I Hate To See That Evening Sun Go Down: Collected Stories

Book Description

William Gay established himself as "the big new name to include in the storied annals of Southern Lit" (Esquire) with his debut novel, The Long Home, and his highly acclaimed follow-up, Provinces of Night. Like Faulkner's Mississippi and Cormac McCarthy's American West, Gay's Tennessee is redolent of broken souls. Mining that same fertile soil, his debut collection, I Hate to See That Evening Sun Go Down, brings together thirteen stories charting the pathos of interior lives. Among the colorful people readers meet are: old man Meecham, who escapes from his nursing home only to find his son has rented their homestead to "white trash"; Quincy Nell Qualls, who not only falls in love with the town lothario but, pregnant, faces an inescapable end when he abandons her; Finis and Doneita Beasley, whose forty-year marriage is broken up by a dead dog; and Bobby Pettijohn -- awakened in the night by a search party after a body is discovered in his back woods.

William Gay expertly sets these conflicted characters against lush backcountry scenery and defies our moral logic as we grow to love them for the weight of their human errors.

Customer Reviews:

What beautiful stories!.......2007-08-10

I don't usually read short stories and picked this on accident but it was such a pleasent surprise! The characters are really intersting and you could really relate to them. When I read the stories, I felt like I was in their lives as opposed to just viewing them from the outside. He gives you just enough information so you can turn it in to what you want it to be. He just tells the stories without judgement. It was just a good book. You can take it at face value or really think about the stories and get your mind around the symbolism. The only thing I didn't like was that the author did not use quotation marks but other than that it was excellent.

Some Great Stories Here.......2005-09-18

Particular favorites are the title story, "Sugarbaby", "Closure and Roadkill on the Life's Highway" and "The Paperhanger". But after a while the variations on the "violent men and their bad women" or the occassional "violent woman and her bad man" can become a bit repetitive. Like Cormac McCarthy, William Gay seems to have a sense of fatality about life, where people are inexorably drawn down their paths by something within their natures and violence is always threatening under the surface. Also like Mr. McCarthy, Gay seems to share an aversion to quotation marks being used to denote speech. Must be a southerner thing. While some archetypes do keep popping up over and over again, (Proud men whose pride leads them to violence, whether defying the divorce courts,the federal government, or their own greedy children, over and over again) the oddballs really do stand out and are vibrant characters, like the Pakistani couple in "The Paperhanger", or the jaded musician in "The Man who knew Dylan" Or the aging bootlegger who can't find his hidden stash of money in "Closure and Roadkill"

Overall an impressive debut short story collection, but I'm deducting a star for repetition of theme or character type in a few too many stories.

Middle Tennessee Stories: Heart of Darkness.......2004-05-06

I'd give eleven of these thirteen short stories an A+, the remaining two, a B+. This is a good a collection of short stories as you'll find. It's no wonder that the critics have nothing but praise for Mr. Gay. Many of the characters are similar. Alhough they are told in the third-person, the stories belong to the menfolks. They are tough, quiet, often angry and capable of violence at the slightest provocation. (In "Crossroads Blues," the character Borum, in describing how he shot his wife and his brother when he found them in bed together says, "You need to know what a man's capable of.") Sometimes they are the victims of their own inaction until it is too late to extricate themselves from the dilemmas they find themselves, and they do something horrific. They often have difficulties with women, ever seeking the elusive female in their lives. In some stories there is conflict between children and older parents. There are murders, accidental killings, suicides, accidental deaths-- and divorces, infidelities, teenage pregnancies and abortions, cancer and Alzheimer's. These characters inhabit, at least some of them, a place called Ackerman Field, somewhere near Nashville, Tenneseee where there is still a "high sheriff." They listen to George Jones, the Carter Family and Jimmie Rogers. But these characters certainly are not freaks and are ultimately very sympathetic. I have known some of these men; they are strong as oak trees.

