Book Description

Telling selected true stories from his books Bryson City Tales and More Bryson City Tales, author Walt Larimore shares the heart, the humor, and the humility of a raw young doctor in his very first days as a new family doctor in a little town in the Appalachian Mountains.Read by Walt Larimore. ... Read more

Book Description

Laurie Gunst is the youngest child of a well-to-do southern family of German-Jewish descent. Her primary source of care and love is Rhoda, a woman who had been her grandmother's maid. Summoned from New York City to Richmond, Virginia, childless Rhoda had taken charge of the new baby and raised her.

The intimate relationship between caregiver and child is strong. So is Laurie's shame at aspects of her family's racially intolerant past: An ancestor fought for the South in the Civil War and another cooperated with the Ku Klux Klan in fomenting a race riot. As a vulnerable child, she witnesses firsthand the unfairness of segregation that consigns the woman who cares for her to a lesser status. Laurie's outrage at racial discrimination sets her apart from other white southerners, even her father. Love for Rhoda marks Laurie indelibly. Their relationship enables her to see the person and not just the color of her skin. Ultimately, she acknowledges Rhoda as a spiritual mother who shaped her life as much as her biological mother.

Laurie Gunst was born and raised in Richmond, Virginia, with summers in Wilmington, North Carolina. She received her undergraduate degree from the University of New Hampshire and a PhD from Harvard University. She is the author of Born Fi' Dead: A Journey Through the Jamaican Posse Underworld, published by Holt in 1996. She now teaches a course on race relations at The New School in New York City, where she lives with her husband.

Reviews (19)

Insightful from start to finish
Anyone who thinks Al Gore isn't a fascinating character study needs to read this book. David Maraniss and Ellen Nakashima bring him to life in vivid detail, probing deeply into the psyche of the man who may be our next president. This may not satisfy either fervent fans or rabid critics, but for the rest of us trying to understand what makes a candidate tick, "Prince of Tennessee" opens the door into Al Gore's private world. It's a compelling read.

To understand Al Gore, you must read this
I was a huge Al Gore supporter, and then I read this book... and I still am a Gore supporter. It was great to finally understand the man and why he acts the way he does. This provides a very in-depth look at his character and personality, and why he has that tendency to "stretch" the truth a bit.

The section about Gore's service in Vietnam also answers many questions. Gore actually was affected by the experience, and that's no lie.

I have decided from reading this book that Gore will definitely run again in 2004, and the reason I think so deals with his father. Read the book and you'll agree.

Great read
If you are looking for a balanced account of a complicated man this is the book for you. Maraniss is one of the best writers of this generation and he simply continues to impress.

Forest Gump Goes To Washington w/ Tragic Results
I guess the folks in Tennessee were not so fond of the Prince during the 2000 election. Maraniss failed to do his homework because many people in Tenn loathe Gore. I was hoping the author would go into whether Gore's father was a member of the Klu Klux Klan but this appears to have been whitewashed this dirty little secret.

Gore could have done something about terrorism (six Islamic bombings during his VP) but Al was in the bathroom after drinking to much tea at illegal fundraisers.

Explores the Inward Persona
Al Gore has been described as a cerebral achiever, a policy wonk with a sturdy propensity to master political minutiae. This is one reason why he has been described as "driven" in a way that his rival in the exciting, close 2000 presidential election, George W. Bush, was not, despite the fact that Bush is the son of a former chief executive.

Maraniss and Nakashima dig out the facts of Gore's boyhood and collegiate days. They provide the formative clues which enable readers to determine what makes Al tick and prompts him to respond to political challenges with a dogged intensity.

Like the now President George W. Bush, Gore had strong political roots of his own, Albert Gore Senior, who was an intense achiever in the same tradition as his son. Gore attended law school by night, romanced Gore's mother and married her during that busy period, then ultimately was elected first to the Congress, then the Senate. He would ultimately be defeated in his bid for a fourth term in 1970 as a result of his opposition to the Vietnam War, which was frowned upon in conservative circles in his home state of Tennessee.

From early boyhood Gore was groomed by his father to achieve the highest pinnacle of political success. This commanding sense of duty would ultimately do him in during his debates with Bush. Despite his command of political facts, and in some measure because of this trait, many voters became nervous by his intensity. As a result this uncomfortable feeling saw these voters gravitate toward Bush and his offhand "ah shucks" manner. Gore was seen as the class smart aleck determined to impress with his encyclopedic command of facts.

This intensity to strive, propelled into Gore early by his father, is explored in great depth extending into his political career as well. Maraniss and Nakashima note that on many occasions, due to this intensity to strive successfully, Gore has been given to exaggerations which his political enemies would seek to extrapolate into untruths. A classic case was Gore's statement that he "invented the Internet." When his qualification is examined one can see that this is an exaggeration rather than a falsehood since he was one of the farsighted Senators to recognize the potential of this soon to become American communications revolution. He became one of the first Washington insiders to propose federal government funding for the new daring project.

