Southern Books

Thank you Linda Busby Parker for writing the life of Brewster McAtee, an Alabama African-American. I met Brewster as a boy in Low Ridge, Alabama in 1956. I watched this very determined and focused young man grow into a wonderful husband, father and furniture maker. I rejoiced in his many accomplishments and shared his pride in his talented son Laurel. I was awed how he overcome the obstacles of the segragated south with dignity. I traveled with him from hope, through tragedy, and back to hope again. I loved this story because it spoke to my heart and was filled with many positive values. I felt Brewster's family's tragedy did not belong to just them, but to the world.

Winner of the James Jones First Novel Award, Seven Laurels is the story of a black man, Brewster McAtee, and his daily effort to earn a living as a skilled carpenter in 1950's Alabama - an era that saw the beginning of the end of legal segregation in America, as well as a change in long-standing American assumptions and prejudices about race. A tense, story of having to deal with changes, tension, and murderous hositility that is far greater than the will of any one individual, Seven Laurels is a real page-turner of a novel that keeps the reader hooked to the end.

This is a novel about all the travails and joys of life, the fragility of human nature, and a family's love that spans decades. Parker has succeeded in capturing life in the troubled South; she has also managed to render a realistic picture of all the levels of racial tensions still rife here. But SEVEN LAURELS is primarily a personal and riveting story about a man we readers come to love: Brewster McAtee. I felt I was there with Brewster, I KNOW this man. I could not put the novel down. Perhaps it was Parker's beautiful, decorous language, her masterfully wrought characters or maybe it was the hard subject matter. However she did it, one thing is for sure: Parker is an ALCHEMIST. Buy and read this book. You will not be disappointed!

The newest novel from the Southeast University Press, Linda Busby Parker's Seven Laurels, is an exceptional story of life, trial, joy, devastation and hope. Parker creates memorable characters the reader can identify with and care about. Her beautiful use of language moves readers to feel the boundless joy of new life, and the crushing shock of life cruelly cut short.
Seven Laurels is an emotional and compelling tale that traverses the life of Brewster McAtee, a strong and gifted African-American living and surviving in Alabama through the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s and into the 1980s. Flashbacks reveal Brewster's childhood and adolescence, and all the obstacles he overcomes to develop into a land-owning master carpenter raising a family in the South.
Readers follow Brewster as works to save enough money to buy land and build a home. We meet the girl of his dreams and watch as he tries to win her love and measure up to her father's expectations. We see him become a father, then a grandfather, all in a hostile time and place that seems to actively work against him on occasion.
The breadth and depth of human emotion and potential are displayed by various characters in the novel. The love and support of family contrast an irrational hated and separation by skin color. The kindness and compassion of an elderly Dutch immigrant are juxtaposed with the blind prejudice and hatred of a poor, ignorant white man who lives in a tiny shack near Brewster's land.
Race and prejudice are key themes in the novel. Brewster works every minute of his life to overcome the stereotypes surrounding black men. Scene after scene portrays the unjust practices perpetuated by white people. Decent education, voter registration, buying land, a home, even a car were privileges not readily extended to blacks. Major civil rights events-the bus boycott, Malcolm X's speeches and murder, Martin Luther King, Jr.'s speeches and murder, formation of the NAACP and many more-affect Brewster and his family in a variety of ways.
This novel is not just about race and prejudice, however. It's about family, growth and life. It's about church suppers, birthday cakes, piano lessons, wood carving. It's about perseverance through adversity, patience and understanding, pride in the accomplishments of people you care about.
That is not to say the novel is always rosy or that things work out all the time. They don't. As much as this is a story of triumph, it is also one of defeat. Deaths and accidents occur. Things don't always work out as they should. The point of this whole experience, however, is to realize what can be accomplished in spite of destruction and tragedy. The novel is complex and full, but the straightforward description and conversational tone make the beautiful language easy to read.
The novel has won the James Jones First Novel Award, and deservedly so. I encourage everyone to put it on their summer reading lists.

