The Duchess: A Novel (The Twomomma Chronicles)

“Hilarious, unexpected, heartwarming — a novel brimming with chaos, charm, and unforgettable characters!”Book #1 of The Twomomma Chronicles, The Duchess is the perfect “binge read,” taking you deep into the dynamics of a Southern family for whom beauty pageants, charm school, piano lessons, and local gossip rule the day — and where one eccentric grandmother rules the roost. Heralded as “irresistibly outlandish and impossible to put down,” this debut novel by Virginia Lee Mattie is drawn from historical contexts, family secrets, and the universal truth that when it comes to dysfunctional families, it takes one to know one … and misery loves company.Every Southern family has stories. The Beddoes clan just tells theirs … differently.When Seaman Sissy Beddoes shows up for duty in the U.S. Navy, she expects to watch, learn, serve, and maybe see the world. She does not expect NCIS to tap her on the shoulder and say, “Honey, we need to talk about your folks.”To understand what’s holding up her security clearance, Sissy must revisit the town that shaped her — and the woman who practically ran it: her larger-than-life grandmother, Virginia Beddoes-Hamilton. To Sissy, she was simply “Twomomma.” Social powerhouse, hat-wearing church lady, world-class storyteller, and self-appointed Duchess of Sparta, North Carolina, Twomomma has raised Sissy to be a lady who always lands on her feet — and never lets the truth get in the way of a good story.Growing up in Twomomma’s house meant big Sunday dinners, bigger opinions, and enough family tales to fill a library — if anyone could agree on which version was true. Between porch gossip, unexpected detours, and Twomomma’s habit of “handling things herself,” Sissy learned early that life in a Southern family is never dull … and rarely simple.---The Duchess launches The Twomomma Chronicles, celebrating the grit, grace, humor, and resilience of a girl who grows into a sailor without ever losing her Southern roots. Sissy’s adventures continue in Book #2, Mother Knows Best (due out in late 2026), and wrap up in Book #3, After the Funerals (coming in 2027)— because with the Beddoes family, the stories only get wilder. Read more