All over but the Shoutin'

The words flow off the page and gather in my mind, twirling around like feathers on the wind. They bring back memories of red clay and hickory switches, tomatoes so acidic they'd eat the enamel off your teeth, and summers running up and down dirt roads because there was no where else to go. Rick Bragg tells the tales of his momma and brothers and his childhood in such a way that one finds it...more

The words flow off the page and gather in my mind, twirling around like feathers on the wind. They bring back memories of red clay and hickory switches, tomatoes so acidic they'd eat the enamel off your teeth, and summers running up and down dirt roads because there was no where else to go. Rick Bragg tells the tales of his momma and brothers and his childhood in such a way that one finds it hard to put the book down. The reader is transformed to his world; finding your way out is a hard road to travel. Excellent, excellent author.   hide

I also listed to the audio book - which is read by the author. So amazing to hear the story literally in his own words.

Great southern literature!!

Good writing! No wonder the author won a Pulitzer.

A bit of a slow read for me because, as Bragg's friend said to him: he "... crowded too many pretty lines into my stories..." Nevertheless, Rick Bragg has a brilliant sense of humour which I loved! And his analogies are superbly intelligent!

What a great story about the Old South. A different perspective from the cotton fields of North East Alabama.

I liked the begining and the end but not the middle! Ava's man was much better.

I rally like his writing, this book tells stories that are hard to hear and others that I enjoy, it is a very good book but my favored one still is Eva's men. I truly love that one.

Rick Bragg is from Alabama and I know that this why I love the book. The story of his mother and family is a great tribute to her. He is a great writer and I will read more of his work.