It's not too difficult to convince me to review a book. The title of this particular read, At Home in Dogwood Mudhole ,caught my eye and had my interest piqued. Written and put out by Franklin Sanders from At Home in Dogwood Mudhole , this is actually the first in a series, with the subtitle Volume One: Nothing That Eats.
I love a good series, because I enjoy knowing that I have several books then lined up to satisfy my need to read!
The first thing to understand at the beginning, is that this is not a novel or an average story. It's a compilation of excerpts spanning seventeen years from the life of Franklin Sanders that he published in his monthly newsletter The Moneychanger. As such, it doesn't necessarily flow smoothly from one subject to the next. A theme may come up, and when it's done, it's done. That didn't interfere with my enjoyment at all, but I did want to mention it.
So you'd probably like to know what the book is about, so here goes.
It won't take any time at all to discover that the author is a Southerner in every sense of the word. There are certain rules as it were that therefore dictate how certain parts of southern life should function, and he unapologetically shares what they are, but graciously.
A man of faith, he easily weaves his faith into the stories here and there. He spends a considerable amount of time sharing bits of history from the South. He and his family really enjoy taking part in re-enactments, and he shares quite a lot about those as well.
Sanders and his family have traveled quite a bit, and have visited many different restaurants, shops, and other touristy places. And he does something that I find very neat, and great for those business owners- after sharing about them, he provides their contact information to the reader. So yes, you too can have the nice experience that they had and pay them a visit if you ever have the opportunity to pass through those areas.
He makes it a point over and over to reveal the trusting expectations from many of the people that he and his family come in contact with. Those shopkeepers who trust that Sanders and his family won't steal, and therefore have no problem leaving them unattended, the hotel owners who leave a note with a key, telling them to make themselves at home, and other similar stories. It hearkens back to a simpler time, and succeeded in making me nostalgic for a more innocent era.
The first part of this book lays the foundation for what will ultimately be the family's decision to move to a simpler way of living, and drastic too, from probably the viewpoint of most folks. The motivator seems to have been Y2K- remember all of the concern surrounding that date?
We the reader, have the privilege of getting glimpses into their very honest, often humorous, and all around real life experiences in all of this. They succeed and they fail, they laugh and they cry, and we benefit from what they have learned through it all. If you're like me, you will be entertained, touched, encouraged and motivated by these little snippets. I know that my Spirit was lifted more than once.
I have thoroughly enjoyed having this book to savor over the past month or so. How do I describe it? It's simply enjoyable. I feel like this family are old friends of mine now. The honesty of the text is refreshing. With chapters that have titles like "The Great Chicken Slaughter", "Pig Versus Man", and "An Olfactory Excursion", you know it has to be fun.
I like that because of its style, the fact that it isn't a straight novel, but rather, entries, I can put it down, and even if I wait a week to pick it up again, I haven't gone off track. I'm glad that this is one in a series of books, because they too will soon be a part of my library :)
I also have a few people in mind to give this to as Christmas gifts.
Sound good to you? You can read about what others had to say about this book by clicking the links below. And then maybe get a copy for yourself ;)
Franklin Sanders from At Home in Dogwood Mudhole
At Home in Dogwood Mudhole
Price: $22.95 - paperback
$16.95 - Kindle/ePUB/PDF
Ages: A good family read aloud, but especially for teens and on up
Click to read more reviews from the Schoolhouse Review Crew
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