According to biographical information on Mr. Gay, he is largely self-taught and is a voracious reader. A seventh grade teacher gave him a copy of Thomas Wolfe's LOOK HOMEWARD ANGEL; and the rest is, as they say, history. Like Wolfe, sometimes Mr. Gay's prose gets a little too ornate; for the most part, however, he's a joy to read. Mr. Gay is a great lover of similes and metaphors; they often work beautifully. Windows are "stoned by double-dared boys." A man views his naked, sleeping wife "in the filigreed moonlight at once real yet as remote and lost as a dusty nude study stacked in a museum's forgotten corner." A room in a funeral home is "a cozy paneled vestibule just one door removed from eternity."

This is probably sparrows screeching at eagles but I believe the term is "jerry-rigged" (p. 120) rather than "jury-rigged." But then, even Homer nodded.

These are quite fantastic stories.

Lyrical.......2003-11-21

William Gay has staked out the Tennessee/Alabama border country and made it his own playground. The stories are compelling and have a depth that is unusual in short fiction. I put Gay right up there with Raymond Carver and John Cheever as a champion of the American short story. Gay's greatest strength is his ability to use dialogue to move the story forward. There is nothing artificial or stilted about any of the words used by the characters in Gay's stories. The usual southern melancholy and pathos is present in each story--we are dealing with broken hearts, eny, greed, dementia in old folks, quick and lethal brutality. It's all there. But done in such a free and easy manner that you almost forget about the terrible events unfolding before your eyes and get lost in the lovely use of language. And one crucial point, the stories have a conclusion. Too often I find that modern fiction has no beginning, no middle and no end. Gay starts his stories and ends his stories--he first and foremost is a tremendously gifted storyteller, of that there is no question.

Absolutely Superb!.......2003-09-27

I purchased this book based largely on the strength of the reviews below. If anything, they understate the the quality of the writing and stories contained in the book. I found stories to be compelling and the writing superb. If you enjoy truly great writing and short stories you will not want to pass this book up. I am amazed that this collection has not recieved more attention or acclaim. (By the way, I agree with Francis' observation in her review that the "expert" reviewer who opined that Gay's characters are undeveloped obviously didn't actually read the book).

Book Description

On the red moon will come the firestorm....Wielding the Sword of Truth, Richard Rahl has battled death itself and come to the defense of the D'Haran people. But now the power-mad Emperor Jagang confronts Richard with a swift and inexorable foe: a mystical plague cutting a deadly swath across the land and slaying thousands of innocent victims.To quench the inferno, he must seek remedy in the wind....To fight it Richard and his beloved Kahlan Amnell will risk everything to uncover the source of the terrible plague-the magic sealed away for three millennia in the Temple of the Winds.Lightning will find him on that path....But when prophecy throws the shadow of betrayal across their mission and threatens to destroy them, Richard must accept the Truth and find a way to pay the price the winds demand....or he and his world will perish.

Customer Reviews:

Last stop on this ride for me.......2007-08-01

First, you need to know what you're dealing with in this series. Goodkind is an Objectivist (hence, the Sword of Truth), which means he's a disciple of Ayn Rand and the Objectivist movement she started. There's nothing right or wrong with that in and of itself, but his politics suffuses his writing more than any other fantasist writing in the 700+ volume/multivolume series aspect of the genre. The political backdrop is mild in book one, a little stronger in book two and really gets brought to the fore in book three.

Temple of the Winds was the stop point for me with the Goodkind series and not because of his politics. The first two books were solid adventures, the third added intrigue with the rise of the Imperial Order and the war against a foe only Richard could truly see. But this one was interminable: lengthy dialogues more appropriate for a therapy session with a tough psychiatrist, a maudlin self-flagellating relationship between Richard and Kahlan, a protagonist whose self-pity reaches preposterous proportions, and revelations at the end that were basically obvious throughout the book. Once it became obvious to me that Goodkind was not advancing the story and was merely writing a bunch of morality tales before the finale of the series (which now runs more than 10 books long), I decided to cut my losses.

No regrets.

Just Could Not Finish It.......2007-07-27

I read the first three novels in the series and they were entertaining. But, I just could not get through this book and about halfway through I put it down to read something else. Will I ever finish it? Probably not. I just do not care about the neverending soap opera of Richard and his friends anymore. Maybe you can finish it, others surely like it, but I think at least for the foreseeable future I am done with the series.

