fiction. Audiences far and wide will find a piece of themselves through truths both tangible and personal, including information about the Czech immigration to Texas, World War II era clothing and letters, the United States Army Air Corps, plus incarceration in the state of Texas, drug abuse, epigenetics, and child abuse. This book will reveal itself in new ways each time you read it. Pass it along to friends and family. Non-Texans will be able to connect with these pages as well; a convenient glossary of Texas names and terms is included.
Photo: Rich White Trash
Author Judi Taylor Cantor is a native of Austin, Texas and a 1976 cum laude graduate of the University of Texas in Austin. With a background in journalism and copy writing, she is currently the Director of Planned Giving for the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in Boston. Judi works with donors to shape their legacy, and writes newsletters, brochures, and ads for Harvard Public Health magazine, as well as articles for professional journals. Parents to three grown sons and grandparents to 11 grandchildren, she and her husband live in Massachusetts. She misses Texas sunsets and the tympanic sound of rain on a dusty road. “Rich White Trash” is her first novel.
Order on Amazon as a paperback or Kindle download, or read it online at Scribd.com.
