Book Description
These warm and inspirational stories skillfully illustrate the kinds of values that nourish the soul and enrich your life-values you want to pass on to your children and to future generations. A new, large print edition of the perennial CBA best-seller.
Customer Reviews:
A True Gem.......2007-06-22
This book is such a sweet and precious treasure you will never tire of the simple, down-home stories.
Front Porch Tales.......2007-01-19
Just a nice book to have around. Quick little stories to warm the heart.
Tales for the Church.......2006-08-20
I have read these stories to our church Prayer Breakfast group, as devotionals, over a series of many months. We all enjoy them immensely. The style is easy, engaging and the messages are timeless. I have gone on to present Philip Gulley's other works to the group, but this is still my favorite. Others have borrowed this book from time to time. Philip is getting to be a Presbyterian favorite. Imagine that!
Wonderful Home Spun Experiences.......2006-03-25
Terrific book. Wonderful, warm, pratical, short stories. Excellent examples of how to treat others. Full of love, respect and fortitude. Have mentioned the book to many of my children as a wonderful source of positive examples as to the approach to life. Made certain to give a copy to my daughter. Each story takes less than 5 minutes to read but were so meaniful I still remember many of them.
Front Porch Tales (Large Print Edition).......2005-10-17
I bought the book for my 91 year old mother and she loved it. I read a couple of stories the other day and found them not only inspiring but they made me laugh also.
Book Description
"Whether or not we've come a long way since then, this engaging study of courtship shows that at least half the fun is in reading about getting there." -- St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
Customer Reviews:
Informative but it's not light reading........2007-07-12
I read this as part of my regular research for entries that'll be posted on my blog, www.courtshipordating.com.
This book, by far, is the most informative and well-researched one yet.
As I implied in my Review Title, the book is written in a very academic style and abounds in footnotes.
A true gem.......2007-02-04
As a history major, this book is just wonderful. Although a secondary source, it's full of primary sources as well. A great read, easy to understand, a great book and text. I read this for a class and couldn't have picked a better book myself. As for the comments on an updated version or more info in the book abour present day; this book was published 1989, the whole 90's/2000's thing hadn't happened yet. Maybe a sequel would be good? No matter what I highly recommend.
well executed on an intriguing topic.......2006-08-15
Bailey does a few things rather well in this book. Courtship and dating makes for an interesting study in the ways in which our culture has changed over the course of the 20th century (although as another reviewer pointed out, an update in which she discusses developments of the 90s would be most welcomed). Her writing is clear, and it's a quick and satisfying read in cultural history. This is one where the title sums up the book nicely, so if you're intrigued, it's probably a good one for you.
Courtship is America.......2002-11-26
A change of courtship occurred from the 1920s and 1940s was the shift from the girl's household to the vechile and away from the watchful eyes of the community. It was a change from sitting at the parlors at the girl's family. A boy would have to be invited to a girl's house causing the woman to have the authority and control, but those things changed. A boy could not go to a girl's house without her permission, but at times changed the guy began to take the authority from the girl. Dating was what was causing the changes of courtship. It moved the girl and the boy outside the home and created a shift from the parlor at the girl's house. Examples would be the replacing of the girl's house with the car.
Bailey's book is great for reading and will take only a day to finish (143 pages). Also, it is a really nice looking book. It covers the roles of consumption and competition in courtship, and the understanding that courtship has changed in American society. I give the book four stars.
A Fascinating Story--But Please, an Updated Version!.......2000-06-20
I'm a college professor and I use this book in my classes all the time. Students (male and female) love it, and they remember it. Many of them give the book to their parents to read. Bailey is an engaging writer who employs a wide variety of sources to demonstrate the path from calling to dating to going steady, and the changing meanings of those words. An historian, Bailey provides helpful social and cultural contexts. It's useful gender history. But what the book really needs is an update that would take this topic to the present. The Epilogue doesn't explain enough about dating nowadays, and thus the earlier chapters are best.
Book Description
This is the work of a writer unafraid to gaze directly at characters challenged by crisis and pathology. But for readers who are willing to look, unblinkingly, along with the writer, there are unusual rewards.