A Little Too Weird.......2007-06-09

Goodkind seems to be in more of a killing mood with each subsequent book. Death, death, death seems to be the theme. There is plague killing thousands, Richards 1/2 brother torturing and raping women to death, plus all of the slashing Richard, Kahlan, and Cara do. Not only is there more killing, Goodkind goes into detail to describe the suffering deaths of children, and women. OK we know the Imperial Order is Evil now, can we get on with the story.

Unfortunately, the same theme of Richard and Kahlan being pulled apart and then questioning their love for each other really gets tiresome in this one. When they end up making love to each other with Kahlan believing that she is making love to Richard's evil brother it is just too unbelievable (not to mention kinky)! Give me a break.

Nadine has to be the most annoying character ever. Richard should have sliced and diced her after about a minute of meeting her again. Richard's 1/2 brother did us all a favor by killing her......he is the hero of this book IMO.

It is also a little tiresome to always have Richard suddenly realize the answer to the puzzle at the end of the book and then miraculously pull his tail out of the fire at the last second.

For me this was the worst book so far in the series.

Goodness........2007-04-28

I am well versed in all things fantasy. You name it - rare or popular - I have probably read and/or watched it. I will let nothing get in the way of my search for the most entertaining, enlightening, life-complimenting reads... not even biased readers whose only goal in life seems to be nitpicking instead of enjoying the things they read. (You can find a few of their reviews here. Look for the reviews with 1-3 stars.)

An overwhelming number of readers criticize Goodkind's writing in the Sword of Truth series, using the phrases "cliche" and "cookie-cutter" all too often. How funny. "Cookie-cutter" is itself a painfully cliche phrase. This hypocrisy, to me, is grounds enough to mistrust the opinions of those naysayers...

As I said, I know a thing or two about fantasy. Few books have affected me as deeply as the Sword of Truth series. Heck, I haven't written an Amazon review in years; I'm only here now because I'm offended at the negative reviews. I took it personally. That's how much I love this series.

The Sword of Truth books are a celebration of life. Beauty. Progress. Emotions. Pessimistic readers seeking a cookie-cutter pattern will surely find one, because Goodkind DOES have a trademark approach to building tension that he uses often. But I know better than to call that "cliche." In each book, Goodkind explores different facets of the concepts of life, beauty, progress, and emotions. He NEVER explores the same facet; he always throws in a twist.

Reading each of these books is like cheese tasting. A cheese-lover with a refined sense of taste will delight in the worlds of difference between blue cheese and brie and baby swiss. They will compare; they will savor every bite.

But someone who is not accustomed to cheese... will, upon trying blue cheese, think "this smells like feet." Then they will try swiss cheese, hoping it doesn't smell like feet. Then feta. Alas, cheese usually smells like feet. The pessimists will then proceed to the donut and snack food aisles, looking for just the right junk food to ease their craving; nothing more, nothing fulfulling in the long run.

Fantasy connoisseurs adore Goodkind. Yet average readers find numerous things to complain about. Contemplate this for a bit.

I'm sorry for not going into detail about this book, but in one sentence I will help you decide if this series is right for you:

If you *adore* any of the concepts of life, beauty, progress, and emotions... you will love the Sword of Truth books. I promise you.

good sequel.......2007-04-04

The series continues to be enjoyable to read, with great characters and well-paced, although I am finding the prophecy plot convention a little tired by book 4.

Temple to the Wind: The Story of America's Greatest Naval Architect and His Masterpiece, Reliance

Average customer rating:

Gripping and informative read
From the shores of Bristol, RI
A great read!
Sit back and enjoy
A riveting account of the Reliance story

Temple to the Wind: The Story of America's Greatest Naval Architect and His Masterpiece, Reliance
Christopher Pastore
Manufacturer: The Lyons Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Sports | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 1592285570

Book Description

One of history's most famous yachts, and the giants who made it.

Customer Reviews:

Gripping and informative read.......2007-06-06

Mr. Pastore writes with a style that both informs and draws you in. The race sequences play out with drama and tension. I loved this book, and recommend it to anyone interested in maritime history, racing, shipbuilding, or early 20th century history.

I found the depth of the character studies especially entertaining, and I finished it feeling like I personally knew Messr's Herreshoff, Barr, and Lipton.

