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frostap's review against another edition
5.0
Definitely a Best of 2014, and probably a Best of My Life. Really excellent.
kelceyxreads's review against another edition
5.0
Reading this gutted me. I am a Southerner from a poor family in rural North Carolina, who grew up with an abusive father and, in my humble opinion, the strongest and most courageous mother. The words Bragg put to the page captured a feeling that for many years I thought no one else could understand, though I know my story is not unique. Poverty, anger, alcoholism - these are things people everywhere experience - and yet Bragg managed to bottle up feelings I once thought were so individual that they couldn't be shared. That alone earns "All Over But the Shoutin'" a permanent spot on my bookshelf.
The sacrifices our mothers make for us are so often overlooked. Their struggles, which can feel all too common, particularly in the South as I've come to know it, too often go unappreciated. It can be hard to feel thankful when poverty, as Bragg says, "chips away a person's dreams to the point that hopelessness shows through." But this book feels like a thank you. It champions mothers who, because of a love deep enough and dedicated enough to never give up hope that their children can escape, see to it that the next generation finds its way to greener (though not always better) pastures.
The sacrifices our mothers make for us are so often overlooked. Their struggles, which can feel all too common, particularly in the South as I've come to know it, too often go unappreciated. It can be hard to feel thankful when poverty, as Bragg says, "chips away a person's dreams to the point that hopelessness shows through." But this book feels like a thank you. It champions mothers who, because of a love deep enough and dedicated enough to never give up hope that their children can escape, see to it that the next generation finds its way to greener (though not always better) pastures.
jess_mango's review against another edition
4.0
Yet another memoir about growing up poor in the South!
Bragg's well-written memoir tells how his upbringing helped turn him into a Pulitzer Prize winning New York Times journalist. He pays great homage to his strong mother.
Bragg's well-written memoir tells how his upbringing helped turn him into a Pulitzer Prize winning New York Times journalist. He pays great homage to his strong mother.
goodem9199's review against another edition
5.0
Almost done with this, and dang skippy is it some good writin'!
Holy McMackerel....that was good...One of those writers that just has a way of making an ordinary sentence soar.
Holy McMackerel....that was good...One of those writers that just has a way of making an ordinary sentence soar.
chuskeyreads's review against another edition
4.0
Fabulous! I guess being an Alabamian makes my review a little biased, but the stories and depictions of country folks almost sound as if he's describing my own family.
As a side note, I recommended this book for the newly re-vamped Summer Reading list from having read just the first several pages (yes, I thought the writing was THAT good!), but mostly because - Heck, Rick Bragg's an Alabama boy!
Little did I know that this Pulitzer Prize winning author's memoir would cause such a ruckus in my little old high school library. A parent called and complained to the principal, an asst. principal, and finally, to me - my first official book challenge as a Media Specialist - and it wasn't pretty. Fortunately, it was resolved without removing the book from the list or my library.
While I understand someone objecting to a book or parts of a book, I cannot fully entertain the idea of someone adamantly criticizing a book without actually reading it, which apparently happens quite a bit in school libraries.
Well, this one will be front and center on my Banned Books Week display next month.
As a side note, I recommended this book for the newly re-vamped Summer Reading list from having read just the first several pages (yes, I thought the writing was THAT good!), but mostly because - Heck, Rick Bragg's an Alabama boy!
Little did I know that this Pulitzer Prize winning author's memoir would cause such a ruckus in my little old high school library. A parent called and complained to the principal, an asst. principal, and finally, to me - my first official book challenge as a Media Specialist - and it wasn't pretty. Fortunately, it was resolved without removing the book from the list or my library.
While I understand someone objecting to a book or parts of a book, I cannot fully entertain the idea of someone adamantly criticizing a book without actually reading it, which apparently happens quite a bit in school libraries.
Well, this one will be front and center on my Banned Books Week display next month.
book_concierge's review against another edition
4.0
In this memoir, Pulitzer-Prize-winning journalist Rick Bragg outlines the difficulties of growing up “dirt poor” in Appalachia, with an alcoholic father who could never shake that demon and a mother who willingly sacrificed her own health and well-being for her children’s sake. He also gives the reader a look at the life of a child who felt loved and was free to explore and roam and enjoy the nature around him. He openly shares the differing paths his brothers took. Older brother Sam found his own success, taking on the mantle of adult responsibilities when he was still a child, while younger brother Mark continues to struggle. And Bragg gives a nod of thanks to the relatives (Uncle Ed, in particular), townspeople and teachers who recognized his talent and encouraged him to strive for something more.
There is a sense of nostalgia about some of his reminiscences. Bragg left his home, but his home never left him. His story in an honest, gripping, heart-wrenching and inspiring love letter to his mother.