In this remarkable novel, Linda Busby Parker takes us on a journey of a black man's life in rural Alabama during the Civil Rights era. Over and over we admire Brewster McAtee as he deals with an abusive father, poverty, and the degrading insults of living in the pivotal time of enforced equality by law and citizen agreement. We delight in Brewster's determination to own land, build a home, and raise a family with the cultured woman of his dreams. We mourn his losses and exult in his triumphs while fulfilling the American dream.

Noted as "extraordinary" by the author Tee A. Corinne in her book `Courting Pleasure' and as `...exquisite, memorable erotic work...".

This was the most intense reading I have done in a long time. This should be recommended reading in all colleges and universities.

Tremendous titles from the author are - Bastard Out of Carolina, Trash, and The Women Who Hate Me. More information can be found at the author's web page dorothyallison dot net

From the back of the book - A compelling collection of essays, autobiographical narratives, and performance pieces combines updated versions of earlier groundbreaking material with provocative new work. The author probes her experience of being a lifelong feminist activist, controversial sex radical, and a Southern expatriate writer with an attitude.. With humor, passion and enormous conviction, she addresses what it means to be queer and happy about it in a world that is still arguing about what it means to be queer.

"Skin" is a book of essays by the amazingly talented writer and activist, Dorothy Allison. I remember reading [...] Out of Carolina many years ago and thinking I might not get through it because of its gruesome and hideous portrayal of a poverty-stricken, incestuous family living in the South. Turns out that book was Allison's fictionalized account of her childhood. Skin, however, is a finely crafted series of essays with titles ranging from "Gun Crazy" to "The Theory and Practice of the Strap-on Dildo" to "Believing in Literature". She likes to talk about everything people aren't supposed to talk about, including masturbating to science fiction novels, the pain of catching a venereal disease from her stepfather when she was a child (a disease that went untreated, rendering her sterile), the thrill of S & M, butch/femme strap-on sex, and much more just as juicy. Allison's style is fearlessly intimate and unashamed. Her long struggle to escape poverty and find a voice is evident in every page, and in every page her voice is beautiful, loud, and resiliant.

An opportunity to get thinking about a few "difficult" subjects, while enjoying a few refreshing lines of thought as well as a no-nonense yet witty style.Being a woman, gay or poor not a requisite, although it might help. If you're neither of the three, buy the book anyway, you might learn something (I did).

Not since Andrea Dworkin's "Woman Hating" (that I read in 1978) have I been so moved by the truth of another writer that I would want to emulate it. In sharing Harris's vision of writing as an "uncompromising revolutionary act" the point is made that the mainstream literary world as well as the "so-called avant-garde and burgeoning feminist critical aristocracy" will not appreciate the lesbian writer who "refuses to obey the rules." To both women, nothing is more important than telling the truth, "refusing all categories, all who would shape your writing to their own use."

"Yes!" I cried, " The End.

The extraordinary Dorothy Allison can write fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and essays. Skin is her contribution to the essay genre, a collection of two dozen bits of astute rambling across a crazy quilt of subjects stitched together by the fierce honesty her readers have come to expect from all of her writing. Coming from a poor white trash family in South Carolina, she traveled beyond her origins thanks to a rampant intelligence that nothing could dull. A feminist before the word was invented, Allison is also a proud card-carrying lesbian, a writer, mentor, teacher, lecturer, and a woman who is always generous to other writers. Skin deals more explicitly and in greater depth with erotica and sexuality than her other works, so readers would do well to be forewarned. But if you're a Dorothy Allison fan, this is NOT a book to be missed.

In keeping with the great Junior League tradition of fabulous cookbooks, the Junior League of the Palm Beaches has managed to live up to its reputation. A Slice of Paradise is a great example of Junior League excellence. A great holiday gift idea!