From the shores of Bristol, RI.......2005-10-24

Growing up in RI made this book a very special read. Passing the museum on a daily basis, but never knowing the story behind the ships and their designers always made me feel like I was slacking in my duties. The book answered every question I could have had from a personal and engineering standpoint. If you are an engineer or enjoy Non-fiction, defintiely pick up Temple to the Wind.

A great read!.......2005-10-19

Pastore takes you on a journey through history and makes Herreshoff come alive. This book is an amazing account of Herreshoff's travails while designing Reliance. I am basically a sailor wanna-be and was delighted to feel much closer to the excitement of the yachting world years ago- when the stakes were very high. Pastore's devotion to the subject is evident and his enthusiasm for the race is contagious! Truly a great read.

Sit back and enjoy.......2005-10-17

If you are looking for a great non-fiction read, pick up A Temple to the Wind by Christopher Pastore. I am a sailor, but by no means a die-hard. I have never raced, and am ashamed to say had never heard of Nathaniel Herreshoff, but I found myself engrossed in this book. The book is well researched. The biographical facts surrounding the lives of three people, Sir Thomas Lipton,..yes, the name familiar with all of us tea drinkers, Nathaniel Herreshoff and Captain Charlie Barr are cleverly disguised so they don't read as facts, but as stories of human lives. You suffer from their failures and cheer for their successes. Forget watching the America's Cup on television. If you want excitement, follow the races covered in Pastore's book. His words beat the visual version. I feel like I am an informed viewer now. I understand the history behind the race, and have a new interest in the race requirements because the book deals with Herreshoff's brilliant innovations in naval architecture. I found myself rooting for Herreshoff's boat in each of the races, hoping the innovations would pay off. The suspense keeps you reading.

A riveting account of the Reliance story.......2005-10-15

Temple to the wind is a riveting account of the Reliance story. I would also put it right up there with Seabiscuit and In the Heart of the Sea. The book is expertly written and extremely well researched. I found the biographical material about Herreshoff, Barr and Lipton very interesting. I especially enjoyed the fast paced play by play action of the races between Reliance and Shamrock III. I highly recommend Temple to the Wind.

Temple Of The Winds - Book Four Of The Sword Of Truth

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Temple Of The Winds - Book Four Of The Sword Of Truth
Terry Goodkind
Manufacturer: Tom Doherty Associates
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

ASIN: B000LEXW6E

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Temple of the Winds
Christopher Hyde
Manufacturer: World Pub. Co
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B0007E1UTO

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Temple of the Winds
Terry Goodkind
Manufacturer: NY Tor 1997.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000J5JHGE

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Temple of the Winds
Walter Mills
Manufacturer: Images Booksellers and Distributors
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 1854210904

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1 u have got 2 read

Temple of the Winds
James Follett
Manufacturer: Severn House Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Science Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 0727855689

Customer Reviews:

1 u have got 2 read.......2001-06-04

this book is very interesting and full of great litrature it is the first part of a trilogy it is extemely interesting so it will keep you interested so you will want to read the next one (like harry potter).

if this book is not available in your local library I suggest you try to get your hands on it,it is rather long but you will not be able to put it down.

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Temple of the Winds
Terry GOODKIND
Manufacturer: Tor Fantasy
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000OPAASI

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TEMPLE OF THE WINDS (SWORD OF TRUTH, NO 4)
TERRY GOODKIND
Manufacturer: Tor Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Sword of Truth | Series | Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B000KJZK6K

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Temple of the Winds :Sword of Truth
Terry Goodkind
Manufacturer: UNSPECIFIED VENDOR
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Sword of Truth | Series | Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B000UKSCKA

Book Description

Sound so visual you're literally engulfed by its bonechilling terror! Stephen King's sinister imagination and the miracle of 3-D sound transport you to a sleepy all-American town. It's a hot, lazy day, perfect for a cookout, until you see those strange dark clouds. Suddenly a violent storm sweeps across the lake and ends as abruptly and unexpectedly as it had begun. Then comes the mist...creeping slowly, inexorably into town, where it settles and waits, trapping you in the supermarket with dozens of others, cut off from your families and the world. The mist is alive, seething with unearthly sounds and movements. What unleashed this terror? Was it the Arrowhead Project---the top secret government operation that everyone has noticed but no one quite understands? And what happens when the provisions have run out and you're forced to make your escape, edging blindly through the dim light? The Mist has you in it grip, and this masterpiece of 3-D sound engineering surrounds you with horror so real that you'll be grabbing your own arm for reassurance. To one side---and whipping around your chair, a slither of tentacles. Swooping down upon you, a rush grotesque, prehistoric wings. In the impenetrable mist, hearing is seeing---and believing. And what you're about to hear, you'll never forget.

