Louisiana Books

Parrish impresses her reader with not only the grasp and knowledge of her material, but with also a certain spice that is often missing in non-fiction. Through her vivid descriptions, the reader is immersed in the Hollins culture. This is most definitely a must for the Dillard and Smith fan, but even more so a must for the reader who enjoys exquisite writing.

The author provides an historical overview of the development of private Southern women's schools from finishing schools to respected institutions of higher learning. Primary in this change at Hollins is the influence of Louis Rubin on both the writing program and the writers that program produced, with many quotes from the students about their mentor. Parrish also gives many humorous and interesting anecdotes about Lee Smith, Annie Dillard and the other subjects of the book during their formative years at Hollins. She shows how their college experiences carried over to their writing both then and through the years since graduation. For Lee Smith and Annie Dillard fans, this book is a must-read.

This is such a cute story and fun pictures. My boys age 3 and 7 really liked it.

Based on the stories of Poucet and Ti-Poucet from the oral tradition in Louisiana, this is a retelling of Tom Thumb in a Louisiana setting. In addition, readers will recognize folktale elements from Hansel and Gretel and the Three Billy Goats Gruff.

San Souci captures the essence of the Louisiana Cajun setting and diction as he relates this story of the youngest child who saves his bungling brothers from the terrible swamp ogre and the life of Marie Louise, the daughter of the richest man in the area. As justice would have it, Little Pierre married Marie Louise and received the reward from her rich father which allowed them to purchase a farm so that they could make a successful life for themselves. And the lazy brothers received their justice also, as they had to stay at home to help their parents.

San Souci also provides a pronunciation guide and glossary of Cajun words on the back of the title page and an author's note in which he traces the various versions of the story he consulted in retelling his story. David Catrow's illustrations capture the lush swamp setting as well as the humor of the characters.

I discovered this great poet at random in a library. Williams poetry is graceful and brutally honest all at once. Two must read poems are "The Associate Professor Delivers an Exhortation to His Failing Students" and "He Speaks to His Arguing Friends and to Himself". This is a collection to be cherished.

Miller Williams, the inaugaral poet, is a writer who offers more than meets the eye. His attention to detail, form, and motion are unsurpassed. This is a great introduction to his work, which spans over decades. Some of the notable poems in this collection are "Thinking of Bill, Dead of AIDS" and "Let Me Tell You," a poem which offers some of Williams's theories on writing.

I highly recommend Lorenzo and the Turncoat which takes place during the Revolutionary War, but unexpectedly the setting is Louisiana rather than the Thirteen Colonies. The authors seamlessly weave historical events, people and places into an exciting fictional tale, successfully capturing the feel and flavor of New Orleans and Louisiana during these early days of our nation's history. The action packed story quickly draws the reader into the lives of the characters. We easily identify with not only Lorenzo, but also his brave young fiancé and their friends as they face, among other obstacles, a hurricane, a kidnapping, scarlet fever and battling the British. Fun, fun, fun! As a New Orleans native I especially enjoyed the depiction of cultural diversity that formed the population of Louisiana and the contributions of these different groups toward the cause of Independence. A great read for anyone who enjoys novels that include action, adventure, love and redemption. The history is a bonus.

I am a children's/young adult librarian, and a fan of historical fiction in general. I've read hundreds of titles of historical fiction for young people, but this is the first book I've encountered that opened my eyes to aspects of our nation's history that I was not aware of. The main character, Lorenzo, is a young doctor in New Orleans during the Revolutionary War. American history instruction has narrowly focused on solely the thirteen colonies regarding the Revolutionary War, this fast-paced, expertly written novel sheds light on whole world of untapped history.

Ever remembered a sentence or two from the book and, still later on, didn't recall where it comes from? Well, there is one in the 'The lost boy' that I'd say I'll never forget. It goes: 'Light came and went and came again...' I would believe this is the best definition of Time I've ever read. It tells what we all already know - that the Time is here, all around, that it passes, eternally, incessantly, giving us no chance to do anything about it. And although there's much more to the nouvellette, it's worth reading it from the beginning to the end. It's 'realness' moves you all along.

This book is a gem! It is brimming with lyricism, longing and passion. It is Wolfe at his very best. For those who feel that Wolfe tended to ramble, here they will find him constrained by the limits of the novella form. They will find his skill for characterization (which was always remarkable) honed to an even higher degree of excellence in this piece. The story is autobiographical and deeply felt by Wolfe and he succeeds in transmitting those feelings to the reader. It is my belief that even if he had written nothing else, his reputation could rest comfortably on this piece alone.

Very clearly presents the organization of the Confederate armies and sorts out a lot of the confusion regarding regimental consolidations and duplicate naming. A great tool for genealogists and Civil War researchers

Mr. Sifakis has done an excellent job chronicling the Arkansas and Florida Confederate Armies, citing dates of organization, battles, commanders, mergers, and dispositions. I would highly recommend this book to any serious researcher.

