Alabama Books

This book had me wanting to jump in and help her. I've always heard of God Fearing Women but this lady took it to a level that I NEVER could imaging. She had exactly what she need towards the end but her promise to God kept her stronger than any women that I know of. I found a little of myself in her but she was a trooper and for that I praise God.

I read this book in one day, I couldn't put it down. The story tore my heart out, such a great read. One of the best books I've read in a long time.

I always love to read Ms. Mallette's books. Her books are always thought provoking, outstanding, page-turners, with characterizations that just jump right off the pages.

In reading Weeping Willows Dance, you will feel the mental and physical abuse young Mozelle Tate endured from her much older husband Randell because that was what women were taught back during that time just to "suck it up." But through her strong faith in God and determination Mozelle lived to see the dream she had come true.

This book is my No.1 read for 2008!!!

This book is exceptional. I rate it a 10. The storyline is set in a time where women knew no better and did what they had to do for their children, even if the man is lower than Whales "S". This was a Strong, Strong, woman. This is a must read. Wow!

Weeping Willow Dance is well written and engaging. Mozelle went through so much and never lost her faith. The book is a tribute to how strong we Black women are. I am glad Gloria Mallette had the courage to tell this story.

As an avid reader of southern fiction, i really got swept into this book and couldn't put it down. I felt like i was in this story observing everything that took place. At some points it was like recalling parts of my own childhood. This is a great book!!!

Loved the characters so much I hated to see it end. Almost wish I could catch up with them while sipping sweet tea while rocking on the porch on a hot summer day.

beware... don't read the jacket description first. I can not even believe how much of the story is outlined in the description. I think I would've enjoyed the story a bit more had I not read the inside jacket.

I did enjoy this book. It was a quick read with characters that I cared about. There are lots of little surprises in the story that keep you interested. This is the first book I've read of Miles, and I plan to purchase the other she has out.

I recommend this book. It was so interesting-it had so many plot twists that I couldn't put it down.

Adie reads the journal of a slave girl, Tempe. The journal was so gripping because it chronicled the horrible things that happenend to Tempe. After "the freedom" came, Tempe was able to enjoy her life because of her strong strength of character. Adie gains strength from the journal and is able to come to terms with a family tragedy that happened when she was 7.

As a born and bred Southern belle, I love Southern fiction, but as a former teacher and life-long reader, I'm picky about what I give five star ratings to. I picked up a copy of Cold Rock River, and to my husband's exasperation was still reading at 3 AM, because I couldn't put it down. The characters tug at your heartstrings, the action keeps you turning pages as fast as you can read, and you almost want to cry when you realize the book is almost over. In the spirit of Lee Smith's Fair and Tender Ladies and Robert Morgan's Gap Creek, this one is destined to become a favorite of all Southern fiction addicts. I just picked up a copy of her Roseflower Creek and can't wait to get started on it. I even wrote to the author and begged for more books!

Listening to this CD, with Edwene's pleasant voice along with hearing her life experiences, is a pleasant alternative to music. I'm listening to it for the third time and considering looking for more CD's from this production company.

I heard it many times before - tithing will demonstrate to the universe that you trust that there will always be more.... yet I never did it. That is until I read this book. What made it easy for me where 2 things, one Edwene didn't tell you where to tithe to, other then wherever you are spiritually fed.... well that makes it easy. The second point was - try it out for 6 months - if it didn't work for you you can stop.... well I was hooked after 2 weeks. Now I receive money and I am excited about sharing it with whoever inspired me ~ fed me spiritual food... my children, my church, Edwene, a speaker, a song writer, etc. This book has touched me deeply.

This is a great book. I listened to it first on CD and loved the author's chatty wisdom. I bought the book so I could refer back to it often. A small book but full of very important spiritual laws.

I absolutely LOVED this book! I've been reading several books about attracting prosperity, but they were all lacking one thing. That one thing is how God is involved. This book finally connected the two for me. I now see how you can attract prosperity and still honor God. What I appreciated the most what the difference between "go" signs and "stop" signs. Sometimes I get confused on what God is trying to tell me. I recommend this to all those spiritual people that are still trying to find guidance.