Junior League cookbooks tend to be very good, and this is the best one I've ever seen. The recipes aren't the same tired potluck recipes that have made the rounds for decades; these are exciting, yet easy-to-make recipes, many with a tropical twist. There are helpful guides to Florida's fish and to tropical fruits.
The Picadillo recipe has become a family (and company) favorite, and the Veal Escallops with Tomato Basil Cream Sauce (I substitute chicken) is a luciously elegant entre in the time it takes to cook a burger. This book is a winner!

What a nice surprise! I purchased this book expecting recipes that would be great for Florida. What I found was a book full of terrific recipes that are for anyone living anywhere. There are traditional favorites with unique twists and fresh recipes using creative combinations of readily available ingredients. I particulary like the selection in skill and prep time. There are quick and easy recipes for last minute plans. There are also more involved creations for an enjoyable rainy Saturday afternoon. The use of fresh ingredients and emphasis on healthy recipes was an added bonus. It's true; Junior Leagues really know how to collect the best recipes. I would recommend this book to anyone (it makes a great gift too!).

I am continually suprised at the fun recipes that I keep finding in this book. I read cookbooks cover to cover and I cannot keep a copy of this one in my house. I show them to my girlfriends and off they go with my latest copy. I am on number four at this time. The seafood and pasta sections have delightful recipes for a dinner party, and the salads are to die for!!! The Palm Beach Pasta Salad is my personal favorite. Hats off to the Junior League of the Palm Beaches. You have outdone yourself!!!

This cookbook is not only great, but it is beautiful as well. It does a wonderful job of featuring Florida's exotic fruits and seafoods with unique receipes and easy preparation. Some great receipes I have tried are the Key Lime Danish, Mango Nut Bread, and Mahi Mahi with Mango Salsa!!! I highly recommend this cookbook to anyone who enjoys cooking and is looking for some interesting new receipes.

I was so happy to come across this book. I first found it at the library. It's everything I could ever want in a snake book and more. Fantastic picture quality and detail!! Great illustration and resource guide.

The book is well research, well written, beatifully illustrated.
Knowing what's in your immediate enviroment is important.
I would recommend this book to anyone.

As many Herp books as I have read through, this book covers all the information provided by most other field guides on snakes in this region, and then some! It has great photos of all the snakes throughout this region and the info on each species is organized in a descriptive, yet reader-friendly fashion. The other contents in this book are very informative and covers everything from the biology of snakes to their predators and defenses, and everything in-between. The final section on "People and Snakes" is AWESOME!! It is important that people will be better informed about snakes and see that they do not live up to their unwarrented reputation. This section of the book does a great job in communicating this message to the reader and also how benificial snakes are to our ecosystems. At the least, this book is a fascinating read and should be accessible to anyone living in this region. The Southeast region is one of the best places, in my opinion, for finding some of the most unique and beautiful snakes in the country. If anything, there is much more to learn from this book than there is from "People" magazine by a long shot!! The only snakes you'll see in those magazines is their skins formed into purses and clothes :( If only idividuals of that sort were not so ignorant. Its a Great Book!!

A worthy successor to Snakes of Georgia & South Carolina, also co-authored by Whit Gibbons. This earlier volume, now out of print, was superb as well...though brief and exorbitantly priced.

The current work is logically organized, user-friendly yet comprehensive. The color photos are tack-sharp. For the amateur naturalist, teacher or student alike, or for the common sojourner this is the perfect reference--liberally illustrated but detailed as well. Plus--the price is right.

This book has everything a child and/or adult needs to know about the snakes that can be found in any given area of the Southeast. Even down to the parish/county you may live in. It gives you hints that let you know which snake is which (enormously helpful for venomous ones). It also shows a way, with only 1 exception (the coral snake), to determine if a snake is venomous by looking at it's shed skin. Now how many times have you or your child come across a snake skin and wondered if it could have been a harmful snake? I bought this book for my 6 year old son who, like his mother, has an interest in snakes and curiosity. I recently noticed my hubby perusing through it & he despises them. Matter of fact, my neighbor has already borrowed it for identification. He then decided to read through it the rest of the way...it's just that insightful!