Customer Reviews:

Audio version review.......2007-10-11

Simon and Shuster has produced an exciting entertainment hybrid, a 3-D sound audiobook that leaves listeners suspended (and in fright) somewhere between a movie and a book. The use of sound effects and audio technology turns Steven King's The Mist into an exciting, entertaining hour and a half audio experience. Voices will come at you in all directions, breathing dimension into the auditory experience. The audiobook production thrusts listeners into an average, all American, town which is suddenly thrashed by a violent storm. What is left in the storm's wake is an illusive mist, and the terror it beholds. Listeners will not be disappointed because The Mist is full of creepy crawlies and fantastic monsters in the dark. If you are looking for not only a frightening story, but an unusual and unique audio experience, check out Steven King's The Mist.

A flawed adaptation.......2007-09-02

This is my favorite Stephen King short story, and I was looking forward to listening to the 3-D sound version. I liked the sound effects, but the wooden acting and the ridiculous amount of product placement drove me crazy. The kid they used has no better acting skills than those displayed in a typical elementary school holiday program. Imagine the sounds of a panicked crowd and then read the words "I want mommy" in a dull monotone, and you'll get the idea. Why not take some of the money from the product placement and hire a decent child actor?

Stephen King uses brand names often in his stories and books, but this adaptation takes that concept to an annoying extreme. Do we have to know that the Cracker Jacks are gone but that there are still plenty of Screaming Yellow Zonkers? If there's a chance to mention a brand name, or to debate between two different products, it's nearly always siezed upon. It's so overdone that it's actually startling when the characters decide to eat "cold cuts" or "hot dogs" instead of naming Oscar Meyer or Ballpark brands.

One character is asked what he's eating, and answers "Sunmaid." That triggers more discussion from the apparently nearsighted protaganist to determine whether he's eating raisins or prunes. (Gotta keep that plot moving!)

I finally gave up when characters began to scream out detailed descriptions of the creatures from the mist in rapid-fire 'terrified' voices: "Look at that! It's got a segmented body the color of burnt flesh tipped with something that could be a sexual organ or a stinger!" I know, it's audio drama, but there's gotta be a better way to do that.

Judging from the other reviews, a lot of people were obviously able to overlook what were to me fatal flaws. If, however, you think you might share my opinion, you can save yourself money by checking this out of your local public library. I'll be donating my copy and re-reading the story instead. Hopefully the upcoming movie does a better job.

Very poor quality.......2007-07-20

I just finished listening to this audiobook and was extremely disappointed. The quality of the audio was just plain awful. I constantly had to keep adjusting the volume up and down. One minute the effects and music are blasting me out, the next, dialog is being delivered that is so low that even at max volume I can't make out what is being said. Some times the actors sound like they are talking from the bottom of a coffee can and sometimes they are clear and distinct. At other times the actors sound like they are 50 feet from the microphone talking to someone who is standing right next to the microphone. You can hear part of the conversation and can only guess about the other half. Don't even get me started on the kid. That's another story all together.
All in all, the story seems pretty good, but the delivery of the story and the low production values just drug it down. If you can listen to it free, I would recommend it, if you have to pay for it, take a pass.

Story good, execution...bad.......2007-01-05

This audio production turned out to be difficult to listen to because of the overpowering use of sound effects. The voice quality in the story was poor also; had to keep turning it up to hear what was being spoken and then quickly turning it down when the sound effects came crashing back. The story is good but the execution of it in the audio version was disappointing.