Successful biography answers questions by presenting the backgrounds and actions of subjects, making them more comprehensible as people. Maraniss and Nakashima succeeded in this endeavor in the case of Albert Gore. ... Read more

Book Description

"Having been a filmmaker most of her life, the author of this lyric book makes clear the effects of the movies on real life drama, and vice versa. She plays lights and shadows on the imagined and the real and guides the reader to a truer seeing." --Maxine Hong Kingston, author"Not since James Baldwin's essays on Hollywood films have we seen such moving and insightful testimony about how commercial culture forms the frames through which we learn about individual and collective identities. With exceptional flair and vision, Blue creates a completely new form of autobiography that links the public and the private, the personal and the political, and the spectator and subject in exciting new ways." --George Lipsitz, author and historian". . . an extraordinary first-person account of what it is like growing up as a Black woman in the South and carving out a professional life in a culture distorted by racism. It is one of those books in which one person's life illuminates the complexities of an entire society." --Howard Zinn, historian"Carroll Parrott Blue brilliantly captures the chilling interior life of her mother, a professional Black woman in twentieth-century America. This beautifully written life story combines images and illustrations, social history, film and art analysis to create a richly textured work that poignantly explores the intersection of race, gender, class, and region in the construction of a unique identity, and in so doing reveals an awesome talent." --Darlene Clark Hine, historian"Blue's words and stories lead readers into her personal and family history, which increases our own ability to contextualize how memory guides our life choices. It is a courageous book that helps us to see America through the lens of an innovative photographer, filmmaker, and passionate writer." --Deborah Willis, art historian"In Carroll Parrott Blue's provocative memoir The Dawn at My Back, a montage of words and images unfolds before us with a focused dignity. As if the narrative is moved by light and shadow, like a postmodern scrapbook of experiences and sensations, lives converge into a brilliant canvas portrayed through immense integrity and imagination. The Dawn at My Back is a delight to read and see." --Yusef Komunyakaa, poetIndividual lives, viewed through the right lens, can reveal the essence of a time and place with startling clarity. In this innovative memoir, filmmaker Carroll Parrott Blue turns her lens on her mother's and her own lives as African American women in the segregated South before and during the Civil Rights era. This mother-daughter story foregrounds two strong women who fought institutionalized racism--one through community activism, the other through artistic creativity--even as the effects of racism and their differing responses to it frayed the very fabric of their relationship.In telling this story, Blue underscores how strongly popular culture images of Blacks affected the lives of individual African Americans. She remembers movies such as Imitation of Life that she and her mother viewed together and fought about, ads that portrayed Negroes as unclean, TV shows like Amos 'n' Andy that perpetuated stereotypes--and shows how the unending barrage of demeaning images set her mother on a lifelong quest for self-improvement and middle-class respectability. Blue also describes how the same images, coupled with her mother's relentless efforts to impose essentially white standards of behavior and appearance on her daughter, created in Blue the desire to be a shaper of images rather than just a consumer, which eventually led to her becoming a photographer and filmmaker. Sweeping across the whole twentieth century, this mother-daughter story ultimately becomes a seething American history, the story of a growing African American awareness. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

POWERFUL ...like Angela's Ashes
If you appreciated Angela's Ashes by Frank McCourt for its presentation and viewpoint of growing up in poverty, you'll like this book for the same reasons--not on the subject of poverty but on race and understanding what it's like to grow up Black (& middle-class) in this country. It just tells, in a straightforward voice, the story of her life.

As a 10 year old, my mother had me read a book called "Black Like Me." It was a white man's experiment with wandering around in the world as a Black man. Carroll Parrott Blue's book is a better, more authentic version written by a Black woman who has lived the experience and is willing to talk about it.

I loved this book because from the first pages, with its pictures and its text, it lets the reader inside like an intimate friend--she shares what most Black people don't talk about. She lets you inside her experience. It's personal, yet it's nonfiction that reads like a novel. She shares her difficult personal relationship with her mother and her view of the world through popular culture that is familiar to all of us--but seen through Black eyes.

A Daughter's Story
I really enjoyed this book. The author wove together her personal experiences --the pain of growing up in a loveless yet nuturing home in Texas, and a type of everyman's history of the civil rights movement and the annonomous worker bees and vanguard her mother belonged too. She does this in an interesting and engaging way. She weaves her story of being born at the "wrong time" and coping with feelings of being an unwanted late life child which lead to an emotionally and physically abused childhood into the visual story and history of Blacks in media and film at the time Blacks created the protest movement(s) to erase injustice, and pyschological pain the african Americans experienced in America's south. Her story is a compelling one. Especially because it is so universally human. Her love hate relationship with her mother was the most poinant aspect of this book. She describes her response to the abuse of her mother yet she so admired, love, and comes to understand and forgive her finally.

There were some unanswered questions the reader might have , like what about her brother. What kind of relationship did they have? Was he too mistreated by her mother? Is she still married and what role did being married have on her relationship with her mother? but this is a story about a tragic and troubled and mother and daughter relationship.

IT IS A VERY INTERESTING READ for anyone interested in autobiography/civil rights movement and the media.

Innovative Biography!!
This is one of the most creative approaches to autobiography I've read in a long time. I enjoyed reading and studying it. The book is a highly visual autobiography---part prose, part poetry, part history and historical images. I particularly enjoyed how Ms. Blue revealed the nuances of an African American middle class mother-daughter relationship. Telling her story against the backdrop of the movies that were coming of age when she was growing up provided an enlightening perspective on the powerful influence of American movies on the human psyche. This book is a wonderful gem! ... Read more

