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jess_mango's review
4.0
Years and years ago, I read Rick Bragg's most popular book [b:All Over But the Shoutin'|470495|All Over But the Shoutin'|Rick Bragg|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1327905477l/470495._SY75_.jpg|1948077], which is his memoir of growing up in poverty in Alabama in the mid-20th century. His latest release is Where I Come From, which is a collection of short essays about life in Alabama and other areas of the American South. The essays are grouped into sections including ones about Halloween, Christmas and Sports. My favorites were the ones about holidays or food (of course, since I am all about the food). As with "All Over..." Bragg's writing is woven through with wit and self deprecation. He clearly loves his family and loves his experiences growing and living in the South.
Most of these essays are quite short and can be read in 3 minutes or less. There were a few that maybe took 10 minutes to read. So this is a great book to keep at hand for those times when you have a spare moment to read.
Thank you to the publisher for the review copy!
Most of these essays are quite short and can be read in 3 minutes or less. There were a few that maybe took 10 minutes to read. So this is a great book to keep at hand for those times when you have a spare moment to read.
Thank you to the publisher for the review copy!
beachbookbabe's review against another edition
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
slow-paced
4.5
historyguru2007's review against another edition
emotional
funny
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
4.0
diane_m's review
medium-paced
5.0
Read a library copy several years ago. Loved this book and had to read more of Bragg's nonfiction.
alana_f's review
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
4.5
I too love to fish but am not the best fisherman. I share that burden.
loribulb's review
3.0
The thing about non-fiction is that is simply is what it is. The ability is fully on the author to spin the truth into a more interesting version of itself, extrapolate meaning and/or nostalgia to present to the reader. In that way, this was a successful collection.
Having grandparents who came from the edge of the South also let me connect with a few of the stories I might otherwise not have... the tomato sandwich one cracked me up. That is one of my dad's favorite things. And any stories about dogs, though the pups in the essays were a great deal different than my pampered brats. But a dog is a dog, and I am a dog person.
New Orleans is pretty much my favorite city on earth, even though I'm born and raised in Northern California. So each story or anecdote that praised NOLA connected right to my heart.
But there is a reason this writing is very popular in Southern Living. If you don't have connections to this way of life- even a tiny thread- this is not a very interesting set of columns/essays. The hunting stories especially did nothing for me.
I love traveling to the South. But I am not of it. So oftentimes in the writings in this collection, stories would feel a little hokey, a little forced with "Southern charm" and I honestly don't know if it was true or not. The careful sidestep of any of the issues for which the South is known- lack of tolerance being a major one- never casts a shadow on any of the writings. It is notable in its absence, but also explains a bit of the popularity of the columns. They are a moment to lapse into a golden reverie of how things used to be, in an imaginary history we collectively remember.
It was an interesting read, light, nothing to be taken seriously. There were more than a few parts that inspired nostalgia in me for a life and place I'd never known, and I have to say- that is the mark of a good storyteller.
Having grandparents who came from the edge of the South also let me connect with a few of the stories I might otherwise not have... the tomato sandwich one cracked me up. That is one of my dad's favorite things. And any stories about dogs, though the pups in the essays were a great deal different than my pampered brats. But a dog is a dog, and I am a dog person.
New Orleans is pretty much my favorite city on earth, even though I'm born and raised in Northern California. So each story or anecdote that praised NOLA connected right to my heart.
But there is a reason this writing is very popular in Southern Living. If you don't have connections to this way of life- even a tiny thread- this is not a very interesting set of columns/essays. The hunting stories especially did nothing for me.
I love traveling to the South. But I am not of it. So oftentimes in the writings in this collection, stories would feel a little hokey, a little forced with "Southern charm" and I honestly don't know if it was true or not. The careful sidestep of any of the issues for which the South is known- lack of tolerance being a major one- never casts a shadow on any of the writings. It is notable in its absence, but also explains a bit of the popularity of the columns. They are a moment to lapse into a golden reverie of how things used to be, in an imaginary history we collectively remember.
It was an interesting read, light, nothing to be taken seriously. There were more than a few parts that inspired nostalgia in me for a life and place I'd never known, and I have to say- that is the mark of a good storyteller.