This is an itty bitty book about a big subject, Southerners and their dogs. It's different from a lot of the other dog books out now, in that it's every bit as much about dog-lovers as dogs. The pictures are great. In one, a little Chihuahua peeks out of a macho guy's shirt front. You can't not love them both. There is humor and dignity and love in these photos. I salute the authors. In addition it's a compliment to the American South, for there are folks of all ages, colors, and economic strata co-existing between this book's covers. A great little book.

This book is THE most popular I've ever given as a gift. Everyone likes it, people of all ages. Even cat people like it! Everybody has had a favorite dog and this book reminds them of happy times. The price is right, and this little book is welcome for all occasions. Gerry Morgan

Excellent book!! This is high praise considering I am a cat person. The photographs and the verses are wonderful and fit well together. If you don't at least like this book, you do not have a warm spot in your entire body.

I love this book, and have given it to several people as a gift. Everyone has enjoyed it and always has their own stories to tell about their favorite dogs. Now if Priscilla and Bobbie would only write a book about favorite cats....!

The photography in this book is truly outstanding in capturing the "spirit of the south". The quotations of southern authors merely underscore the feelings evoked by the poignant photos. This book is perfect for canine lovers in every region of the U.S; but especially for those of us whose family members include the 4 legged ones.

I have enjoyed Jo's other two previous books and was particularly excited to read the two about sun and shade. I have a very sunny front yard and a very shady backyard so having the categories split made plant selection much easier. Also, seeing the plants in a garden setting was helpful and the information listed for each plant was detailed but not too much so. Beautiful photography made for extra enjoyable reading.

Here is a book that is put together and allows non professionals to bring it home. Beautiful pictures, real life advise and easy reading.
Does it all for me. It's a great read and a great work book.
A pleasure to use for dreaming and planting. Don't forget to check out Southern Shade for it's the same.

This book helped me to be able to know where, when, and what to plant in the sun. Great information!!!!

I recently landscaped my yard using the ideas from this book as well as its companion, Southern Shade. It was wonderful to have these books to reference so that I would get the right plants for my area. For a novice gardener, they have been invaluable!

This book is so helpful to know what to plant. My daughter lives in Columbia, SC, where it is so hot. This book helped them to update their landscaping. Great photography!

I came across this book at a Pamida drugstore of all places, so thank you Pamida book buyer. As a fan of Hurston, I am thrilled to have this beautiful labor of love by her niece. To have a CD of Hurston singing and talking, to hold in my hands copies of her letters and manuscripts tucked throughout this cleverly designed work of art, it just brought tears to my eyes. What an amazing and wonderful tribute this is. I may not know much about the black experience, but I can tell you that great literature leaps all racial boundaries and brings us that much closer to understanding each other. Thank you Lucy Anne Hurston!

An unusual but delightful collection about Ms. Hurston. Listen to her sing and talk. The book is beautiful. Her works are wonderful for everyone--not only women.

This is really great addition to my library. I have several of Zora's books. The pictues ,copies of handwritten notes are great. I really feel more connected to Zora with this edition. Great as a gift!

This is sheer magic. Just magic. For teachers of Hurston, it's a fantastic opportunity to hook students further into the life and times of Hurston and the fascinating (albeit simulated) feel of working with primary documents.

Lucy Anne Hurston, the neice of Zora Neale Hurston, in a collaborative effort with the Estate of the great writer, has produced a beautiful tribute to her aunt and also a collector's item for fans of Zora Neale Hurston. Not only does it include biographical sketches of the famous author, but also live interviews, as well as a CD of folk songs sung by Hurston.