Mutant insects are on your back this very moment.......2006-09-06

So, it's not your standard audio book read verbatim. That 3-D sound has more than a little to make up for it as this inherently creepy story is played out in you-are-there fashion. The dialogue seems a little canned, but you'll forget that soon enough. The sound of people enveloped together by a mist full of a variety of creepy crawlies will have you mesmerized in no time. And as the story progresses, the characters get richer and the bugs get bigger. You can hear them clicking and clacking, buzzing and biting. You can hear the rising horror of the group trapped inside a small town market. When I say you-are-there, I mean it completely. I listened to this offering on a drive through western Maine, and several times, I nearly slammed on the brakes or screamed aloud because things on the stereo sounded like things whipping and crackling and sizzling around my head. You take a no-bones-about it King creature tale like this one and prop it up with sound effects, you're bound to be slapping at unseen bugs in no time. Perfect for a night around the campfire, a first date or a drive through the woods. Just keep your foot off that brake pedal and keep a really big can of Raid nearby.

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CASTLE ROCK: THE STEPHEN KING NEWSLETTER July 1986 , Vol. 2, No. 7, Includes Articles IT": Stephen King's Comprehensive Masterpiece By Michael Collings. A Review of "The Mist" in 3-D Sound. SK on Video Cassette , ETC. Castle Rock Was Published in Ba
Articles By Michael Collings , ETC Illustrated b/w
Manufacturer: Bangor, Maine: Published By Stephen King
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unbound
ASIN: B000JD7WMM

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The Mist in 3-D Sound

Manufacturer: Simon and Schuster Audioworks
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000E4T4E0

Book Description

These warm and inspirational stories skillfully illustrate the kinds of values that nourish the soul and enrich your life-values you want to pass on to your children and to future generations. A new, large print edition of the perennial CBA best-seller.

Customer Reviews:

A True Gem.......2007-06-22

This book is such a sweet and precious treasure you will never tire of the simple, down-home stories.

Front Porch Tales.......2007-01-19

Just a nice book to have around. Quick little stories to warm the heart.

Tales for the Church.......2006-08-20

I have read these stories to our church Prayer Breakfast group, as devotionals, over a series of many months. We all enjoy them immensely. The style is easy, engaging and the messages are timeless. I have gone on to present Philip Gulley's other works to the group, but this is still my favorite. Others have borrowed this book from time to time. Philip is getting to be a Presbyterian favorite. Imagine that!

Wonderful Home Spun Experiences.......2006-03-25

Terrific book. Wonderful, warm, pratical, short stories. Excellent examples of how to treat others. Full of love, respect and fortitude. Have mentioned the book to many of my children as a wonderful source of positive examples as to the approach to life. Made certain to give a copy to my daughter. Each story takes less than 5 minutes to read but were so meaniful I still remember many of them.

Front Porch Tales (Large Print Edition).......2005-10-17

I bought the book for my 91 year old mother and she loved it. I read a couple of stories the other day and found them not only inspiring but they made me laugh also.

Front Porch Stories--Tales of the Hendry Family, Pioneers in Florida's Peace River Basin

Average customer rating:

An "A" for Effort.

Front Porch Stories--Tales of the Hendry Family, Pioneers in Florida's Peace River Basin
Ella Kathryn Hendry
Manufacturer: Tabby House
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

Book Description

More than 50 years ago, before television and shopping centers, Southwest Floridians entertained each other by sitting on front porches, rocking, sipping lemonade and telling stories. On such porches, Ella Kathryn Hendry learned the family stories--about her famous great-grandfather, F. A. Hendry, a cattleman, legislator, and influential citizen for whom Hendry County is named. And she, too, became a storyteller, sharing what was life in the early 20th century. Her stories are part of the fabric of Southwest Florida's history. The book is illustrated with her art, and photographs, many from the Florida state archives.

Customer Reviews:

An "A" for Effort........2005-08-03

My chief objection to this book is it perpetuates the myth about "Crackers." In 1895 artist-writer Frederic Remington came to Florida and wrote a story about Cracker Cowboys and their whips. The whip part got remembered, and the part about them being rustlers and thieves got forgotten. The Hendry's, especially, had a difficult time with these rustlers, and there were range wars at times. The so-called Cracker Cowboys were hired by powerful and influential interests to steal the cattle. My old man was a rustler! and stole many a herd of cattle here in Florida, but in the 1950s and 60s. Anyway, in the 19th Century Floridians generally regarded "Crackers" as lazy drunks who made their living stealing chickens & hogs, begging, and hunting. Prince Achille Murat observed that they generally squatted on private land until forced to leave, and I have read where they often camped on town squares and other public places, and made a nuisance of themselves.Crackers were at the bottom of the social order in Florida. Most Floridians did not consider themselves to be Crackers in those days. Today these Crackers would be called "trailer-trash" or "homeless." And throughout the 19th Century Floridians made fun of them and ridiculed their ways. And it's all there in the periodicals and newspapers of those times. But the book is interesting, otherwise, and excellent when the author writes about what she knows.

