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The Kings of Big Spring: God, Oil, and One Family's Search for the American Dream by Bryan Mealer
cdjdhj's review
4.0
This is sweeping multi-generational memoir of the Texas based family of author Bryan Mealer. Mealer begins the saga in 1892 with his great-grandfather leaving the Georgia mountains to look for wealth and adventure in the open country of Texas. Mealer researched and tells the story of his family in a way that makes the reader feel a part of the clan, and their search (as the title says) for God, Oil and the American Dream. I listened to the audiobook read by the author, but I also own a hardcover edition of the book. For anyone interested in the history of ordinary and extraordinary American families and individuals who weather the storms of time and everyday existence, this is an excellent and interesting story.
jodiguerra's review
4.0
In the tradition of Mary Karr's "The Liar's Club" and Domingo Martinez's "The Boy Kings of Texas," Bryan Mealer's book takes on West Texas and the high-flying, boom or bust oil cycle that drives most of Texas. While it does not have the grit of these other works, it does reflect the nature of living in the oil-driven Texas economy and accurately portrays the West Texas culture. Perhaps the only thing missing was football obsessive coaches. His tone is always respectful, especially of religious matters, something this Christian appreciates. I particularly was drawn to his careful history of the various regions, and I appreciate his ability to explain refining, geology, and financial matters.
I think this is one that Texans will appreciate.
I think this is one that Texans will appreciate.
amylee218's review
3.0
I won this book in a giveaway. This book was interesting, although at times it seemed to go off on side tangents and discuss people on the periphery of his family. I found the earlier sections, during the depression and the dust bowl, to be the most interesting. The advanced copy I had didn't have the family tree in the front. I definitely think that would have been helpful to keep track of the number of people written about and probably makes the final print more enjoyable to read. I do wish the author had included pictures-- old family photos and documents would have added a lot.
thoughtsfromapage's review
5.0
The Kings of Big Spring is a work of art chronicling a bygone era in Texas. Mealer’s family history woven in with the history of oil discovery in Texas results in a fabulous book that reads like fiction. Propped up by and relying heavily on religion and fortitude, his family withstands more hard times than any one family deserves. Spanning four generations, the Mealer family survives World War 1, the Great Depression, the Dust Bowl, the oil boom, a terrible drought, and countless other heartbreaks. Mealer’s family tales are fascinating – he details life in the towns impacted by the discovery of oil, the heyday of Big Spring with its ornate and opulent Hotel Settles, the oil boom and its impact on individuals, and the daily life of those living on or under the poverty line.
Mealer’s style of writing is perfect for this book. He deftly portrays his characters and settings with such incredible detail; I could envision the towns and the people he was writing about clearly. One of my favorite parts of the book was the inclusion of various famous people such as Larry Gatlin, Roy Orbison, and Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys, including a fair amount of interesting history on Wills’ group. I chuckled when Mealer describes his extremely religious grandmother’s excitement to be cast in a small background role in a movie filmed in Texas (Midnight Cowboy) only to discover upon the movie’s release that it is rated X and covers subject matter about which she deeply disapproves. I was startled to read about Tropical Storm Claudette, a huge storm that ravaged the Houston area in 1979 (we lived abroad from 1976-1980 so I was not in Houston at the time). Having just withstood Hurricane Harvey several months ago, I was amazed to read about a storm that sounded so eerily familiar.
While I have spent some time in West Texas, I had never heard of Big Spring until I read this book. I look forward to stopping there on my next trip through that region to see in person the town at the heart of this tale. I was thankful that there is a family tree at the front of the book because there are so many characters. I found myself frequently consulting the two-page chart to refresh my memory on the identity of a particular individual and his/her relationship within the Mealer family. The chart was a great addition and extremely helpful.
I loved The Kings of Big Spring and highly recommend it.
Listen to my podcast at https://www.thoughtsfromapage.com for fun author interviews. For more book reviews, check out my Instagram account: https://www.instagram.com/thoughtsfromapage/.
