Arkansas Books

The Book reflects the care and detail in which the subject was rsearched and the skill with which it was written. As a person who grew up in Blakely, located near Jessieville, at the end of a Dierks' rail spur fifteen miles east of the Mountain Pine Mill.(1944-1953), I related closely to the mill workers and their families while appreciating the difficulties encountered by the owners operating the millls as an economic enterprise.
The book is extremely informative with great details about the human experience and industrial adventures during this period of the lumber industry in the Ouachitas. Highly recommend.

Much of history often gets lost with the passage of time -- places and people forgotten. Kenneth Smith is to be given considerable credit for bringing this narrative and series of recollections together before "all is lost". Covering a period of about 50 years -- from the initial timber speculation to the last remnants of virgin forests in the Ouachita mountains being turned to sawdust -- this is the definitive record of how "people worked and lived in a forested backwater at the edge of the South". The book focuses on the larger timbering operations -- Caddo River Lumber Co. and Dierks Lumber and Coal Co. -- but the story is told through personal recollections in such we experience these times from the perspective of the individual mill hands and lumberjacks. His chapter on the community of Forester is particularly touching from a humanist perspective -- the place goes from forest to mill town and back to forest again with the people adapting the best that they can to both the boom times and bad times. The book is well researched, well-annotated and packed with many pictures of a era long gone. One might think that this book is primarily of local interest but I assure you that anyone interested in the history of people -- and especially the history of 20th century timber industry and its people -- are going to be delighted with the Kenneth Smith's historical record of the "cutting of the last great virgin forest".

John Wood does amazing work covering topics from living with roaches in Louisiana, to love, to becoming a parent, and to the after life. A prevalent theme throughout his work is the relationship with a high power, a diety somewhere in this world, though maybe of uncertainty. He expresses himself vividly, revealing a person simply throughout his words. One can picture a family, a father speaking to his son, a son speaking to his mother, and a husband speaking to his wife. Though some may call him a "crazy pagan poet" he is much more. He is a man of passion and laughter, a man who seems certain there is a diety, but is always trying to find the right path to follow. It is expressed so well in his poems.

wood's selected poems is a solid collection of poems spanning 30 years. there are a wide variety of themes and styles contained in the collection, though man's relationship with a higher power seems to be the prevailing theme. but don't get me wrong, these are not necessarily devotional poems. you have to read them to see what i mean. pay special attention to "Opie and the Apples," "Baptisms," "Silage," and my favorite, "Here in Louisiana."

I was thrilled when I found this book. In our Non-Western World Literature class, we read poets such as Forugh Farrokhzad. THis is an excellent collection of her work. Readers will be surprized at her insight into the lives of women. As a country we have been isolated from the creative talent that Iran contains. I found this very enlightening.

"Sin" has a very nice selection of the great Forough's poems. The translation is "generally" well.
The reason that I gave 4 stars, is due to some details in the poem translation. I read the Persian version as well and I could understand all in the English translation. But for most of the friends didn't know Persian, the translation was sometimes far from the original version; plus the semi harmonic intonation in the poetry hasn't been well respected in the translation.
Although I'm saying it could be better, I very much recommend this book, its very valuable and worth it to spend time and attention.

This book contains the ABC of forensic anthropology. It provides a set of standard measurements used by every forensic anthropologists in the US.

This little spiral bound book goes to the lab with me everyday. Buikstra and Ubelaker have combined information from multiple authors to explain the procedures of analyzing human skeletal remains. The forms in the back of the book are the standard forms for skeletal inventory and analysis used in labs througout the country. This book will satisfy both a beginner, and an advanced scientist, however may be difficult for some beginners to understand without some knowledge of osteology. Anyone going into forensic anthropology or bioarchaeology will need this book!

The book is a must for Arkansas gardeners, hikers and naturalists!! Anyone not familiar with Carl Hunter's love of the Arkansas landscape will find this book as informative as his other publications. I purchased it used because I am "frugal"!! I received the book in good shape and appreciate the vender's efforts.

This book was very informative and reliable concerning AR trees, shrubs and vines. However, the majority of the pictures show only fruit or flowers for a particular species and at certain times and locations neither can be found on a given plant. Needs more photos of identifiable leaf structure and arrangement.