For almost 20 years I've been struggling with my relationship to money. Part of me didn't want it (I saw poverty as more spiritual and more ethical) and part of me hated being without it. Not having choices and struggling because of my lack of money have been really hurtful and constraining. It also created great anxieties. There are quite a few things I'd been planning to get around to some day that I had not yet done.

I worked on these problems through every method anyone suggested - spiritually, psychologically, practically. Still, I had no significant shift UNTIL I READ THIS BOOK. Edwene Gaines has written a beauty of a book. It is the perfect book for me. She outlines no "program," has no endless worksheets, she simply lays out the four most basic spiritual prinicples and walks us through how to apply them to life.

Now I know why I could never experience a shift in my relationship to money - firstI had to start tithing. I love it that she starts with tithing and makes it very clear that we must do this first, not when we think can afford to. Through Edwene's book I saw clearly that I can't afford not to. This was a key for me to beginning.

The rest of the book flows beautifully from there. Following these simple prinicples in my life is easy. I'm no longer conflicted about money. I'm no longer anxious. And I have an openness that I did not know was possible. I recommend this book to anyone who wants a better relationship with money.

In July 2006, I saw the exhibit of the Quilts of Gees Bend at the DeYoung Museum in San Francisco I didn't fully realize the importance of the quilts, so I didn't buy the book and regretted it. The quilts and their story, are haunting. Since then I have heard the quilts referred to as the the most outstanding example of US art.

Whenever I talked to quilters, I wished that I had the book to show them. Now I have it and I am very happy with the purchase. The book is beautiful and the photograhs of the quilts are great.

Because of the personal stories, the beautiful layout and large, clear colorful pictures this book was like candy to read. I learned about the history of the area, the closeness of the community and families, and the sharing and pride of a folk art. I love when people find an outlet for their art in surprising and practical ways.

The book "The Quilts of Gee's Bend" by William Arnett is a great book of history within a particular culture that is rich in resourcefulness and creativity. It easy to read if one enjoys life stories that are true and down to earth. The pictures complete the full circle of this culture- use what is available and enjoy the outcome. The world could learn a lot from this book. The Quilts of Gee's Bend: Masterpieces from a Lost Place

I remember the first time I saw photographs of the quilts of Gee's Bend in a magazine about seven years ago. I couldn't wait to learn about the amazing artists whose vision the quilts portray. This book is more outstanding than I imagined it could be. It is powerful, beautiful, sensitive, and historically accurate. I recommend The Quilts of Gee's Bend to anyone with an eye for artistic genius and a love for discovering a community of women willing to express themselves outside the box of convention. How refreshing and inspiring! Simply Exceptional!!

Who is more qualified to help provide us with a book about the quilts of Gee's Bend, but Mr. Bill Arnett who has championed the makers of these quilts and their works since 'discovering' them years ago in the tiny community of Gee's Bend about thirty miles southwest of Selma, Alabama?

The quilts first went on tour in 2002 and have been touring ever since. I learned of the ladies of Gee's Bend and their quilts from a PBS documentary first aired in 2003 and have anxiously hoped they would one day come to my part of the country. When, earlier this year, I found the quilts would indeed be coming to the Orlando Museum of Art, I purchased, The Quilts of Gee's Bend: Masterpieces from a Lost Place, documenting the quilts, and the lives of their various makers, with beautiful, full-color illustrations of the quilts.

In February, 2007, when I was finally able to enjoy the quilts in person, I was happy to discover the book had accurately depicted the quilts, and their makers, paralleling an exhibition that should be seen and appreciated by all.

I purchased a copy of The Quilts of Gee's Bend: Masterpieces from a Lost Place, for the art teacher of my children's school. This beautiful book encouraged her to take her middle and high school art students to the exhibition. The book helped the students to first see and read about what they were going to view and then became a superb keepsake of a most memorable trip.

