MARTIANS IN MAGGODY (Joan Hess)

Martains in Maggody takes place well into the Arly Hanks series, perhaps 8th or 9th. Any entry is a series of any kind should be written so that someone who has not read the previous books can jump in and enjoy the story. Usually a few lines explaining the main character's background and circumstances and brief allusions to the relationships between that character and others who figure prominently in the story is enough; after all, no one wants a rehash of the plots of all of the books leading up to the current one! In Hess' case, though, there seems to be an assumption that the reader will have started at the beginning of the series and worked on through to the current book, relieving the author of any obligation to fill us in. I would imagine that, for a reader to whom these characters have already endeared themselves, the book would be fine, even enjoyable. For those of us who are not familar with Maggody, however, the story is ruined by a jumble of characters with names like Jim Bob, Marguerite, Dahlia, Darla, and Estelle, none of whom I could remember when their names pop up throughout the plot. I spent much of the book wondering why Arly was divorced, who she had married, and why she returned to Maggody. None of this was mentioned in Martians. My advice to Joan Hess would be to add a little bit more background to each book so someone who comes across the series for the first time will be inspired to seek out more. One more thing...I hope people from Arkansas really don't behave like this!