Customer Reviews:
This debut indicated he was going far........2003-02-04
He also indicates he likes women, beer and dogs. In this wonderful collection of short fiction, Larry Brown takes you cruising to smokey bars searching for juicy women. He takes you back home where undesired wives are bitter at their non-willing partners. He takes you to the edge of a horrible accident caused by a child, vigilant at getting back at the driver for killing his dog. He also takes you to the backroads and side streets of Mississippi, where life is thick, humid and the people are thirsty for something to happen.
Mississippi adds another author to its list of greats.......2001-01-08
It has been my opinion over the last three years that the best authors in America writing today are southerners: Ellen Gilchrist, Nancy Peacock, Clyde Edgerton. Two of the best are from Mississippi: Lewis Nordan and Larry Brown.
I won't lie--Nordan is the better of the two, but "Facing the Music" is proof that Brown can hold his own. In this collection of short stories, Brown gives readers a real-life view of southern relationships. Full of drunkeness, violence and bitterness, these stories paint a true picture of love in the South. There is, however, a tenderness in some of these stories that make you understand why lovers even try in the first place.
Give this one a chance. You wont regret it.
Brown's talent for innovative fiction is astounding.......1999-05-28
Larry Brown has taken short fiction to its pique. The story "Julie, a Memory" is absolutely fascinating. All of his stories have within them the essence of real humanity. His stories are poignant and thought-provoking. This is wonderful reading for those who don't have time for novels.
Brilliant, bold beginning for great Southern writer.......1996-12-07
FACING THE MUSIC is a series of short
stories that Larry Brown wrote while still
trying to get his grasp on writing from
within. Even from the opening words of this
collection, one can discern that he's
speaking to the reader from the depths of his soul.
Following this lead, most of the stories
are engrossing personal portraits of the
rotting corpses within personal relationships.
Brown accurately arouses feelings in the reader
in most of the stories, especially the
harrowing 'Kubuku Rides'. And, supplies the occasional
chuckle and smile, as well.
The only drawback may be how experimental
some of his prose is (for instance, the
former story is written within a dialect)
But, nonetheless-when he communicates
the feelings and not the words on the page,
his thoughts are the kind that can keep you up late at night
pondering your own lives.
Book Description
ALA Notable Book; Mississippi Arts and Letters Fiction Award. Nordan's fiction invents its own world, a world populated by madly heroic misfits. In MUSIC OF THE SWAMP, he focuses his magic and imagination on a single theme--a boy's utterly helpless love for his utterly hopeless father. "Lordy, Lordy, can Lewis Nordan write!"--Los Angeles Times Book Review; "It is absolute ballad put to page."--Southern Living.
Customer Reviews:
More like discord in the swamps!.......2005-08-28
This was one of the worst books I have ever read. The language and content was awful! If you are planning on buying it,please, don't. I usually try to stay open-minded about books I read, but this was awful!
Imaginative...a great read.......2003-07-14
Buddy Nordan teaches at the Unveristy of Pittsburgh where i am a writing major. He came to speak to my writing class about Music of the Swap. I loved the book, and hearing him talk about how he came upon the characters and his process of writing deepend my appreciation for the stories even more. It brings back the feel of being young so vividly. I highly recommend this book!!
Southern magic realism at its best!.......2001-08-27
This is one of the best books I've ever read. It's hilarious! The reason (as one reviewer noted) that all those thoughts are strung together with comma making long sentences is because that's the way Southerners talk, and Lewis Nordan has captured the sing-song music of Southern language beautifully! Faulkner did the same thing, but Nordan is more fun to read and easier to understand. If you don't like Southern literature, pass this one by. But if you do like Southern writers, it's a must!
