The situation in Haiti was and probably still is horrific. Mr. Bragg pulls no punches he tells it just as it was. At the horror's center is money. He was nakedly honest about how people who did wrong on most levels brought up a rage in him that often included violent thoughts.
I can understand how he would see things that way given what he went through and what he covered. I've never quite made sense of this, but it's because he lived it and saw it that I was able to read this magnificent book. Think of it this way, if there weren't the violence in the world and his upbringing I bet Mr. Bragg would still be a writer and his books' beauty would be without reference.
I freely admit that I sabotaged myself when I read this book. I knew as soon as I started it that I would love it. So I intentionally read sentences, even pages, two and three times. Mr. Bragg's writing style vibes well with me because he's honest and direct which, for me, is a recipe for tears and laughter.
A few of the home-run quotes:
- When describing his skill working with his hands or meals: "I couldn't hammer a nail without bending it or severely damaging myself or someone standing near, and if you had depended on me to feed the fire or the hog we would have froze to death with our emaciated pig."
- His mom and fruitcake: "She is the only person I have ever met who actually eats fruitcake."
- Perhaps the grand slam of the book, he lived near a Krispy Kreme factory in Atlanta and he described how good they are: "Trying to explain how good they are to someone who has never had one is like telling a celibate priest about young love."
- Describing his stories of sadness in his notebook: "I captured the stories of dead innocents and other great sadnesses in my notebook, like butterflies pressed between the pages of a science project."
Early on in the book, Bragg says in the prologue, "This is not an important book. It is only the story of a strong woman..." Mr. Bragg, you're half right. This is an important book.
Article comments
1 - Jo
Nice review! I grew up in the area Rick's from, and it's hard to describe how fascinating his life is - knowing the people he mentioned, the landmarks, and being able to look up his momma in the phone book after tearfully reading the last page.
One of my favorites! I'm glad you enjoyed it too!
2 - MaryB
The best book I've read in a long time. Mr.Bragg speaks of the south and all it's peculiarities with nothing but love, and tells his story in such a way as to transcend genre, time, and place. I grew up in rural Alabama myself and have never witnessed an account of it's native people so brutally accurate and heartfelt. This book is sure to be a classic.
3 - Aurellia Collier
i have to read this book for my literature class. i like it and all, but sometimes i think its alittle wordy. like his life is interesting and i love his many stories, but he rambles and switches from time to time without warning. i have to say that his book comes in second with my reading list, but he most definatly in the top five!!!
4 - ruel el. farol
i have just finished the prologue, and i knew that i would have to finish the whole book. mr. bragg says, "this is not an important book."well, before he started with that on the 2nd paragraph he had me in "redbirds," and with that i have to read on.
5 - Cierra
I didn't really like it that much. It wasn't a horrible story but it wasn't definitely the best I've ever read.
6 - kaylee
i hateeeee this book! maybe it was my teachers fault, but i could never get interested in it.
7 - kaylee
p.s. see you in three days Ricky!
8 - blnocchi
I loved this book! One of the best examples of dialect I have read since Harold Bell Wright and Mark Twain. Exceptionally moving, honest, real life.
I wish Professor Bragg could be my writing teacher. He makes one cry and one feels the dignity of his mama. What a great woman she is. I am proud of her spirit. I am glad he is a great success and a great writer, something his mother can be proud of.
9 - C
Mr. Bragg had a very hard life and he pushed through it with everything he had to become a very sucessful man. If I was his mother I would be very proud of my son for accomplishing such amazing things in his life. This book could possibly be a classic. Thankyou Mr. Bragg for writing this wonderful memoir.
-Freshman in high school
10 - QW
this book was awful. probably because i had to read it for class. i understand that he had a hard life... but i could not follow this book