First Line Friday #81-Della and Darby

Welcome back to First Line Friday hosted by Carrie at Reading is My SuperPower!!  I am also linking up with Gilion on Rose City Reader for Book Beginnings. This is where you share the beginning of the book that you are reading. To join in the fun grab the book you are reading and leave a comment with the first line (or your link). This week I am reading Della and Darby by Susannah B. Lewis. 

Mrs. Rosie Permenter, a sixty-eight-year-old hypochondriac with self-diagnosed bursitis, bronchitis, and the bubonic plague, was a regular at the clinic.

Book Beginnings:

Mrs. Rosie Permenter, a sixty-eight-year-old hypochondriac with self-diagnosed bursitis, bronchitis, and the bubonic plague, was a regular at the clinic. She leaned over my counter while I typed on the keyboard and said, "Della, I've been smelling bread. You know what that means?"

"No, Mrs. Rosie, I don't."

"The internet says it's a sign of an imminent stroke. If I close my eyes right now, I'd swear I was in a bakery. Don't you smell it? Don't you smell buttery croissants?"

Book Beginnings:

Synopsis (Goodreads):

In this small Mississippi town, everyone has long memories and loud opinions.

Twins Della and Darby Redd may be identical in appearance, but they couldn’t be more different. Della is outspoken, obsessed with purple, and desperate to be accepted by her peers. Darby is introverted, creative, and sees no need to speak to anyone besides her sister and grandmother, Birdie. Due to a tragedy from their past, all three women’s lives have been blanketed in judgment, scandal, and rumor, preventing them from experiencing true peace and contentment in their small town of Clay Station, Mississippi.

When the sisters enter the final year of their twenties, Birdie and Della begin planning an elaborate thirtieth birthday bash. Della believes the party will finally win her acceptance with the in-crowd and dreams of bringing her boss, Dr. Brian Faulkner, as her date. But when Darby begins to form an unexpected friendship with her goofy coworker, Cliff, she learns through him about a scandalous secret involving Dr. Faulkner that is sure to end in disaster. Telling her sister the truth will force them both to face the reality of who they have become—and whether they still have a place in each other’s future.

In her latest novel, beloved Southern author Susannah B. Lewis explores the burden and blessing of family legacies and the moments along the way for which to give thanks and celebrate.

Your turn! Grab the current book you are reading and post the first line (or your link) in the comments! Then, click on the icons below and join the fun there too!