The pages of this book are rich in heritage, painting a kaleidoscope of her life. Touching on her childhood, her days attending Howard University, and of course her writing, the reader is able to see that even though Zora Neale Hurston wrote about memorable characters, she too could have been one of the characters she wrote about. Because of the replications of original letters, maps, photos and writings, the reader is given a more detailed account of her life, told by someone who knew and loved her. Each of these are in pull-out sleeves and envelopes, easily removed from the book to allow closer inspection upon, or displayed vividly on the full color and black and white pages of the book.

SPEAK, SO YOU CAN SPEAK AGAIN is a fascinating keepsake of a writer who means so much to not only the Harlem Renaissance and to African-American readers and writers, but also to literature as we know it. Through this collection, readers are offered an intimate portrait of a literary legend.

Reviewed by Tee C. Royal
of The RAWSISTAZ™ Reviewers

True to the topic, it transports you right there. Historical and old, but still current.

Written about a South African farm. this book depicts the story of a family and how they interact throughout the book. The most striking dynamic in the book is the relationships of the women in it. It portrays female existence in a realistic light even for today. The story has a lot of character to it, and I would recommend it highly for teachers who want to teach about feminism.

Although I had to read this book for a college class, I would read it again in a second, I feel that I can only gain more and more from this book through rereadings. Its plot is at times disjointed to the style of the author and the message she is attempting to convey, so for those who are looking for a strongly Dickensian or "feel good" read, this is most likely not the book for you right now. But for me, from an analytical and heartfelt standpoint, the subtlety of the book and its beauty and its truth made me tear up a little bit. I'm currently writing a paper on Waldo and his artistic and personal growth throughout the novel, so maybe I'm a little biased, but although Lyndall is an incredibly interesting and advanced character, I think Waldo is often glossed over as merely suffering from a religious crisis of faith, and, being a man, not deserving of attention in this novel of the "New Woman". But Waldo ultimately reaches a place of amazing peace and understanding, and the lives of Waldo and Lyndall intertwined together is truly beautiful.

I thought this book was one of the best books Ive ever read it describes how people feel and view the world from inside themselves but can never express this externally or even realise they are thinking these things themselves.

For me It depicts how inadequate we all are men and women, when it comes to Love, and expressing it and sharing it. it flumoxes us all, Its too big for us, "the chickens had more sense"....pass the worms please.

"Story of an African Farm" is a difficult work to describe. It must be read several times, and carefully pondered before all of its secrets are unlocked.

Ostensibly, the book revolves around the lives of three children (and, later, adults) who live in the Karroo plains of South Africa. The main focus, however, is on two of the characters - Waldo, the earnest and deeply curious son of the German farmkeeper, and Lyndall, the beautiful, outspoken and rebellious orphan who suffers all her life for her ideals.

The book itself is semi-autobiographical. Waldo represents Schreiner's journey from fanatical, childlike faith to bitter skepticism, who reaches a watershed of sorts when he hisses to Lyndall 'There is no God - none!'. Lyndall, on the other hand, embodies Schreiner's frustation with her station as a woman - barred from the upper echelons of society, and her inability to find a mate who is both her intellectual match and willing to accept her as an equal. "I want to love", she whispers to the grave of Waldo's father, "I want something great and pure to lift me to itself."

There are many other themes that flesh out the subtext of this extraordinary book - the tragedy of solitude, that ultimately, all humans are alone in the cosmos. "Dear eyes", the dying Lyndall whispers to her mirror, "they will never part us."

Readers who expect a narrative will be dissapointed. What narrative there is serves only to undersore the book's many themes. Often, the flow of the story is out of sequence, or devoid of context, and deliberately so. Roughly, the book is divided into three sections - the first introduces us to the characters as children, and reveals their innermost thoughts. The second, and shortest section is entitled "Times and Seasons". It is somewhat of a summary of what has gone before, dealing mostly with Waldo's journey from Christian fanaticism to dispairing atheism, and foreshadows some of what is to come. The third, and longest section, covers the lives of the characters as adults, and is by far the most powerful, and moving piece of the book.