There is a sense of nostalgia about some of his reminiscences. Bragg left his home, but his home never left him. His story in an honest, gripping, heart-wrenching and inspiring love letter to his mother.
aberdeenwaters's review against another edition
5.0
It's been a while since I read a book where I felt like the author was in the room with me, telling me their story. I could hear his accent, his pauses. It was incredible. I really enjoyed this memoir. He pays a beautiful tribute to his mother.
jgintrovertedreader's review against another edition
4.0
Rick Bragg grew up poor in Alabama. His daddy was very rarely in the picture and his momma did the best she could at whatever job she could find to keep her three sons fed. She mostly did the back-breaking work of picking cotton for very little pay. It wasn't easy to be a single mother in 1960ish Alabama but she did her best. In this memoir, Rick Bragg writes with deep love and hard truths about the sacrifices his momma made for him and his brothers and the life he was able to build because of her. He left the cotton fields of Alabama to become a Puliter-prize winning journalist for the New York Times. This is their story.
All of that up there sounds deadly serious but mostly what I took away from this book is humor and grace. Somehow Rick Bragg's first memoir is the last one I've read and I have literally laughed 'til I cried in every one. I've read my family members bits here and there and retold stories I remember and made everyone listening to me laugh too. Maybe they're just humoring me, but I don't think so.
Reading the other books first, I expected this one to be more about momma. (It's impossible to call her anything else. I went to an author signing and the first question anyone asked him was, "How's your momma doing'?" We were supposed to be there for his biography of Jerry Lee Lewis. Who wants to know about celebrities? We wanted to know about momma.) Which is stupid. They're all about momma. She is the heart of all these stories. So I guess what I mean is that I expected it to tell more of momma's own life story. It does but I still just want to know more about her. She probably doesn't want anything like that written about herself though. I can just imagine if I told my Mama that I was going to publish a book about her life. She'd pitch a fit. I imagine Rick's momma would feel the same.
I love the tales of Rick growing up and the old family stories but I also enjoyed reading chapters about Rick's career as a reporter. Those could be pretty harsh. The parts about Haiti were just awful. I read about riots in Miami and asked my husband how he ever made it out of there alive, only half joking. As much as I love the humorous stories, Rick Bragg can make you feel like you're in the middle of any scene he wants, and sometimes that leads to some terrifying places.
I love reading Rick Bragg's writing. I hear it more than I read it, even as my eyes are moving slowly across the printed page, savoring the language. I don't know how it reads to anyone else, but his Alabama words read like home to me. He writes the way I talk and I love it. Apparently it's more about the Appalachians than it is about the state we're from because I'm a North Carolina girl but it all rings true. I listened to the audio version of his second memoir, The Prince of Frogtown, read by the author, and I loved it. I can't say which format I enjoy more.
Just go read this. It's a book with a lot of heart and sometimes those feel like they're hard to find. You'll be glad you took the time to read this one.
All of that up there sounds deadly serious but mostly what I took away from this book is humor and grace. Somehow Rick Bragg's first memoir is the last one I've read and I have literally laughed 'til I cried in every one. I've read my family members bits here and there and retold stories I remember and made everyone listening to me laugh too. Maybe they're just humoring me, but I don't think so.
Reading the other books first, I expected this one to be more about momma. (It's impossible to call her anything else. I went to an author signing and the first question anyone asked him was, "How's your momma doing'?" We were supposed to be there for his biography of Jerry Lee Lewis. Who wants to know about celebrities? We wanted to know about momma.) Which is stupid. They're all about momma. She is the heart of all these stories. So I guess what I mean is that I expected it to tell more of momma's own life story. It does but I still just want to know more about her. She probably doesn't want anything like that written about herself though. I can just imagine if I told my Mama that I was going to publish a book about her life. She'd pitch a fit. I imagine Rick's momma would feel the same.
I love the tales of Rick growing up and the old family stories but I also enjoyed reading chapters about Rick's career as a reporter. Those could be pretty harsh. The parts about Haiti were just awful. I read about riots in Miami and asked my husband how he ever made it out of there alive, only half joking. As much as I love the humorous stories, Rick Bragg can make you feel like you're in the middle of any scene he wants, and sometimes that leads to some terrifying places.
I love reading Rick Bragg's writing. I hear it more than I read it, even as my eyes are moving slowly across the printed page, savoring the language. I don't know how it reads to anyone else, but his Alabama words read like home to me. He writes the way I talk and I love it. Apparently it's more about the Appalachians than it is about the state we're from because I'm a North Carolina girl but it all rings true. I listened to the audio version of his second memoir, The Prince of Frogtown, read by the author, and I loved it. I can't say which format I enjoy more.
Just go read this. It's a book with a lot of heart and sometimes those feel like they're hard to find. You'll be glad you took the time to read this one.
shirleytupperfreeman's review against another edition
Awesome writing and story telling. It's basically a love story to his momma. This, and Rick Bragg's two other memoirs, are the Kalamazoo Community Read books this year. Well worth reading.