Mealer’s style of writing is perfect for this book. He deftly portrays his characters and settings with such incredible detail; I could envision the towns and the people he was writing about clearly. One of my favorite parts of the book was the inclusion of various famous people such as Larry Gatlin, Roy Orbison, and Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys, including a fair amount of interesting history on Wills’ group. I chuckled when Mealer describes his extremely religious grandmother’s excitement to be cast in a small background role in a movie filmed in Texas (Midnight Cowboy) only to discover upon the movie’s release that it is rated X and covers subject matter about which she deeply disapproves. I was startled to read about Tropical Storm Claudette, a huge storm that ravaged the Houston area in 1979 (we lived abroad from 1976-1980 so I was not in Houston at the time). Having just withstood Hurricane Harvey several months ago, I was amazed to read about a storm that sounded so eerily familiar.
While I have spent some time in West Texas, I had never heard of Big Spring until I read this book. I look forward to stopping there on my next trip through that region to see in person the town at the heart of this tale. I was thankful that there is a family tree at the front of the book because there are so many characters. I found myself frequently consulting the two-page chart to refresh my memory on the identity of a particular individual and his/her relationship within the Mealer family. The chart was a great addition and extremely helpful.
I loved The Kings of Big Spring and highly recommend it.
Listen to my podcast at https://www.thoughtsfromapage.com for fun author interviews. For more book reviews, check out my Instagram account: https://www.instagram.com/thoughtsfromapage/.
stevenk's review against another edition
3.0
This book is mostly a partial history of Big Springs, Texas and it's major players with the authors family history as a tangent as well as part memoir when the author shows up in it. The Mealer family leaves rural Georgia in the late 1800's to try and find a better life in West Texas, eventually settling in West Texas farm country near Big Springs and making this a place the family orbits for the next hundred plus years. The history of drought and oil booms and busts in West Texas was interesting and these events drive the family into poverty and tragedy. The story of Grady Cunningham, a friend of the authors father and his rise in Big Springs was also interesting in a train wreck sort of way. The family history isn't as interesting as the events that went on around them as their story was more peripheral to the events that were the most compelling. The I received a free ARC of this book through Goodreads First Reads giveaways.
anneaustex's review against another edition
4.0
This book tells an incredible tale of what happened to Texas and the Mealers when the oil came in. A multi-generational saga of one family that is impacted by drought, crop failure, oil, fortune and ruin. The Mealers were a big family held together by love and God even when fate and bad decisions physically separated them.
This is an amazing historical perspective of Texas beginning in the late 1800s and the brushes with fame and glory that the various branches of the Mealer family experienced. It makes me want to travel to parts of my state that I've not visited so I can envision the town of Big Spring in its heyday.
If you think you know Texas, The Kings of Big Spring might tell you a new story that is brilliantly colored by these characters as well as the blowing sand.
This is an amazing historical perspective of Texas beginning in the late 1800s and the brushes with fame and glory that the various branches of the Mealer family experienced. It makes me want to travel to parts of my state that I've not visited so I can envision the town of Big Spring in its heyday.
If you think you know Texas, The Kings of Big Spring might tell you a new story that is brilliantly colored by these characters as well as the blowing sand.
lucylovesreading's review against another edition
4.0
Thank you Flatironbooks and lifeinlit for the giveaway copy for me to review!
“We were eager to put down roots and start something better, to help built this nation during its greatest century.” This was a family’s tale of riches, oil, the great depression, the dust bowl and family in Texas. I was at first a bit overwhelmed with the amount of people in this book but eventually stopped worrying about who was who and just read the story. I was fascinated by the stories about the oil boom, the great depression and the dust bowl. These are all things that I hadn’t had very much knowledge to begin with and this book led me to a lot of topics and great music from the depression era.
Following this family through their hardships and successes was very interesting, one minute they were up the next they were down. I liked the nonfiction factual parts of it but I also enjoyed the memoir type stories from the family members. This book did remind me a lot of Killers of the flower moon by David Grann so if you liked that one you will like this one. There were several parts where I thought the story would begin to drag but the author was great about picking up the pace after.
4⭐️’s
“We were eager to put down roots and start something better, to help built this nation during its greatest century.” This was a family’s tale of riches, oil, the great depression, the dust bowl and family in Texas. I was at first a bit overwhelmed with the amount of people in this book but eventually stopped worrying about who was who and just read the story. I was fascinated by the stories about the oil boom, the great depression and the dust bowl. These are all things that I hadn’t had very much knowledge to begin with and this book led me to a lot of topics and great music from the depression era.
Following this family through their hardships and successes was very interesting, one minute they were up the next they were down. I liked the nonfiction factual parts of it but I also enjoyed the memoir type stories from the family members. This book did remind me a lot of Killers of the flower moon by David Grann so if you liked that one you will like this one. There were several parts where I thought the story would begin to drag but the author was great about picking up the pace after.