I just stumbled across this book in the Birmingham Museum of Art and what a delightful surprise! What a showcase of Alabama women's writing talents. From silly to serious, this book covers it all, from crib to cradle. It left me asking when's the next one coming out and where can I get it!

What an excellent display of the talents of Alabama writers! Alabama is often the brunt of "good ole boy" jokes, skipping over the intelligence and versatility of the abundance of talent found in Alabama. Anyone can relate to this book---from grandmothers and grandfathers and "hard times" which are displayed profusely. Hats off to the contributors to this book and for the editor for taking the time to introduce these poems to America!

Ordinary and Sacred as Blood makes me feel at home among writers--Alabama women writers who have shared their inmost thoughts from every cranny of the state. The variety of their experiences and the ways they have chosen to express them are appealing--poetry, memoir, essay, story. I'm still reading, and I've enjoyed every one--from our wonderful just-retired poet laureate Helen Blackshear to Helen Norris to Susan Murphy and Nabella Shunnarah, from Anne George to Natasha Tretheway to others whose voices are new to me. I look forward to the next chapter from this group.

Alabama authors have stepped forth to share short stories, poems and quips that will lift the heart of the reader. Ordinary & Sacred as Blood, authored by Alabama women, will trigger your every emotion. It truly promises and delivers something for everyone. You'll treasure this book forever. Delightful, thoughtful way to remember those on your gift list.

wonderful, folksy reading with home folks. Alabama Christmas by Charlotte Miller very sweet.Mamie was a Slave by Helen Blackshear gives insight into other days.

My purchase of Bay Tables through Amazon was 'painless'! It is very easy to order through Amazon and the ship time is always very quick. I continue to order through Amzon because of the reliability.

If you are from the Mobile, Alabama area you probably have one of these on your kitchen shelf but just incase you are not you need this, your Momma needs it, your grand mama needs it, and most of all your sister-in-law that cant cook needs it!

It has all of the "Old South" recipes in it plus a treasure trove of new and fun recipes. Women in the south take great pride in their cooking and this is a perfect example of a fine cook!

Thank you Junior League ladies for putting out another great book for us to enjoy for generations to come!

This is a very pretty book. I especially like reading the sidebars that tell about local history and food history and the area, and League projects. Many of the recepies are easy to fix for someone that doesn't usually use fancy cookbooks. They seem to have put a lot of effort into making the book a really fun one to just look at and read. I enjoy that.You will enjoy having this book around the house.

Bay Tables showcases some three hundred kitchen tested culinary compositions donated by members of the Junior League of Mobile, Alabama. From Peach Julips; Blue Cheese Souffles; Grilled Corn with Shallot Thyme Butter; Roasted Vegetable Pizza; and Grilled Marinated Portobello Mushrooms and Fresh Vegetables; to Pork Tenderloins with Caramelized Pears and Brandy Cream Sauce; Oysters Johnny Reb; and Lemon Buttermilk Ice Cream, Bay Tables offers a wealth of highly recommended, consistently delicious, appetite satisfying fare that would please even the most discriminating gourmet -- and yet are completely "kitchen cook friendly" to prepare and serve.

I love the cover and beautiful pictures. The recipes are lovely!

This is not only an exquisitely written book filled with spot-on dialogue -- it has a highly cinematic sensibility and would translate well to cinema. They say there is a scarcity of strong, well-developed roles for women in film; well, here, in Patricia Morelos, is one that is most definitely Oscar caliber. I had the privilege of meeting the writer at a conference recently and, like everyone else in the group, was stunned by her abilities as a writer and born ranconteur. (Linda is also an amazing painter as well!) It is quite difficult for a writer to create such an intricate, tightly woven plot that flows organically and Linda has done it here. The vivid descriptions of Mexico make the reader feel as though they are really on this journey along with the characters. I look forward to reading Linda's next book; she's a natural, easily on par with or above many of the top novelists writing today.

This book was very entertaining and hard to put down. I can't wait to read her next novel!

A spellbinding story come alive by stephanie Brush and her awe inspiring acting skills. Her multilingual dialict is right 'on point.' A fine actress. The listener is swept along. A real tribute to the novel. Don't miss this CD!