Ugh!.......2000-08-18
I'm sorry to those who apparently loved this book, but I didn't! I thought it was awful how he strung sentences together, using commas, so that 7 sentences would become 1, making a paragraph! He was not a good author, and I definitly didn't need to hear about "The Time In the Life Of A Hormonally Charged Boy"! All in all it was a complete waste of time, so don't read it! =)
Poignant and hilarious.......1999-08-10
I suppose I am now some sort of Lewis Nordan "groupie." I first loved "The Sharpshooter Blues" and went on to enjoy all the rest including "Lightning Song." But, tonight I think that "Music of the Swamp" is my favorite. (Or, is it just that I read it today and so it is Nordan's work most fresh on my mind?) Sugar Mecklin is a very special character - but only as special as his family and friends. Sugar has a dad who has worn yellow plastic shoes and lived to talk about it. Read this book and read Lewis Nordan.
Book Description
Dreams are like clouds . . . they change shape over time
At least, that's what my daughters last summer before college has taught me. See, living in Pritchett, Wisconsin, was not my dream -- I'd wanted to be a model or an actress, living an exciting life in a big city. Instead, I fell for a farmer and wound up a mother before our first wedding anniversary! Not that I don't love being Sam's wife or Bree's mom -- because I do. Well, now Bree has entered me into a Christian beauty pageant, and I'm being treated like Pritchett's pride and joy. So I'm preparing to be a "Proverbs 31 Woman," dealing with my best friend's newly uncovered secrets and watching my daughter follow in my footsteps by falling for a local boy -- all while being treated as princess of my own front porch!
Download Description
Dreams are like clouds - they change shape over time. At least, that's what my daughter's last summer before college has taught me. See, living in Pritchett, Wisconsin, was not my dream - I'd wanted to be a model or an actress, living an exciting life in a big city. Instead, I fell for a farmer and wound up a mother before our first wedding anniversary! Not that I don't love being Sam's wife or Bree's mom - because I do. Well, now Bree has entered me into a Christian beauty pageant, and I'm being treated like Pritchett's pride and joy. So I'm preparing to be a "Proverbs 31 Woman," dealing with my best friend's newly uncovered secrets and watching my daughter follow in my footsteps by falling for a local boy - all while being treated as princess of my own front porch!
Customer Reviews:
A Great Fun Read with touching emotion.......2007-07-05
I read Front Porch Princess on a trip. Each evening in the hotel while my husband played laptop solitaire, I read. I loved the heroine and her best friend the beautician. And I loved each of the small town characters that added so much to the story. I usually don't enjoy chick or momlit because I hate whiney heroines. But Elise was no whiner and a fresh new heroine for me to love!
Absolutely Wonderful!.......2007-02-07
A small town where everyone knows everything about everyone, and one woman has dreamed her entire life about escaping Pritchett. Having won a beauty title in her teens, Elise dreamed of becoming a model or an actress. Life had different plans in the form of a handsome farmer. Elise settles reluctantly into small-town life, wanting more for her daughter. When her daughter enters Elise into a Mrs. Proverbs 31 pageant, Pritchett, Wisconsin pulls out the red carpet, complete with a parade and an ice cream social.
As Elise prepares for the pageant, she discovers much more about love, beauty, friendship, and God, learning to be content in her circumstances.
Front Porch Princess is a delightful read. Kathryn Springer has the reader running a gauntlet of emotions. Don't read this book unless you're prepared to not be able to put it down! Absolutely wonderful. - Cynthia Hickey, author
Touched my heart.......2006-12-16
This was the story of a 40 year old wife and mom who's let bitterness take root in her life. Kathryn Springer does an excellent job of making a woman who could be very unsympathetic a very likable and human character. I was quickly drawn into Elise's life and mind. Generally not a fan of fiction written in 1st person I was surprised at how well it was done and how well it worked.
To say that I empathized with Elise would be an understatement, many of the issues she faces in the book (like looking forward and not back, having a real, dynamic relationship with God vs. a surface relationship) are issues I am currently facing myself. And reading a fiction book that touches on my current life issues is something I always enjoy. Reading about how Elise dealt with what was going on in her heart, life and mind really helped me to make forward progress on my own things. As an aspiring writer I think that's some of the highest praise you can give a writer.
I was so touched that the book really made a difference in my life. And I pulled out my bible to read more about the Proverbs 31 woman!
Also a huge plus for me was the fact that Christianity was not overplayed. It was simply another layer of several of the characters in the book, seamlessly woven into their making and very believable. Not once did I feel preached at and not once did I feel like I was reading someone else's opinion of what faith should be like and how it should be loved.