Book Description

"Ralph Yarborough was a loyal friend and a tower of integrity. He was a shining example to all of us who serve in public office. 'Discouraged' was not in his vocabulary. He taught us never to give up or give in and that, with a courageous attitude, victory was always possible next time or next year. In his biography of this greatly respected and much beloved giant of our time, Patrick Cox shows us why Ralph Yarborough truly was 'the People's Senator.'" --Senator Edward M. KennedyRevered by many Texans and other Americans as "the People's Senator," Ralph Webster Yarborough (1903-1996) fought for "the little people" in a political career that places him in the ranks of the most influential leaders in Texas history. The only U. S. Senator representing a former Confederate state to vote for every significant piece of modern civil rights legislation, Yarborough became a cornerstone of Lyndon Johnson's Great Society programs in the areas of education, environmental preservation, and health care. In doing so, he played a major role in the social and economic modernization of Texas and the American South. He often defied conventional political wisdom with his stands against powerful political interests and with his vocal opposition to the Vietnam War. Yet to this day, his admirers speak of Yarborough as an inspiration for public service and a model of political independence and integrity.This biography offers the first in-depth look at the life and career of Ralph Yarborough. Patrick L. Cox draws on Yarborough's personal and professional papers, as well as on extensive interviews with the Senator and his associates, to follow Yarborough from his formative years in East Texas through his legal and judicial career in the 1930s, decorated military service in World War II, unsuccessful campaigns for Texas governor in the 1950s, distinguished tenure in the United States Senate from 1957 to 1970, and return to legal practice through the 1980s.Although Yarborough's liberal politics set him at odds with most of the Texas power brokers of his time, including Lyndon Johnson, his accomplishments have become part of the national fabric. Medicare recipients, beneficiaries of the Cold War G. I. Bill, and even beachcombers on Padre Island National Seashore all share in the lasting legacy of Senator Ralph Yarborough. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

A Maverick Senator
This is a great book about a Texan who refused to compromise with big oil, big banks, and big business - the forces that shaped politics in Texas in the 50s and 60s - and was still elected to the US Senate. In the Senate he devoted his career to "putting the jam jar on the lower shelf," so that the little people could reach it. He came from populist East Texas and remained true to the Populist tradition long after it had died in the rest of the country. Dr. Cox has made use of Yarborough's personal papers and his public papers to tell the lively story of an American who had the courage to go against the grain. The book is well-written and is essential for anyone who wants to gain a deeper understanding of natiuon politics in the '60s.

Feuding Giants. Lasting Legacy.
Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson, with Senator Ralph W. Yarborough riding shotgun in a limousine through the streets of Dallas on November 22, 1963 were both ordered by a secret service agent to hit the deck. History-altering shots were being fired at the motorcade into the lead car carrying President John F. Kennedy, Governor John Connally and their wives. Together they arrived at Parkland Hospital where they witnessed the horrific scene of the bodies of President Kennedy and Governor Connally being wheeled inside.

After the assassination, stories about how Yarborough and "refused" to ride with Johnson the day prior due to their ongoing "feud" became legendary. This feud among these giants of Texas Democratic politics of the 1960's--Yarborough, Johnson and Connally--serves as the fuel to power Dr. Patrick Cox's compelling story. Cox deftly applies his storytelling skills, honed as a former Texas newspaper editor, to weave a taut and fascinating tale of Yarborough and the other giants before and after the assassination.

Known in the U.S. Senate as "Mr. Education", Yarborough's fingerprints can be found on such landmark Great Society legislation as the Higher Education Act, the National Science Foundation, Head Start, Job Corps, Vista and many others. But Ralph Yarborough:The People's Senator is more than an academic treatise about the legislative accomplishments of Ralph Yarborough. He was a profile in political courage, the only southern senator from either party to vote for all the major civil rights bills from 1957 to 1970, including the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

This reader is left to conclude that LBJ's fall in 1968 and Yarborough's political defeat in 1970 market a turning point in American history. With protests over Civil Rights and Vietnam dividing America, Republicans began hacking away at the "ills" of the Great Society. Yet, the lynchpins of the Great Society and much of Ralph Yarborough's contribution still survive and thrive.

This book was a delight to read from start to finish. For political junkies this is pure 100% oxygen. But the novice should enjoy the ride as well. In Ralph Yarborough: The People's Senator, Patrick Cox has unearthed a giant of the 1960's and breathed life into a great American. Ralph Yarborough deserves our attention and appreciation.

Bio of Texas Legend Long Overdue
My only regret about this book is that it didn't get published while Yarborough was still alive to enjoy it.
Yarborough was LBJ's peer & frequent rival but they buried the hatchet when JFK was killed and, together, created a massive record in civil rights, education and the environment. To understand the legacy of the 60's it is essential to understand Yarborough. It is doubtful that there will ever be a more thorough or more readable treatment of Yarborough's amazing roller coaster career than this one. Highly recommended. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Interesting personal account of the Civil War
This book is interesting to Civil War buffs because it talks about the battles that happen near his farm and he gives detailed accounts of taxes paid and items that were impressed from him by Confederate troups.Thereare some gaps in the dates.It would also be interesting for anyone doingMennonite genealogy or research in the Shenandoah Valley because he talksabout the annual conference and gives details about marriages, deaths inhis congregation, etc. ... Read more

Book Description

This poignant account recalls firsthand the upheaval surrounding court-ordered busing in the early 1970s to achieve school integration. Like many students at the vanguard of this great social experiment, sixth-grader Clara Silverstein was spit on, tripped, and shoved by her new schoolmates. At other times she was shunned altogether. In the conventional imagery of the civil rights era, someone in Silverstein's situation would be black. She was white, however—one of the few white students in her entire school.