Author of The Citrus Baron, a family saga of old Florida

"My heart skipped more than a few beats as intrigue, love and Mexican lore, swept me into the ebb and flow of The Second Milagro. Linda Rainwater has a vivid imagination. Rich, detailed text moved me from being a mere reader to become one with the protagonist. Linda has a true gift in the art of story telling!"

Linda Rainwater takes her readers on a suspense-filled journey through time. Though most of the action is set in Mexico, one of the best "miracles" takes place within the reader, who learns, along with character Patricia Morelos, the freeing power of truth!

Bragg's writing is powerfully humanizing. It's also beautiful and inspiring to read, not just because of the subjects he chooses, but in his prose. Wonderful light reading, and the short newspaper-story formats make it ideal for travel reading.

Rick Bragg knows how to capture a readers attention by his style of get to the point writing. No boring, drawn out, unneccessary words or wording. Very refreshing read. A chance to learn things about ordinary people and events that you may have never heard about or known. Thought provoking. This should be the next read in Oprah's book club.

If you loved Ava's man, all over but the Shoutin, etc., as I did you might be disappointed. These are simply news stories from his paper days. Well written but just news.

This book is the newpaper stories by Rick Bragg.If you like his style of writting, this book is one of his best.Moving stories about ordinary individualsat the moments that are most revealing.Rick Bragg makes you feel like you are there with him in each story.

One of the best books you could read. Rick Bragg is tops.

Alabama moon is a very adventurous tale with lots of facts about the woods. And its so good I got up in the morning and read it until it was bedtime. I rate it 5 stars, my favorite book yet (even better then the golden compass and man was that gooooood.)

This book is abselutely action-packed, full of adventure and shocking endings (made me cry when I read the shocking ending.) Some parts just makes you want to say "OOHH DDAARRNNIITT! But it's still the best book I have read in my whole entire life! This book is so great, I would give it 100,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 stars!

My 11 year-old is a reluctant reader, but every now and then a book comes along that keeps his interest even when it is not "reading time". This is one of those books. Moon Blake is a compelling character, having grown up in the woods with his reclusive father. And his story is captivating. He just wants to be left alone to go to Alaska, but he's picked up and taken to a boys home instead. I love how the story evolves, how you see Moon change his ideas of the world, and how he deals with the abusive constable who won't leave him alone.

A terrific book you won't be able to put down.

This book tells the journey of Moon Blake, who have always lived with his father. But when his father died, he must find a way to escape the outside civilziation and find his home. This novel has an exciting plot, wonderful research, and is a great read. By reading this book, one could also learn the meaning of friendship.

This book begs for a sequel and soon, too. We--we readers--have to know what happened to Moon and to Hal...What happens to them as they grow, mature, and face their young adult high school and college days? And when they grow up, get married and have families of their own...As they approach old age...Will they, can they, escape (overcome) the events described here in the formative days of their youth. Rarely has a book cried out for a sequel more than this one.

In fact, Mr. Key may have his own cottage industry here, a book on their continuing relationship (Moon and Hal) and/or single books on each boy.
Mark Twain did it and did it well with Huck Finn and Tom Sawyer. Mr. Key has the same oportunity here. Here's hoping he's up to the opportunity--not the "task," but the "opportunity."

Orginally written as a book for teens and a little older, Alabama Moon has touched all and stirred the slumbering chords of all generations as it deals with youth, growing, up, family, love and lack thereof.

Outstanding. Don't miss it.

Whether your reading interest lies primarily with memoir, history, or investigative journalism, Full Fathom Five: A Daughter's Search by Mary Lee Coe Fowler will satisfy. Fowler's research is masterful, her writing consistently clear and direct, as she navigates the reader through complex details about submarine operations. The author's personal journey toward understanding her father's choices and his sense of duty is deeply moving, never descending to the sentimental. When, following her interviews with some of her father's old friends and shipmates, Fowler suspects their memories of "Red" Coe may be somewhat glorified, she is scrupulous in balancing these reports with more objective sources. This book is an outstanding addition to the vast library of World War II literature, certainly because of the merits described above, but also because Fowler has provided the world with an intimate window on the men who served in the branch of service most ignored by other writers.