This book is an excellent read and I'd highly suggest it for any woman looking for a down to earth, honest look at marriage, parenthood and faith. Enjoy!
Can't Wait for the Next Book in this Series!!!.......2006-09-12
"Front Porch Princess" is one of THE BEST books that I have read in a long while--the only sad thing about it is that it went by way too fast--I started it on a Saturday and finished it the very next night! It is such a wonderful story, and the seamless way the story and the characters are woven together is just incredibly beautiful! This story made me laugh; it made me think; and it brought tears to my eyes more than once! Elise, Bernice, and Annie and their families quickly became friends of the heart, and I simply can't wait to see what happens next in the town of Pritchett! It is refreshing to read such a rich and powerful story with characters who are REAL and are learning what it means to live in the fullness of God's grace and love throughout their everyday lives. This inspirational book is sure to be a blessing and an encouragement to Christian women in every season and walk of life!
Loved it!!!.......2006-07-25
Well written, moving story of God's presence and love and plans for his children including a 40 year old woman who appears to outsiders to "have it all" but who isn't really convinced of that herself. Elise moves from a "see you on Sunday" relationship with the Lord to a relationship with God as a real presence in her daily life. The story isn't remotely preachy. The characters talk about God the way my friends and I talk about God. He's with us and he cares about everything that concerns us at all times. Every single character is lovable; you'll wish they were your flesh and blood friends so you could call them up and see what's going on with them today. I look forward to reading more about these characters in future books.
Book Description
A treasure chest of 19th Century songs, hilariuos jokes, wild stories, vintage photos, and even a recipe for cooking grounhog! 48 favorite melodies of the past that have traveled along with the pioneers in covered wagins, their the civil war period and up to today!
Customer Reviews:
Nice little book for the price.......2001-06-23
The jokes are corny but each of the 48 songs includes a paragraph or two about the song and how it came to be. Also includes verses I've never heard before plus the chords to each song. Definitely worth [it].
Book Description
This heartbreaking novel from award-winning Mississippi writer Lewis Nordan is a meditation upon guns and love, all kinds of love -between fathers and sons, husbands and wives, gay lovers, friends.
"This is not just a good book, this is a marvelous book."
--Voice Literary Supplement
"A comedy at least half as divine--and dark--as Dante's own, The Sharpshooter Blues is a flat-out tour de force."
--The Miami Herald
Customer Reviews:
about as enjoyable as words can get........2007-02-06
lewis nordan's novels have been pure joy for me. this is my favorite of 'em. with great off-the-wall humor & quirky characters that are brought to life masterfully, this book is a pleasure from beginning to end: a wildly funny look at southern misfits in all their outrageous misfortune and glory. one of my favorite books. thanks, mr nordan.
Fantastic Literature.......2005-01-20
This is southern literature at its finest. Nordan finds a way to be dark, brooding, disturbing, and hilarious all at the same time. I reccomend this to anyone interested in modern literature.
Great Stuff!.......2003-05-04
This was my first Nordan book. I found his quirky story both funny and heart-wrenching. The writing is everything the previous reviewers say it is--very very good. I look forward to readindg more Nordan soon.
Strange and Interesting.......2003-03-09
Sharpshooter Blues is a dark and twisted story about life and trying to find a place to fit in, and what can happen if one never happens to find that place. At times it is funny, but mostly somewhat sad. Lewis Nordan has quite a talent for getting the reader to connect with the characters. I would have liked to see a little more character development....I felt like I wanted to know the people a little better, but I still really enjoyed the book. I think this would actually make a pretty good movie.
Delta Blues.......2002-03-26
Imagine being in a world filled with humidity, drooping moss, parrots flying, sounds of Robert Johnson singing to the wind and motoring the swampy delta in a boat powered by an evinrude motor. This is the world of Hydro Raney a young man stunted mentally by hydro-encephalitis. Lewis Nordan draws us into this strange and magical world in his book Sharp-Shooter Blues. Every character is deftly created and a pleasure to meet.