Being an enthusiastic amateur treasure hunter myself, in years past, I diligently read each and every volume of Mr. Terry's exhaustively researched works. Although I found some the information erroneous or far from exact - for instance many locations cited as "ghost towns" are FAR from being one - there are so many intriguing stories of legends, factual evidence & stories of past recoveries that any true TH'r will be enthralled. Treasure hunting is supposedly America's fastest growing hobby: it's uniquely enjoyable for the adventure, historical aspects & healthy outdoor recreation. And when you really find something decent...Boy Howdy!! Not as easy as it sounds, though. To be a professional TH'r, one has to have patience, applying oneself with the perseverance of a detective: because that's what it takes to be successful. Exhaustive research is the key: going where people gathered long ago (old picnic grounds & abandoned schoolyards, for instance) will be beneficial for coin shooters who are after more than modern coins....for me, finding modern coins was a complete waste of time & energy. Going for the gold? Go where it is KNOWN to be & be creative: the better your equipment - i.e. a decent detector which finds gold & common sense makes this a most fascinating hobby. For some, it's a life's career. Good luck!!

Found this to be a very interesting paperback book for anyone dreaming of treasure hunting/finds. But, I wish it was updated. I'm sure there are more interesting things about Florida. Not all of Fla. treasure finds are in the sea as this book notes. Worth reading.Open anywhere and begin reading.

A very enjoyable look at one of the greatest German Americans involved with the Civil War. Tracks his early days to his time as a commander in the Union Army. Engle provides the reader with a new insight into Sigel's life, with a fresh style that never disappoints. A book that is long over due and finally pays tribute to a forgotten figure of the Civil War. A great addition to a Civil War collection, especially if you are interested in Civil War biographies.

German-Americans, during the Civil War, were proud of saying "I fights mit Sigel." Franz Sigel was a German officer, who fled to the United States after an unsuccessful insurrection, in which he played a role as an officer of a revolutionary force (in 1848). The purpose of the book is straightforward. In the author's words (page xix): "The purpose in this study is to understand Franz Sigel's life, to venture some explanations, and to provide a framework that would make sense to the reviewer.

The first chapter focuses on Sigel's background, from his birth in Baden to his retreat after the unsuccessful military venture into Switzerland. The crushing of the republican forces was an event that colored Sigel's later life. He was a "champion of idealism, liberalism, and democracy" (page 25), but failed to achieve those goals in Germany. These factors are part of the context for his declaring for the Union at the outset of the Civil War, after he arrived in the United States in 1852.

It is his performance in the Civil War that is central to people's views of Sigel. In early small-scale conflicts, he had some success in Missouri. Part of his importance was generating many German recruits flocking to the Union forces. His popularity among Germans and his ability to inspire new recruits into the Union Army helped him last as long as he did as a field commander. In his first major battles, Wilson's Creek, he convince the commanding general to try a Robert E. Lee-like division of forces to strike the larger Confederate Army from front and flank. At this stage of the war, this was essentially not very practical. The end result? A Union defeat and the death of General Nathaniel Lyon.

I won't be tedious, going over battle after battles in which Sigel fought. Two illustrate: At Pea Ridge (Or Elkhorn Tavern), he began slowly, but actually had one of his few really good days of the war on the second and final day of the battle. It may be that the commanding general, Samuel Curtis, was the kind of take-charge commander he needed to work under (he was never very good in independent command, as later events would show). At Second Manassas, his generalship (he served as a corps commander) was uninspired, as was normal. He was finally shelved.

However, historically, he was an interesting figure in that, despite his flaws as a commander, he did elevate "the status of Germans in an American society and by raising the national consciousness of Americans" (page 233). Overall, the book is pretty well written, although sometimes matters might be more clearly explicated. Nonetheless, to get a better understanding of an important Union general, this is a good volume.

I enjoyed the change of pace from Grisham's normal books, but like a lot of other reviewers, I didn't think it was believable that Luke was a 7-year-old, and that it ended sort of abruptly with seemingly no resolution of anything. The story seemed to be building up to a climax that never happened. While I did enjoy reading about life in rural Arkansas in the '50s, I just felt so let down at the end. I also thought that Tally, the teenage daughter of the Spruills, got a little too much enjoyment out of little Luke watching her bathe. Comments such as "You liked that didn't you?" and "Maybe I'll let you watch me again." seemed a bit disturbing for a 17-year-old girl to be saying to a 7-year-old boy.

A Painted House is a sweet story narrated by a 7 year old boy who gets in enough trouble to keep the reader's attention. It is one of those beautiful stories that should go on forever. A quick read in Grisham's spellbinding style.

After seing so many positive reviews i deceided to give this book a try. I must say it was interesting especially for a big city girl like me. I truely didnt know anything about farming and thought this would be real boring but to my surprise it wasnt.

Its very well written Luke, the 7 year old kid knows a lot of secrets and i can see that happening in real life as grown ups tend to trust kids with their secrets more than anyone else for some reason. I could also see myself telling a kid secrets...lol

I didnt like the end so I have to subtract 2 stars. WHere was the plot? Nothing really happened. I dont know why it was titled "the painted house", it should have been more the likely "The mysteries farm" or something. Maybe i missed something i dont know how some people see this book as one of the best books they ever read.

