Reviewed by Mollie Smith Waters Although it is rare to read a book that will change one’s perspective on life, it is not all that uncommon to learn a valuable life lesson from a good read. Such is the case with Lisa Wingate’s The Prayer Box, a solid story with a clear message: do not […]
“Down and Out in Bugtussle, The Mad Fat Road to Happiness,” by Stephanie McAfee
March 12, 2014 by Leave a Comment
Reviewed by Amy Susan Wilson Down and Out in Bugtussle, The Mad Fat Road to Happiness, by Stephanie McAfee, is hilarious. It is not merely a “chick-lit” exploration of female issues—it resonates not only because of its superbly crafted world of women who create a sense of community for themselves, but also because it explores […]
March Read of the Month: “Kids These Days,” by Drew Perry
March 4, 2014 by Leave a Comment
Reviewed by Matt Simmons Perhaps no trope is as evocative of southern writing as the “sense of place,” a concept that can be both incredibly limiting and powerfully productive in how we read about and respond to the American South. On the one hand, this trope may force us to read in search of southern […]
“Half a Man,” by Bill Glose
February 25, 2014 by Leave a Comment
Reviewed by William Aarnes For me at least, as someone who knows few people involved in the armed forces, one striking bit of news in Bill Glose’s Half a Man comes in the poem “Invisible.” The poem relates how, after a soldier dies in conflict, the spouse loses housing privileges. We are all familiar with […]
“Reparation,” by Ruth Rodgers
February 20, 2014 by Leave a Comment
Reviewed by Donna Meredith Ruth Rodgers’s debut novel, Reparations, tells the poignant story of a friendship in the 1940s between two girls—one black, one white. Yes, it’s another story with race relations at its center, a story the South must tell and retell because each iteration takes us one step further toward understanding and healing […]
February Read of the Month: “Appomattox: Victory, Defeat, and Freedom at the End of the Civil War,” by Elizabeth Varon
February 12, 2014 by Leave a Comment
Reviewed by Miles Smith, IV Appomattox: Victory, Defeat, and Freedom at the End of the Civil War offers the first cultural, political, and social history of the Army of Northern Virginia’s surrender at Appomattox Court House. Elizabeth Varon’s elegant narrative, provocative argument, and skillful use of sources make this work an interesting addition to the […]