If you can spare the time to drive sixty miles into the backwoods of eastern Pennsylvania, crouch down in a bed of poison ivy, and peer through the sumacs, you will be rewarded by an interesting sight. What you will see is a middle-aged city dweller, as lean and bronzed as a shad’s belly (I keep a …
Having delighted millions of Americans with A Year in Provence and Toujours Provence, Peter Mayle treats us to a wonderfully entertaining novel of escape, romance and adventure. played in the landscape he has made so irresistible.Simon Shaw, a forty-two-year-old advertising tycoon, worn down by insatiable clients and a rapacious ex-wife, wants to get away from it all. On …
Dubbed the “Bard of America’s Bird-Watchers” by the Wall Street Journal, Pete Dunne knows birders and birding—instinctively and completely. He understands the compulsion that drives other birders to go out at first light, whatever the weather, for a chance to maybe, just maybe, glimpse that rare migrant that someone might have spotted in a patch of woods the …
Blue Ridge Chronicles:: A Decade of Dispatches from Southwest Virginia (American Chronicles)
Many of the highlanders in Virginia’s western mountains live in small communities with names such as Stonebruise, Novelty, and Wangle Junction, and here their stories are chronicled by one of their own, Floyd County native and Pulitzer-nominated journalist Rex Bowman, roving reporter for the Richmond Times-Dispatch. Colorful characters abound, from folks in Independence who have a decades-old tradition …
Bob Artley’s Book of Farm Chores: As Remembered by a Former Kid
For more than 50 years, beloved artist Bob Artley has delighted us with his distinctive, folksy recording of farm history. In Bob Artley’s world, every moment of farm life–from chores to walking to school–is an opportunity to impart his wisdom and insight into the rural way of life. His wonderful artwork and stories reflect his sense of pride …
This is a true story of the struggle, survival, and ultimate success of a large black family in south Alabama who, in the middle decades of the 20th century, lifted themselves out of poverty to achieve the American dream of property ownership. Descended from slaves and sharecroppers in the Black Belt region, this family of hard-working parents and …
Heart of a Nation: Writers and Photographers Inspired by the American Landscape
In this wonderful exploration of the American Landscape, 17 distinguished writers and photographers create a vivid, perceptive portrait of our nation’s natural beauty. Highlighted by 120 breathtaking images and featuring thoughtful, evocative prose by award-winning authors, Heart of a Nation ranges from Vermont to Alaska, from the Appalachian foothills to the lofty peaks of the Sierra, from …
Pure common sense in a no-fuss package. Dishing out witty one-liners and old-fashioned country logic the same way an old camp cook dishes out beans and biscuits, Roy English’s Advice from a Country Farmer is simply this―no-nonsense humor and wisdom from a country gentleman schooled in common sense and kindness. • “Most farmers work only …
Before World War II, farmers had few of the conveniences that were common in cities. Many farmers continued to milk cows by hand, pump water with windmills or gasoline engines, light their way with kerosene lamps and lanterns, heat with woodstoves, and plant and harvest with horses. And many had no indoor plumbing. After war’s end in 1945, …
Imagine a large family gathering. There are a couple of cousins who have never met before, a teacher from New York and a lifetime Vermonter. Over yonder are four bearded brothers talking to Uncle Philip, who sells life insurance. Sitting in the corner is Aunt Sarah who, raises hens.This book is a bit like such a gathering. The …