After all this time and so much that has been written and filmed about WWII, how could there be more to tell? But, Mary Lee has done it. In a very well-crafted way, she has brought together disparate elements of this WWII story and turned it into a captivating, can't-put-it-down read. This personal journey to find the father and the family she never knew reads like a novel, a romance, and a mystery.

This is a real story but more than a personal narrative or memoir, it is a story on many levels; war and remembrance, the life of a naval submarine officer, and a daughter's journey to find the truth about what happened to the father she never knew because he died before she was born. To pull this all together and reach the end of her journey, Mary Lee used every available source to gather information. A painstaking task of dedication and fortitude.

Like many other war orphans her mother never spoke of him so Mary Lee didn't ask her questions about him. The questions would haunt her into middle age when she was finally ready to confront them. For herself, and a place to start, she needed to know about her parents before he died; about their youth, how they met, their early life together. Weaving the personal with the history and development of the submarine service, naval strategy, and with the cooperation of the former enemy, the Japanese, who provided vital clues and records, Mary Lee found out what happened to her father. Putting together the book revealed the man, the father, the hero.

The author's candor and insight about her discoveries give the reader insight into what it is like to lose someone you love in war. A devastating, life-changing loss that families have been facing every day for the last five years

Although this is about a submariner Commander father, who was lost several months before his daughter's birth, the author's arresting account of bringing her father's character, devotion to duty, and his love of family back to real life, could apply to many "orphans," children of World War II who have experienced similar emotional detachments and eventual reconnections through persistent, arduous researches.
The writing is First-Class, and should endure among the great biographical accounts of lost service personnel during "the Greatest War".

As a teen growing up in the '50's, I read every book I could on the Navy, and over the years have read many more. I had read many books on the "Silent Service", yet none captured the essence of the "crew" as did Full Fathom Five. This book was truly heartbreaking but also heartwarming.

She writes of growing up never really knowing her father . . . of being denied that knowledge by a cold, distant mother and an abusive alcoholic stepfather. When, after her mother's death, she discovered clues to her father and started a journey to learn of this and what he was. And, of how she had been shaped by this man.

Through her extensive research and interviews with old shipmates of her father, she is able to find the essence of him. She also comes to understand the essence of her mother and why she may have been the way she was.

The loss of her father and his crew and of her growing up not knowing him was heartbreaking, but the story of his courage and of her (and her siblings) journey getting to know him was truly heartwarming.

On a personal level I gained a knowledge of the men from the Navy generation just ahead of mine. Although I long stood in awe of them, through her book, I came to understand something of the "toughness" they often exhibited while attempting to train my generation of sailor. Were it not for them I would have never experienced my life long dream of a career in the Navy.

"Full Fathom Five" is a submarine story with a difference. Rather than a narative of facts and events, this story comes from the heart. It is the story of a daughter's search to know the father who was lost at sea before she was born. Through exhaustive research and conversations with those who knew him, she broke through barriers of silence, family grief and public preconceptions to discover a distinguished submarine captain and a father to be proud of. As the story of United States submarines "S39", "Skipjack" and "Cisco" during World War Two, "Full Fathom Five" will stand up to scrutiny by the most expert submarine sailor. But more than this, Ms Coe Fowler has brought the strands of three stories together into a single, well crafted narative. She has blended her own journey of discovery with the stories of her two parents. In so doing she has not only found her long lost father, but unlocked depths of her mother's life and character that she had never suspected before. This book also reveals the enduring and far reaching impact on their lives of those who lose a family member in war. "Full Fathom Five" is written with sensitivity and skill. As well as appealing to naval men and war historians, this book will be equally enjoyed by their wives and all who are interested in human journeys of discovery. "Full Fathom Five" is an engrossing narative and a most enjoyable read which I most heartily recommend.