Its okay to read but dont expect too much.

Wow, Grisham blew me away with his ability to write a novel that didn't involve an attorney (or two) and a court room. This book transports you into The South and guides you to imagine what it would be like to experience the story in person. It was very well written and has a compelling storyline. I couldn't put it down until I was finished and I have passed this along to several friends and family members.

I absolutely loved this book. It was a modern day "to kill a mockingbird."

I enjoy most of Grisham's work and even though I bought this book it sat on my shelf for almost a year. I don't really care about legal thrillers, but I was so use to that being his genre that I didn't really know what to think of this books premise.

But once I opened it I was grabbed from the first page and was completely immersed the way I really good book suck you in. I finished it in one day and have re-read it several times and recommended it to all my friends.

Single more enjoyable novel I have ever read.

We are the members of the South Mill Young Readers Book Club located in Conyers, Georgia. We are in the thirteen year old age bracket and thought it would be challenging to attempt to read and understand this story. As a result of our reading, we rate the book as follows:

Creativity - B+
Enjoyment - A+
Price - B+

We would recommend this book to others in our age group to read it.

Typed by Book Club Instructor: mwg

I thought this book was an interesting read, however it was difficult to finish at times. What made me continue to finish the book was the beautiful way Maya Angelou writes. I found her story to be a bit dry and slow at times. However, her preserverance to become successful in life dispite her many obstacles kept me interested in this book. If I had not known how successful Maya Angelou's life turned out, I might not have finished the book. I was interested in knowing her journey. I recommend this book for teenage girls who are struggling with self-esteem issues and teen pregnancy because Maya Angelou's story can be used as a great encouragement to hang in there despite adversity.

A narrative about overcoming the obstacles in one's life, Maya Angelou's memoir, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, reflects on Maya's experiences as a child and teen and the racial discrimination she faces. The memoir is set in rural Arkansas, St. Louis, and San Francisco between the years of 1931 and 1944, At the age of three, Maya, along with her elder brother, Bailey, are sent to live with their grandmother in Arkansas, deep in the then segregated South, after their parents' marriage ends in divorce. Later, as a young adult, she and her brother are sent to live with their mother, both in St. Louis and in San Francisco. While growing up, Maya struggles with maturing into an adult, her parents divorce, rape, and pregnancy.
While living with her mother in St. Louis, Maya is raped by her mother's fifty-year-old boyfriend, Mr. Freeman, at the age of eight. Although this issue is briefly touched upon through the book, one can see it made a great impact on her life, as she refused to talk for several years. With the help of Mrs. Flowers, a woman living in her town in Arkansas, she finally did begin to speak again. Later, while living in San Francisco, Maya begins to fear herself to be a lesbian, and as a result of this belief, she has sex with a boy at sixteen in hopes of convincing herself she is not gay. Three weeks after having sex, Maya finds herself pregnant. She hid her pregnancy from her mother for a majority of her pregnancy term, and it was only with two weeks left in the pregnancy did she decide to tell her mother. Angelou only briefly touches on her pregnancy, as if it is an insignificant issue in her life; however, during the 1940's, society looked down upon single, unwed, teen mothers. Despite all the elements working against her, she continues to persevere, eventually becoming the first black female street car conductor in San Francisco while still in high school, despite the racial discrimination opposing her.
Although I wanted to connect to Maya Angelou's character because she is a female protagonist and much of the book takes place while she was a teenager, I was unable to. In Jeannette Walls's memoir, The Glass Castle, I was cheering for Jeannette to overcome her obstacles and achieve her goals in life, while I had little empathy for the issues Maya faced in her life. I found the language in the book relatively simple, but I was confused throughout the book, whether it was about character's ages, or the introduction of new characters. While reading, I would find myself needing to stop for a minute so I would be able to remember who a character was.
Maya Angelou expertly sums up her experiences as a child in the opening of the book when she states, "If growing up is painful for the Southern Black girl, being aware of her displacement is the rust on the razor that threatens the throat." Although I did not love this book, it is successful in portraying a young woman who clears many hurtles and champions her dreams.

Definitely not what i thought when i was assigned to read this book by my professor. Maya Angelou definitely led an interesting life, but the way it was written makes her seem self- conscious and doubtful of hew own recollections, i personally did not like or understand it. i had to rely on sparknotes to guide me to the end of this most unique... book. i would not recommend it.