"My story is usually lost in the historical accounts of busing," Silverstein writes. At the predominantly black public schools she attended in Richmond, Virginia, Silverstein dealt daily with the unintended, unforeseen consequences of busing as she also negotiated the typical passions and concerns of young adulthood--all with little direction from her elders, who seemed just as bewildered by the changes around them. When Silverstein developed a crush on a black boy, when yet another of her white schoolmates switched to a private school, when she naively came to class wearing a jacket with a Confederate flag on it, she was mostly on her own to contend with the fallout. Silverstein's father had died when she was seven. Another complication: she was Jewish. As her black schoolmates viewed her through the veil of race, Silverstein gazed back through her private grief and awareness of religious difference.

Inspired by her parents' ideals, Silverstein remained in the public schools despite the emotional stakes. "I was lost," she admits. "If I learned nothing else, I did come to understand the scourge of racism." Her achingly honest story, woven with historical details, confronts us with powerful questions about race and the use of our schools to engineer social change. ... Read more

Book Description

Barbara Jordan was the first African American to serve in the Texas Senate since Reconstruction, the first black woman elected to Congress from the South, and the first to deliver the keynote address at a national party convention. Yet Jordan herself remained a mystery, a woman so private that even her close friends did not know the name of the illness that debilitated her for two decades until it struck her down at the age of fifty-nine.

In Barbara Jordan, Mary Beth Rogers deftly explores the forces that shaped the moral character and quiet dignity of this extraordinary woman.She reveals the seeds of Jordan's trademark stoicism while recapturing the essence of a black woman entering politics just as the civil rights movement exploded across the nation. Celebrating Jordan's elegance, passion, and patriotism, this illuminating portrayal gives new depth to our understanding of one of the most influential women of our time-a woman whose powerful convictions and flair for oratorical drama changed the political landscape of America's twentieth century.
... Read more

Reviews (8)

A REAL HERO
I'm glad that Jordan is not hear to see how the gov't of the people, for the people, by the people has been so completely perverted by special interests and neo patriots, such as George W. Bush and John Ashcroft. I was only a boy, when like many, I was captivated by this incredible person. She gave me hope that govt could actually serve the people. This book does a great job to capture her spirit and remind us that govt was once a tool and not force for opression.

Inspiring and Revelatory (sp)
This was a very inspirational book. Barbara Jordan's life was really incredible and the reason she accomplished as much as she did had to do with her innate abilities as well as her willingness to deal with the enemy. She kept her overriding goal utmost - the welfare of the people of East Texas.

Lots of what she experienced and spoke out against we see today. We could really use her moral voice of authority. She is missed.

An effective treatment of an amazing woman
This is a well written and effective biography of one of America's most amazing personalities. Mary Beth Rodgers tells Jordan's story with the advantage of being an insider; her access to those who knew Jordan well shows in her insightful and complete telling of Jordan's life.

Jordan is widely remembered by her public persona, the booming orator from Texas - the intellectual constitutional scholar who presided over Nixon's impeachment. But element that makes this biography compelling is Rodgers' depiction of the wheeling and dealing that allowed Jordan to cross barriers and operate effectively in the good-old-boy white male backrooms of the Texas Senate. We get to see Jordan the idealist armed with the constitution in our nation's capital, but we also get to see Jordan the pragmatist cutting deals over a scotch in Austin Texas.

An effective biography of an amazing American figure.

A Tribute to a Great American
Too often the reviews of biographies and history books end up reviewing the actual person or subject rather than the book. Barbara Jordan was a great, great woman. There's no doubt about that. Of all history's politicans, religious leaders, civil rights advocates, political figures and intellectuals, she is the one person who truly shows us all how we should handle the issue of race in this country.

This book honored her. It was truly a great read. Descriptive, informative and thought provoking. Whenever I ask someone about Barbara Jordan, they always respond with something like, "Wow, have you ever heard her speak?" I was born too late to hear her more popular speeches. But, the author's effective use of excerpts from Jordan's speeches makes me feel like I was right there watching her. This well researched book gave me a deeper understanding of the events of the Nixon impeachment process, the Carter Administration, politics in itself and the plight of both African Americans and women in government. I really enjoyed this book and I highly recommend it.

Barbara Jorden:American Hero
IT IS THE BEST BOOK EVER! ... Read more

Reviews (10)

Heaven is a Beautiful Place
This book is phenomenal. I was absolutley enthralled with how many interesting stories I could repeat from this book...and then I was surprised to find I was only on page 10! This book is a joy to read-- the most amazing thing I noticed is what happened as I was reading this book--I felt just like I was sitting on the floor in the living room enraptured by the storyteller and I never wanted her to stop.

A WONDERFUL WONDERFUL BOOK!
I have just finished "Heaven Is A Beautiful Place", by Genevieve Chandler Peterkin...it is a wonderful, wonderful story of South Carolina history at its best...you are 'right there' with tales Mrs Peterkin tells of Lillie Knox, Zacky Knox, her mother-in-law Julia and Mama...cringe at the ghost tales of Alice Flagg and others...the romance and marriage to Bill, then the birth of their only son, Jim...grieve at the lost of that young son...her faith in God that grew stronger and stronger as troubles came.

It was hard at times to lay the book down, while at other times you could not wait to see what happened.

I am now going to pass my copy of "Heaven Is A Beautiful Place" on to my 89 year old mother, who likes to read, as she says, 'something real'...