Hydro Raney is a gentle and innocent young man who readers will easily takes into their heart. He is a person of simple wants and needs who takes people he meets at face value. His father loves him dearly and sings him to sleep at night. Hydro willingly places a cantaloupe on his head for his sharpshooter friend Morgan to shoot off. While this turns out successfully, Hydro in his innocence is not prepared to deal with everyone who comes his way.
Prepare to meet as well: the Lovely children who are beautiful to look at, but hide behind their looks and beauty; Louis, the young comic book geek who is witness to the darkest moments of the book; the Prince of Darkness the mortician that rose from the dead. The Sharp Shooter Blues is awash with wonderful southern characters that, leave a lasting impression on the reader.
Lewis Nordan is a gifted story teller who has crafted a book of extreme pain and beauty. There is so much life, sadness and depth to the book that I dog eared numerous pages to go back and read again. It is beautifully written and leave the reader with much to think about.
If you have not yet discovered Lewis Nordan do pick up a copy of the Sharp Shooter Blues. It is a story that reads swiftly but that will stay with you long after.
Customer Reviews:
The Author.......2005-02-26
Many years ago I seen Mr. Power's speak. I am not much into speakers, but this man grabs your attention. I got his book which he personilized to me, read it and it has become one of my favorites. I grew up in Chicago so could relate to alot of it, it is the one book that I suggest to everyone. If you get the chance to read, or hear him speak you will remember it.
The Junk-Drawers Corner-Store Front-Porch Blues.......2000-08-04
I first discovered John R. Powers when a co-worker gave me the Unoriginal Sinner and the Ice God to read. It was so good I wanted to own that book and other books by Mr. Power. I was diappointed to find that all of his books are out of print. My local library had three of his tiles but have found it difficult to locate his works to purchase. I recommed all of John R. Powers books espesially to baby boomers his books will bring back wonderful memories. I would like to know more about the author.
A New Urbanist novel.......2000-02-19
Architechts and Urban Design folks who consider themselves New Urbanists will love this novel. Powers understands that our missing of the "old neighborhood" is about the sense of place and belonging that was left behind in the search for the suburban dream. Powers tells all the stories: the one mom on the block who worked, the garage which is behind the house, off the alley "where it belongs". Powers lets us recall the calm and orderliness of life in a neighborhood of diverse population, mixed uses(corner stores and front porches) and care for neighbors. The book is a delightful reminder of the days and places that defined middle class not in terms of income or profession but of an ethic shared with the families next door and across the alley.
A Great Book.......2000-01-27
I think this book is an excellent book and I just love everything that John R. Powers writes. He has a way of being funny and poignant at the same time. He writes about growing up in Chicago as if you are actually doing it yourself. His way of writing draws you in because it is very funny and touching and really makes you think about life. The fact of the matter is that I loaned this book to a friend and now I can't find it in print again. It is truly a good book!
It's a real shame that this is out of print.......1999-10-08
I loved the other John R. Powers books and discovered this one, believe it or not, in an airport gift shop. As with his other books, it was a joy to read and had an emotional depth so rarely found in books that are also miraculously funny. Powers may well be the most underrated writer to emerge in the last 30 years. His books are so entertaining, you don't notice yourself being moved. Until later, that is. Like, ten seconds later. Wonderful writing I recommend to anyone with a heart and a funny bone.
Product Description
Poems From My Heart by Marguerite Parker is a beautifully illustrated book that has a soothing message for every kind of occasion: Christmas, Mother's day, God, Life and Living, Nature, Courage and Time. From tales of humor to seriousness, the author takes you on a decidedly ample look into her soul through her poetry.
Books:
- Hideaway
- History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
- History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
- History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
- History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
- History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
- History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
- History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
- History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
- History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
Books Index
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General
| Law
| Subjects
| Books
Hometown Tales: Recollections of Kindness, Peace, and Joy
Chicken Soup for the Golden Soul: Heartwarming Stories for People 60 and Over
Help, Lord! I'm Having a Senior Moment: Notes to God on Growing Older
For Everything a Season: Simple Musings on Living Well
Love Stories of World War II