I read with my daughter who is in the 7th grade. Her teacher assigned to read as a book report. The students had to write about symbols, motifs, etc. and compare them to personal life experiences. But, as we read together, the words were very graphic beginning around ( i believe chapter going forward ) describing the rape by Maya mother's boyfriend, Mr. Freeman. The book stated that his private part " stood up like a piece of corn ". This is not a " youth friendly book ". PARENTS : Take time to read with your children. I gave two stars because there were funny, interesting points in the book at teh beginning. Other than that, INAPPROPRIATE !

This is my favorite book of all time. I love the characters, the story line and the historical facts. Patty is a strong girl who is out of place in her small town and unappreciated. Anton is sweet and understanding and helps Patty realize that she is worth something.
It's a tear jerker. You better have a box of tissues with you when you read this book because you're gonna cry! I highly recommend this book. I love everything about it.

This is a great book. Any young girl with a romance streak will be drawn in by the forbidden love element. But this isn't just a dumb romance novel. Patty has to choose between her family and community and Anton. Great coming of age story. Still one of my favorites!

This is the story of 12-year old Patty Bergen, a Jewish girl living in the South during WWII, who suffers from her father's physical and mental abuse and her mother's disinterest. When a German POW talks kindly to her while shopping (with prison guards nearby) in her father's clothing store, she is so starved for love that she later assists him when he escapes from a prisoner-of-war camp. Strong characters and a poignant story.

but the vile language makes the story tainted. I don't think it should be read by children because the abuse situations and the language. The reason I say this is that it is on every recommended book list for WWII for children! Anyway, the story is a good one but intense. A girl who is not wanted by anyone but the nanny, loved only by her grandparents discovers an escaped German pow. She has to make a choice of either helping him or turning him in. The fact that she is Jewish doesn't help the matter. If it was cleaned up a bit...this book would be a good one.

My daughter is now too older and far too accomplished a reader in her own right to need or want me to read to her, but I wish I had known of this when we were still reading together. I read this for a couple of reasons. As a native of Little Rock I wanted to read what is perhaps the most celebrated juvenile novel to have come out of my home state. Second, I have seen it highly praised and wanted to see if the praise was justified.

The praise was indeed justified. The novel is about a 12-year-old Jewish girl living in a small fictional town in northeastern Arkansas named Jenkinsville. As far as I can guess it is somewhere between Forrest City and Memphis. Wynne is mentioned as a nearby town. Looking at a map I would guess Jenkinsville is approximately where Parkin, Arkansas is. The protagonist of the novel is Patty Bergen, who is as isolated as a child can be. Her mother is unrelentingly critical of her while her father is both dismissive and physically abusive. At the time of the action of the novel she is virtually friendless as well, with most of her friends off at Baptist summer camp in the Ozarks (as any Arkansas Baptist would know, Siloam Springs). And as a member of the only Jewish family in town, she feels religious alienation as well. In the course of the novel only a few people seem friendly toward her at all. Her grandparents in Memphis give her a kind of love that her parents deny her. The black family maid and cook acts as a sort of real parent that her parents seem incapable of being. A Memphis newspaper reporter accords a level of respect to her that few others seem capable of. And, surprisingly, the town sheriff seems truly compassionate. But most of all a young twenty-year-old German prisoner of war helps her more than anyone else believe that she is "a person of worth." The book is filled with ironies as the two people who help her most with her sense of self-esteem are a black maid and a German prisoner, just as it is ironic that his is most aided by that same black maid and a young Jewish girl.

This is a deeply affecting, moving novel. Patty is a deeply flawed, yet wonderfully realistic character. She has a habit of telling petty lies that partly serve to garner her respect that others deny her and partly to force others to pay attention to her. The scene in which she is forced to go for a horrible perm on a blisteringly hot day is a chillingly vivid and realistic portrait of what would seem like hell to a small girl.

As others have noted, this is on many levels a sad book. But it is also, I think, an optimistic one. One can't help but believe that Anton, Patty's German soldier, was right: Patty is a person of worth. It is difficult to believe that she didn't turn out well after the events of the novel and that what made this possible for her was what others helped her realize about herself. In the short run, one imagines things got worse for her. As Ruth, the black maid, told her, her parents were "irregular" or "seconds," meaning that just as some pieces of clothing were sold cheaply because they didn't measure up, so Patty's parents never had and never would measure up. One can sense that Patty's home life remained bleak and unhappy, but that she still was going to turn out all right. She was, she had learned, a person of worth.

I recommend this to adults as well as younger readers, but I especially recommended parents reading it to their children. It isn't just a great read, it raises a host of difficult and fascinating questions.

Note: I was right! I just read an article about Bette Greene and learned that she was raised in Parkin, Arkansas. I think it is safe to assume that Parkin is the real Jenkinsville.