Better Than Fiction; A Fabulous, Page-Turning Read
I was not going to read this book, figuring it was yet another trivial book by a local person with famous connections (Julia Peterkin, a novelist who won a Pulitzer, was the author's mother-in-law). Was I wrong! This is one of the most riveting books I have ever read. Peterkin is a gifted storyteller with amazing stories to tell, stories that are right up there with the best fiction. I want to compare her to Flannery O'Connor, to Nabokov, to Kipling, to Dickens, to any fiction writer whose stories linger with us for the rest of our lives. Yet these powerful stories are true and open a window into recent times. Some of her stories prove that truth is stranger than fiction. They are in turns hilarious, outrageous, tragic, moving and illuminating.

Please, get this book. I don't know Peterkin but I wish I did. I picked up the book by accident and never put it down till I finished. Beg, borrow or steal it, whatever it takes to get it in your hands.

Genevieve Makes Us All More Beautiful
When I read Heaven Is A Beautiful Place, I felt that I was sitting on Genevieve's front porch overlooking Murrells Inlet and listening to her tell the stories. I have heard the Peterkins and Chandlers tell wonderful stories most of my life and this book truly captures their collective spirit. I finished the book at 35,000 feet over the Atlantic, but it seemed to me she was there relating the story of the loss of three of those closest to her. In spite of many adversities she has always worked to make the world a beter place.

Heaven is a Beautiful Place
I have heard many of these stories through the years but was thrilled when I heard she was going to compile them in chronological order. I loved the way Genevieve told her life stories in a way that not only did I learn about the wonderful people in her life but the history of the area she loves so much. One of the many things I admire about Genevieve is that she lives her life and does not sit on the sidelines and continues to do so today. She has touched many hearts, mine included. ... Read more

Book Description

This story has entranced readers of all ages since it was first published twenty-five years ago. The Education of Little Tree tells of a boy orphaned very young, who is adopted by his Cherokee grandmother and half-Cherokee grandfather in the Appalachian mountains of Tennessee during the Great Depression.

“Little Tree” as his grandparents call him is shown how to hunt and survive in the mountains, to respect nature in the Cherokee Way, taking only what is needed, leaving the rest for nature to run its course.

Little Tree also learns the often callous ways of the white businessmen and tax collectors, and how Granpa, in hilarious vignettes, scares them away from his illegal attempts to enter the cash economy. Granma teaches Little Tree the joys of reading and education. But when Little Tree is taken away for schooling by whites, we learn of the cruelty meted out to Indian children in an attempt to assimilate them and of Little Tree’s perception of the Anglo world and how it differs from the Cherokee Way.

A classic of its era, and an enduring book for all ages, The Education of Little Tree has now been completely re-designed for this twenty-fifth anniversary edition. ... Read more

Reviews (163)

LIVING IN HARMONY WITH MEN AND NATURE
Where does one start to describe this extraordinary book--a literary Sleeper which defies the usual genre classification, whose autobiographical storyline transcends the mere Depression years' upbringing of a young Indian boy? The 21 chapters encompass and celebrate the meaning of Life itself--which is made more poignant by the inevitability of Death itself. They focus on developing a sense of self worth and personal dignity, valuing family, reducing stress when cultures clash and appreciating man's role in nature. Not trendy topics in this frantic, high-tech world, but then eternal truths don't need to compete for glitzy attention; they will wait quietly for eventual resepct.

Five-year-old Little Tree goes to live with his Indian grandparents--mountain folk who exist on the fringe of a white settlement in the southeast--when he is orphaned. His education consists of: Indian lore and learning THE WAY, the history of the Cherokee nation and post Civil War hardships. He studies the Dictionary and struggles through the Classics with his literate grandmother; he learns basic arithmetic from a Jewish pedlar. But this smart lad absorbs much more in his three years on the mountain, which are lovingly detailed: honest lessons from Nature, bad lessons from callous and ignorant whites, good truths from generous and caring native Americans who all contribute to his complete education. Best of all, he studies that persecuted but ever-popular "trade" of distilling corn whiskey from his wise grandfather!

This book quite simply offers the reader a little bit of everything: humor, history, wisdom, political atrocity, wit, self-sacrifice, bigotry, coping with sorrow and failure, internal growth, Indian ideals, pride in family and resepct for Nature. The plot is a bit thin in the first chapters, as the author shares his childhood reminiscences. But it gradually dawns on us that this book can not be evaluated as other novels; it stands alone, as do the Native Americans, clinging to their traditions in the face of mockery from "civilization." Little Tree emerges as a young man with a strong sense of Family, pride in his heritage, deep-rooted connections with Nature, and faith in the hereafter. He has learned enough to survive in the white man's world, but will always treasure his mountain roots. An introspective read which will touch your heart, which you will never forget.

Controversial, magical, worth reading and fighting over.
For years, I've used Little Tree in my developmental reading classes with mostly black and hispanic men and women. Before I had heard of the controversy, I was impressed by the beauty of the book. I loved the way my slow, insecure readers could feel smarter than the narrator, as they realized they knew more than the small boy did. It was the most universally appreciated book I'd ever come across; people from all over the world, ages from 17 to 70 respond deeply to it. So what happened when I found out that Carter's a fake? I took a few years off, and then returned to it. What fascinating discussions we have about human nature, about deception, about what literature is and is not, when my students, totally entranced by the book, find out that it was written by a member of the KKK. Wow! Opportunities for this kind of deeply challenging discussion are too rare to pass up. Finally,is it possible Carter was a closet liberal who made money by writing stupid, silly speeches for stupid politicians, while his heart was in his novels? I don't know, but I love the karmic irony that his book makes my students of all backgrounds re-consider their prejudices, their materialism, their government's abuse of power, their treatment of animals and the environment. Sure, I'm troubled and confused by it all, but ultimately, I smile.