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Tales from the Front Porch
Frank G. Westmoreland Jr.
Manufacturer: Bookman
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: 159453490X

Book Description

Tales from the Front Porch is an outstanding collection of historic stories and personal reminiscences from a man whose family lived through, and participated in, some of the most controversial periods of our country's history. Frank Westmoreland, a retired engineer and resident of Athens, Alabama, listened as his parents and grandparents recounted amazing stories of the Civil War, tragedies of murder and disasters, and recorded them for all of us to enjoy. His ability to treat them with sensitivity, yet sprinkle others with humor, prove that he is not only an accomplished storyteller, but a student of history as well.

Frank Westmoreland served in the U.S. Navy and worked for many years as an engineer. When he retired, he began to record his family history as well as that of Southern Tennessee and North Alabama. As a regular contributing writer to Old Tennessee Valley Magazine, Frank continues to add to his growing number of literary admirers. His eagerly anticipated book includes some of those publsihed stories, as well as many new ones.

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Front Porch Tales
Philip Gulley
Manufacturer: Multnomah Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000MO861O

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Front Porch Tales - Heart Warming Stories Of Family, Faith, Laughter And Love
Philip Gulley
Manufacturer: Multnomah Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000TGDM78

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Front Porch Tales : Warm-Hearted Stories of Family, Faith, Laughter and Love

Manufacturer: Multnomah Publishers, Incorporated
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000HNM3TQ

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Front Porch Tales: Warm-Hearted Stories of Family, Faith, Laughter and Love
Philip Gulley
Manufacturer: HarperSanFrancisco
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OEKQ4W

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A Philip Gulley Reader
Philip Gulley
Manufacturer: Multnomah Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Christian Living | Christianity | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
Devotionals | Worship & Devotion | Christianity | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
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Almost Friends: A Harmony Novel

The Christmas Scrapbook: A Harmony Story (Gulley, Philip)

A Change of Heart : A Harmony Novel

Hometown Tales: Recollections of Kindness, Peace, and Joy

Just Shy of Harmony (Harmony Novels)

ASIN: 0739403109

Product Description

Exclusive 3-in-1 edition of Philip Gulley books. Includes, Front Porch Tales, Home Town Tales, and To Everything a Season

Stories on the front porch: Tales to make you smile

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Stories on the front porch: Tales to make you smile
Elmer L Towns
Manufacturer: 21st Century Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

General | Self-Help | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

Tomie dePaola's Front Porch Tales and North Country Whoppers

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Tomie dePaola's Front Porch Tales and North Country Whoppers

Manufacturer: Putnam Juvenile
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Humorous | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

General | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

General | Ages 9-12 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0399247548
Release Date: 2007-11-01

Book Description

These laugh-out-loud stories from New Hampshire and Vermont are set during the four seasons of the year. The storyteller in his appealing dialect tells little-known tales, among them “Mothah Skunk” and the night she had to move out with her kits because Sherman Curtis smelled so bad; the escapades of Big Gertie Benson, the lumberjacks' cook and a cousin of the Bunyans in the Midwest; and George Petty, who delivered the mail even during mud season by standing on the back of his horse with only his head sticking out. Interspersed throughout are comic style episodes as an unsuspecting tourist tries to get information from the “locals.”

A delightful preface about living in New Hampshire for the past thirty-five years and visiting the North Country since he was a boy, explains why Tomie dePaola has perfect pitch for the dialect and a genuine appreciation for these unforgettable characters and their understated humor. Perfect for reading aloud to the family or in the classroom with a glossary to help with the pronunciations, these tales are sure to be a hit with Tomie's fans, young and old.

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