Louisiana Breakdown is an impressively written and thoroughly entertaining novel by Lucius Shepard that blends superstition and lore with faith, potions, and machinations. When a new figure arrives in a small Louisiana because his BMW breaks down, he becomes caught up in the town's tradition of appointing a ten-year-old Midsummer Queen every twenty years. A dark fantasy, Louisiana Breakdown is commended as an imaginative and thought-provoking tale of the fantastic.

Two centuries ago, the townspeople of Grail, Louisiana made a deal with the entity they call the Good Gray Man. The Good Gray Man promised good fortune to the town as long as it provided him with a Midsummer Queen he found acceptable. Accordingly, every twenty years, the town elects a 10-year-old girl to be their Midsummer Queen, the person who draws all of the town's bad luck to her for the next two decades until the next queen is selected, and the Good Gray Man comes to take her away forever.

As this year's Midsummer's Night Eve approaches, the town prepares to choose a new Queen. The reigning Queen, the exquisite Vida Dumars, knows her time is short, that the Good Gray Man will soon come for her. Although Vida has faithfully served as the town's Queen, she's not ready to go-thus, she prays for a champion to appear.

Enter one Jack Mustaine, who blows into town after his BMW breaks down outside of Grail. Vida casts her spells on Jack, and he falls for her like a ton of bricks. But is Jack the champion she seeks? That's a question nobody can answer until Jack comes face to face with the Good Gray Man.

Filled with tension and lurking menace, peopled by fascinating characters, LOUISIANA BREAKDOWN provides further evidence that Lucius Shepard is one of the most original and talented writers working in the field of dark fantasy today. In its first six pages, Shepard creates a living, breathing microcosm, a realistic stage free from cliché. He peoples this world with characters so vivid they threaten to step off the page. He then proceeds to tell a story about good, evil, love, superstition, and destiny, using the traditional elements of dark fantasy to explore his characters' psyches. Told with exquisite compassion, Shepard's novella provided one of 2003's more satisfying reading experiences. Illustrated by J. K. Potter, it's also one of the nicest packages Golden Gryphon has ever offered.

It was a pleasure reading the interviews from the people who have been vital to south Louisiana's cattle industry throughout the years. An accurate and entertaining historical record...one-of-a-kind.

My father had previously met the author a few years back in West Monroe, LA preparing for the Louisiana High School Rodeo Finals. He seemed really interested when he heard about the book because he thought so much of Mr. Jones already. So I ordered it for him. He has loved reading and re-reading parts of the book. Having grown up in rural Southwest Louisiana himself he found many old friend among the pages of the this tribute to these rugged cowboys. I've also read it and I'm adding it to my school library. I plan to incorporate it into some of my library activites with southwest LA history!

Louisiana Creoles: Cultural Recovery and Mixed-Race Native American Identity

As I read this book, I was constantly taking notes. It gave me a more indepth look into my culture as it incorporated the American Indian history and identity of our many, different ethnic backgrounds. I definitely recommend this book to all readers of multiracial background interests.

This book is a must read for all Creoles! Jolivette really gave justice to all the misinformation that has been said of Creoles. Race as it has been applied to Creoles has been nothing more than a political concept that ignored the true culture and Jolivette really explains how culture should be of more importance than race. The book clearly provides evidence why Creoles deserve their own separate ethnic category and why we must preserve our cultural legacy. I think it's very wrong for the government to attach labels to people without letting them self define and we're supposed to be a free country? I once had a dark skin friend from Honduras who told me that I would be considered a Creole in his country! I would hate to think I would get my true identity in a foreign country but not in my own! I also don't understand how the Native American contribution to Creole culture can be ignored when New Orleans always had the Mardi Gras Indians who they honor from their past relationships. I think the Mardi Gras Indians should've been mentioned in the book but overall Jolivette shows how the Native Indians contributed to Creole culture and each ethnicity( French, African, Indian & Spanish) deserve equal attention. I'm more proud to be Creole now because I kind of strayed away from the Creole culture due to society pressure to just think in black and white. And now with the internet I can reach out to other Creoles. I also recommend watching the film Spirit of a Culture: Cane River Creoles.

This is an unbelievable collection of Cajun, Creole and Southern cooking. The menu format is unique and right on. It's no wonder it was chosen as the Official Cookbook for the 1984 World Expo. It's my favorite cookbook. I received it as a gift years ago and I've been giving it as one ever since. Very reasonably priced.

This book has great menus and fabulous, unique recipes for all different size parties. I find it invaluable when trying to estimate quantities of food for different sizes of groups. It is so easy to find a party of the size and type I want to entertain and there is the entire roadmap of menus and recipes planned for me. Half of the work of entertaining is already done!