My feelings about this book
The Education of Little Tree Review

This novel, The Education of Little Tree, is about a 5 years old Cherokee boy named Little Tree who has to go live with his grandparents. Living with his grandparents in a cabin, in the woods taught the way of life and how to survive in the wilderness. This whole book is about his life with his grandparents as he grows up.
I think this is a great book that everyone should read. This book will make you laugh at some points, but will also make you cry at others. This book made me laugh when Little Tree and Granpa were looking for Mr. Chunk and Mr. slick in the woods. This book also made me sad when Granpa is telling the story about the farm in the clearing. I also like this book because it's very descriptive and well written. The author wrote this novel with great detail. You will be able to imagine and see every thing the characters are doing. The author puts so many details into this book so you know exactly what something or someone looks like. The author really made the characters come to life with the details about their personalities and about their outer appearance. In one part of the book the author explains an extremely detailed scene where Granpa and Little Tree are spending the night under the star-filled sky with a full moon and fog over the mountains in the distance. When I read that scene I felt I was right there under the stars with Granpa and Little Tree. This is an exciting novel that everyone should look into reading. This book is one of the best books I've ever read.

The Education of Little Tree Book Review
The Education of Little Tree, (supposedly) by Forrest Carter, was an excellent book to learn from, but not as enjoyable to read for one's own pleasure. The story is of a boy named Little Tree of Native American descent whose parents die. He is sent to live with his grandparents, and there, he learns about nature and the Cherokee way of living in harmony with the earth. He learns about racism and what it means to be different from others. Later on, he is taken from the home he loves with his grandparents to an orphanage where he is treated badly because he is a bastard and a Cherokee.
This book teaches a hard lesson about poverty, that people should not want things they cannot ever have and that dreams are a bad thing. This is shown when a sharecropper is forced to whip his own children because they dreamed of fancy things that they would never have. One also learns about discrimination through an interesting point of view, a young child's eyes who does not understand why the people are laughing at him; he merely thinks they are being friendly. This book contains excellent morals and values, and is an excellent read for in class. Although the book is very slow-paced, this helps to give it the nature of the simple view of a six-year old which aids the reader in understanding Little Tree's point of view. It would not be a good book for solo reading, because the plot is secondary, and there is not quite one story, but series of small events, each pertaining to Little Tree's gaining knowledge. These are more fit to be discussed in groups and taken in small amounts. However, this was one of the only books I have read that has made me cry because of the sense that the protagonist is helpless. The fact that he does not understand the racism, and why what he does is "bad" makes it a tear-drawing read. Issues such as death are covered, as Little Tree's grandparents die, as well as all that remains of his old life. Surprisingly, the author was a member of the (...), a white supremacist, association that promotes racism, who took on a pen name of Forrest Carter instead of his real name Asa Earl Carter. Because of this, throughout the book, characters accept discrimination as their "place" and forbid their children from attempting to rise in society (as in the sharecropper example before). This shows that the (...) member's opinion was that they should learn to accept being what he considered them, "inferior".
This book covers some difficult issues that are better to be discussed, than read on one's own. It is an excellent book to cry over, and an excellent book to learn from, but not a particularly excellent read just for enjoyment, as the story is not thrilling nor interesting to anyone who is not particularly interested in Native American culture.

Hmm... Overall, Disappointing
The novel The Education of Little Tree, by Forrest Carter, is overall a good novel, but it would be better if it were read for school than if it were read for fun. This is because it does have a good bit of content about Cherokee life, but it is not especially interesting. The novel is about a young Cherokee boy named Little Tree. When his parents die, he lives with his grandparents, who teach him the ways of the Cherokee. Throughout his life, he is faced with prejudice and discrimination due to his Cherokee heritage.
One of the major components that detracts from the novel is that many otherwise well-written scenes do not tie together into the plotline of the novel. Throughout the novel, the feeling that multiple short story clips were pieced together into a book. For example, one scene of a foxhunt with the hounds was a nice touch, but it had nothing to do with any of the other portions of the story. Other scenes, such as the one in which Little Tree goes to the candy shop, also have nothing to do with the plot.
Another problem with the novel is that Little Tree has little characterization. He is too bland and mild to make a good character. Especially since the novel's theme is "survival despite discrimination," Little Tree does not seem to have enough mental power to fulfill this role (in most scenes, that is.) His lack of development shows up especially in the way that he nearly always agrees with what others say. He is not just meek; he does not even mentally question the truth of what others say, which is shown in the way that the phrase "Which is right." This is repeated throughout the book. In fact, Granpa would probably have made a better protagonist because he seems to have more of a personality than Little Tree.
One good point of the novel was the attention paid to detail in describing Cherokee lifestyle. Little Tree's grandparents often help him to understand this, allowing the reader to follow along. One example of this is how Granma explains how all Cherokee have a "secret place."
Overall, I would not recommend reading The Education of Little Tree unless you are particularly interested Cherokee life or another topic from the novel. It would also suffice as a school book due ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Papaw
I am thrilled to see this book so readily available. Rob Storter was my Great Grandfather and was a wonderful man. His experiences and stories were remarkable. Although most know him as Rob Storter, we all refered to him as Papaw. As a family member I received a paperback copy of the original release and enjoyed reading it repeatedly. Not only because it is regarding my heritage, but because it was educational and entertaining. I highly recommend this to everyone!