4⭐️’s
8little_paws's review against another edition
4.0
A Texas hillbilly elegy sums it up well. It's a little confusing, keeping everyone straight here, but the detail with which he provides on his family and community is impressive. A lot of ups and downs over the decades.
bract4813mypacksnet's review against another edition
5.0
I bought this book for my cowboy brother for his birthday but confess to reading it before I gave it to him. After all, I had to be sure he would like it.
I was born in Big Spring, the primary setting of The Kings of Big Spring. When I went to college, I left the little city behind and have only rarely been back for a few days at a time, usually for funerals. The author, Bryan Mealer is considerably younger than I am, but he captured the Big Spring of my teens. Reading his book, I recognized names I hadn’t thought of in decades and realized some of them were relatives. When he mentioned the 1967 Old Settlers’ Reunion, I recalled being at that event with my paternal grandparents. Similarly, when Midnight Cowboy was filmed there, my conservative relatives were aghast and made quite a stink over the movie’s Motion Picture Association of America “R” rating.
Nostalgia aside, Mealer weaves a unique history of a West Texas town. He seamlessly blends his family history with the history of Big Spring and its environs with that of the nation. Though he focuses on local goings-on, there’s enough national news to set the scene. This is not an in-depth history of America, but a close-up portrait of a small town. For instance, the Vietnam war warrants only a few lines here and there, but it’s enough to give the flavor of the deep divide between the pro- and anti-war factions in the country—and to show the war’s effect on Big Spring’s inhabitants.
Likewise, this is not a deep family portrait. Mealer covers four generations over many years, so there’s not a lot of emotion, but a retelling of family stories set gem-like into local life in Big Spring. The threads tying the stories together include oil and Jesus.
I enjoyed this book because the Mealer family history somewhat mirrors that of my own family. The Schafers arrived in West Texas forty years earlier and had already survived several droughts by the time the Mealers arrived. Though my family was recently blessed with the discovery of oil on our property, we haven’t taken the road of high-living the Mealers did. My uncles and aunts still run sheep and grow cotton, living in the same homes they’ve lived in for decades.
The Kings of Big Spring is a fascinating read, an epic tale of a a truly American family as well as a portrait of a time and place people outside of Texas can relate to, a family that started in tarpaper shacks and rose to dizzying heights, only to drop to the lows again.
I was born in Big Spring, the primary setting of The Kings of Big Spring. When I went to college, I left the little city behind and have only rarely been back for a few days at a time, usually for funerals. The author, Bryan Mealer is considerably younger than I am, but he captured the Big Spring of my teens. Reading his book, I recognized names I hadn’t thought of in decades and realized some of them were relatives. When he mentioned the 1967 Old Settlers’ Reunion, I recalled being at that event with my paternal grandparents. Similarly, when Midnight Cowboy was filmed there, my conservative relatives were aghast and made quite a stink over the movie’s Motion Picture Association of America “R” rating.
Nostalgia aside, Mealer weaves a unique history of a West Texas town. He seamlessly blends his family history with the history of Big Spring and its environs with that of the nation. Though he focuses on local goings-on, there’s enough national news to set the scene. This is not an in-depth history of America, but a close-up portrait of a small town. For instance, the Vietnam war warrants only a few lines here and there, but it’s enough to give the flavor of the deep divide between the pro- and anti-war factions in the country—and to show the war’s effect on Big Spring’s inhabitants.
Likewise, this is not a deep family portrait. Mealer covers four generations over many years, so there’s not a lot of emotion, but a retelling of family stories set gem-like into local life in Big Spring. The threads tying the stories together include oil and Jesus.
I enjoyed this book because the Mealer family history somewhat mirrors that of my own family. The Schafers arrived in West Texas forty years earlier and had already survived several droughts by the time the Mealers arrived. Though my family was recently blessed with the discovery of oil on our property, we haven’t taken the road of high-living the Mealers did. My uncles and aunts still run sheep and grow cotton, living in the same homes they’ve lived in for decades.
The Kings of Big Spring is a fascinating read, an epic tale of a a truly American family as well as a portrait of a time and place people outside of Texas can relate to, a family that started in tarpaper shacks and rose to dizzying heights, only to drop to the lows again.
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