The reader who is looking for mindless action is advised to pick up the latest Tom Clancy novel, or whatever passes for literature these days. Those who are willing to put aside all preconceived notions, and have their cherished beliefs challenged are invited to read this book. The search for truth is endless. But this book is a perfect place to begin.

I laughed out loud because I had heard this advice all my life. Everyone would be better off if we followed the words of wisdom in this jewel of a book. The recipes are great, too!

I've been getting Shellie's newsletter "All things Southern" for years. She has a wonderful sense of humor. This is the type of book you wouldn't be ashamed to buy for your momma or your grandmomma, and these days, that's saying something! I'm going to buy a few more copies for gifts.

I am a huge fan of Shellie's (and have been since listening to the audio version of Lessons Learned on Bull Run Road) so I knew I would enjoy her latest book. Shellie could be my little sister. It's like we were raised by the same woman! Suck Your Stomach In helped this 48-year-old woman relive my own amazing childhood by triggering old, long-forgotten memories, and I cannot thank Shellie enough! I recently gave a copy to my dear Southern Mama as a birthday gift and she's loving it, too.

Get this book for your Mama, your sisters, and even your men who were raised by a Southern Mama. They'll love it!

My favorite feature of this book, in addition to Tomlinson's superb portrayal of true Southern Girls and their Mamas, is all of her fans' input about the advice their own mamas gave them over the years. The words of wisdom are nuggets of prose. I'm so glad it's all written down in this handy reference guide, not only as a reminder of who we are and where we come from, but also as an informative compilation for the world at large.

This is one to read, and then read again. You'll have to tell your girlfriends to get their own copies.

Lucy Adams, author of If Mama Don't Laugh, It Ain't Funny

Oh my gosh! If you're a Southern girl, you're gonna love this book! On every single page, I read something that reminds me of my Southern Mama and Grandmother, or that reminds me of something my sister and I did growing up. Quite frequently, I find myself laughing out loud, so don't read it in the middle of strangers unless you're prepared to either explain why you're laughing or just put up with the curious glances you'll get. This is a great book to pick up if you only have a few minutes here and there. There are so many little anecdotes that you could start reading on any page and read for an hour or just a few minutes and still get as much out of it. When you pick it up again, you won't feel lost like you do with some books. This is what you need to read if you want to feel good or be reminded of good family memories. I can't wait to finish it so I can pass it on to my mother, sister and daughter. When I get it back, I plan to read it again! As a bonus, it's filled with good Southern recipes!!

I have no words to explain this book but alwsome

I read this book back in 8th or 9th grade and did a paper on it for my English class. I choose this book because the writer is my great aunt, and back then, I thought it was cool to have someone kind of famous in the family. It wasn't until I reread the book again several years later, that I was truly impacted by my great aunt's life story. This is definitely a book that is hard to put down once you start reading it. I'm so glad I had the chance to know Anne and experience her great talent for writing. I definitely recommend this book!

This is one of my very favorite books. It is one that I have read, at least, once a year for the past 10 years. The story of three orphans thrown about from foster home to foster home makes you cry for their unhappiness, but then makes you cry even harder at the end when their luck seems to finally change. I tell eveyone I know to read it, and have lent it out several times. It will soon fall apart because it has been loved so much...I hope that I can find another copy when it does. : )

I read this book for the first time when I was in the 3rd or 4th grade. That was back in 1982 or 83. The author, Anne Hall Whitt came to my school in Silver Spring, MD to talk about her experiences growing up. This is a touching story and I highly recommend it.

I thought that this book was the best book ever and Ann Hall Whitt did a wonderful job on her autobiography I thought it was wonderful. I even cried at the end. I thought it was so sad but I figured the book would be good and trust me it sure was. I had been wanting it all year at my school library and I finally got it and read very quickly because I just couldn't put it down! I think u should read this book because it is just wonderful, I give it 5 stars and 2 thumbs up