they lived here before the park
capt. rob storter never owned a camera, so when he wasn't fishing or working on a boat he drew or painted pictures and wrote a note netx to it telling about the scene. this book was compiled with those photo's and drawings by my friend betty briggs savage, the granddaughter of capt. rob. it is a testament to hardships of the mullet fishermen, local hunters and the women that lived in a time before manatee and wake zones fishing & hunting permits and the park put an end to a much better way of life. is a look at south florida before it was all gone and told by a man that lived it. thank's robert

Knowing Captain Rob
I have not had the opportunity to meet Peter Mathiessen, but I could relate to his mention of sitting and listening to Captain Rob's tales, because I, too, have had that privilege. The book, Cracker in the Glade, is a collection of his ledger and it is written in his conversational tone. It is a recount of how Captain Rob saw the evolution of the growth in population in south Florida and the consequential degredation of the environment as he knew it. He is not judgmental in his description, rather it is matter of fact. Just as he viewed the hardships of living in Florida in the early 1900's as matter of fact. The reader is left with the sense that he knows the history of the Collier County area, and the inhabitants that endured the hardships together. While they were separate families with their own trials, they were one as a family of pioneers in area that was as rife with dangers as it was beautiful in the pristene sense of the tropical paradise. Betty Briggs is to be complimented for her sharing of her grandfather with the rest of us, so that we, too can know the adventures and evolution of this part of the Everglades. ... Read more

Book Description

First time in paperback: The first family of New Orleans music shares its life story.

Born to a music-loving family, the Neville brothers grew up immersed in the sounds and culture of New Orleans, and the blended rhythms of the city are reflected in their wide range of musical styles. The result, like their native city, is a rich gumbo of flavors: Art, with his keyboard wizardry; Aaron, with his angelic voice; Charles, a spiritual seeker and jazz devotee; and Cyril, whose passion for music matches the intensity of his politics. In The Brothers, each tells his story candidly, recounting the early hits, the problems with drugs and the law, and the circuitous route to success. Along the way, the brothers tell the story of the New Orleans culture as well-the birth of rhythm and blues, the folklore behind the fabulous Mardi Gras Indians, the painful racial climate, and the family whose legacy is now a part of our musical history. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Extraordinary!
David Ritz has helped many rhythm and blues musicians write their autobiographies, including Ray Charles, B. B. King, Marvin Gaye, Etta James, and Aretha Franklin. The characteristics that these books share is the sense that the subject is writing directly to you as you read, and that the bad times as well as the good times are revealed. If you are a fan of the musician, you feel like you have a better understanding of them once you've read the book Ritz helped them write.

The Neville Brothers' story must have been complicated to organize because there are 4 Neville Brothers, Art, Charles, Aaron and Cyrille. They tell their stories simultaneously, a paragraph or two by one brother and then a paragraph or two by another and so on. The story they tell is fascinating and often horrific! Violence, drug abuse, crazy characters, prison terms and danger fill virtually every page. These are fascinating lives to read about, but I wouldn't want to live them! Aaron and Charles seem to be the most forthcoming and the most sympathetic of the brothers. If you love Neville Brothers' music, you'll want to own this book!

very complete
THe Neville Brothers are a very solid unit.Great talents.this book takes them not only as a Group but also as People with feelings&outlooks.David Ritz does a Great job of doing books.always Interesting reads.this is a very complete book.long overdue on these greats.but better late than never.

The Nevilles: the road to reognition and resolution
The Brothers is a coherent and compelling series of autobiographical narratives, alternating among Art, Charles, Aaron, and Cyril. These perspectives are a valuable record of collective memory, as well as moving individual journeys. American culture from the late 1930s to the close of century informs and drives these voices: here is camaraderie and racism, love and alienation, spirituality and hedonism, cruelty and tenderness, peace and rage, cocky determination and chilling fear, triumph and despair--all related with a palpable frankness. Those of us born in the 30s and 40s will find parts of ourselves here; those born later will see how true it is that "past is present." Lovers of jazz, blues, early rock'roll, funk and r&b, and New Orleans rhythms will revel in the stories of contacts with the "greats." The street language may put off some readers. With all respect to those readers, I suggest their tolerance. It is no small thing that those who struggle with personal demons may find a light to their paths between the covers of this book. Over 300 pages, family photos, discographies, and an index.

Exellent bios
This autobiography is actually a quartet of autobiographies as the essence of each of the four Neville brothers come alive in this book. The non-fiction focuses on the individual personalities, their personal take on music including their solo careers and group performances and recordings. It also Includes their evaluation of the last four decades of music especially in New Orleans and their personal trials and tribulations.

All this marks this non-fiction, as several cuts above the typical wave of rock and roll biographies that seem like perfect flavors of the month. Instead this tome provides a "Tell It Like It Is" feel that fans of the New Orleans sound will enjoy. Anyone who reads THE BROTHERS NEVILLE will seek other works by master music biographer David Ritz (see his works on Ray Charles, Marvin Gaye, and Aretha Franklin, etc.) as this reviewer plans to do.

Harriet Klausner ... Read more

Amazon.com

Certain images connected with the civil rights movement of the 1950s and '60s are branded in the collective consciousness of the nation: dogs and firehoses turned on African American protesters in Birmingham, the faces of the four young girls killed in the bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church, and the National Guard escorting black teenagers into Little Rock's Central High School in September of 1957. At the time of Little Rock's desegregation, Arkansas governor Orval E. Faubus ensured his place in history by defying federal court orders and blocking integration, thus forcing President Eisenhower to call out the National Guard. Faubus was certainly not the only southerner who vociferously opposed integration--George Wallace of Alabama and Lestor Maddox of Georgia (among others) also jumped on the bandwagon--but what's unusual about Faubus is that he started out as a racial liberal. Surprises abound in Faubus, a fascinating biography by Roy Reed.

Reed's book does double duty, revealing the personal history of Orval Faubus and exploring the labyrinthine ties between politics and business still operating in Arkansas today. Faubus is a cautionary tale about good intentions gone bad, principles subsumed by ambition. How Orval Faubus, a one-time racial liberal, could have invoked the race card in 1957 and continued to play it for another decade is but one of many intriguing questions Reed attempts to answer. But Faubus has implications beyond the life of just one man; its lessons about the corrupting influence of power, money, and big business could as easily be applied to any number of the political scandals rocking the nation today. ... Read more

Reviews (19)

One Lutheran's thanks for Pressler, et al conservative work
Missouri Synod Lutherans contend that the Christ centered Holy Bible is God's unerring divine scripture. Thankfully, conservative Judge Paul Pressler agrees. The Southern Baptist Convention should be most thankful for his tireless efforts and wonderful literary report. This book should be read, set aside for a very short time and read again and again!

The Truth Is Told
The struggle for a sound belief in the Bible has been won in the Southern Baptist Convention. Pressler was one of the leaders in the struggle. "A Hill on which to Die" portrays the heart of this man of God. It is a book that needed to be written, and is needed to be read by every Souhtern Baptist. Paul Pressler tells more than "his side" of the story, he tells the truth that can be confirmed by a host of witnessess. Thank you Paul for this addition hiistory of the Southern Baptist Convention.

Pressler Embarrasses Self & SBC
Paul Pressler embarrasses himself in this disgraceful memoir. The story of his "decision" to turn down President Bush's offer of a government post is laughable in it's inaccuracy. This is just one example of Pressler's egomaniacal and self delusive re-interpretation of his own history. He exemplifies everything that non-Baptists falsely believe are typical of the Southern Baptist Convention, to it's shame.

A Narrow View of the Christian Faith
Judge Pressler's views in "A Hill On Which to Die..." though may be sincere, lacks the breadth of theological understanding of the various expressions of Christianity. Pressler, like many Fundamentalists, fail to accept that much of our understanding of scripture and theological concepts are interpretations and very few of the arguments that he is willing to die for would effect salvific truth. Every sincere believer and every denomination thinks in one way or another they have the "correct" view and interpretation. The problem is not believing. Pressler is correct in his argument that one must stand firm in one's belief. However, his failure in the book is the adequate display of the fact that Christianity, even among faithful Southern Baptists, is broader than the narrow views which he holds. His concepts of Christianity would undoubtedly reject the Christianity of C. S. Lewis (Anglican), J. I. Packer (Anglican), Eugene Peterson (Presbyterian), Mother Theresa (Roman Catholic), and the vast majority of both main line and evangelical Christianity. For these reasons and others, I would not recommend this book.

Sorry!
This book has an "I" problem. The Judge repeatedly uses "I" did..., "I" thought..., "I" knew ..., "I".... It seems egotistical, judgmental - and paranoid. We have experienced the whole thing, first hand...he puts a lot of spins on the truth! Christian love doesn't do things this way! ... Read more

Book Description

Mamie Garvin Fields was born in Charleston, South Carolina in 1888. Though black, her family was gifted and she grew up not among house servants or sharecroppers but among artisans and professionals.

In LEMON SWAMP, she looks back on this all-but-forgotten community of friends and family, and on the wider social landscape of the segregationist South of her youth.

"LEMON SWAMP is wonderful. I think anyone interested in Southern history, black history, Charleston, or the struggles of women in society will find it thoroughly engaging."--Ernest Hollings, U.S. Senator ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Enjoyable,entertaining and historical...
The Lemon Swamp made me recollect warm thoughts of my own grandparents,esp.my Grandmother. Some of Mamie G. Fields's remembrances are very enjoyable to read and often have cultural or a historical significance. Her comparisons of Boston and Charleston during the 1976 Bicentennial were quite interesting. Despite I am not a black woman I could identify with her in terms of the older generation of my family. I've now lived in Charleston area for approx. 15 years and I feel more at home here than I did growing up in New England.A MUST READ BOOK!

Not enough stars for rating
There are not enough stars on this site to rate this book. I read it continuously until I was done and then wanted more. Although it is easy reading and gentle on the spirit, this book is an anthology of events important to the history of African Americans and Black home life of a more genteel time. I wish it was required reading for everyone. It certainly would do much to clarify the problems African Americans have had in this society. It is also very humorous and not all facts and dates. Actually, the author, who appears to be a warm and nurturing person, supplies dates and figures so subtly that they do not interfere with the reading. I am buying another copy as a gift. If I were still teaching, I would certainly have this book on my reading list and every student would have to read it until they got it...

Dignified, amusing memory of a southern black childhood.
Ms. Fields has a wonderful story-telling ability, that brings you into her world so that you too, can look out at her world. You don't have to be a woman, young or black to be on her side, and see the pride and dignity with which she and her "people" thrived in that stifling time and place.

fun and inspiring read
Even for a guy like me, I liked this book. It reads like Mamie is talking to you. There's a lot of history here and landscape of the Carolina low country. For someone like myself coming from a white monoculture (Oregon) the lives of these black folks is very instructive and inspiring ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Wonderful Book!
Great book about growing up in the Ozarks. Wonderful pen & ink drawings. ... Read more