Ellen, the author’s girlfriend, perfectly describes Tales from the Riverside in this quote: “This is a guy who walks through the zoo, pointing to all kinds of critters, saying ‘THAT’S good eatin’”.
Tales from the Riverside is a collection of stories about the author’s life growing up, working on and living in a swamp on the Guadalupe River near the Texas Gulf Coast. It details the many times the swamp almost killed him, the talents of his remarkable mother, tips for fishing and even recipes!
This is a highly entertaining collection of tales from an author who has a confident, friendly voice. Reading this book makes you feel like you have sat down for a chat with him on his porch, while he recounts his humorous tales. His love for and knowledge of the swamp are evident on every page, even if most of his stories include the killing of it at least one animal.
The author often extolls the benefits of eating fresh food, and his mentions of his garden reminded me of the fruit and vegetables my parents grew in our garden as I was growing up. Nothing tastes as good as vegetables fresh from the ground. I also liked the numerous photographs included in this book. It was nice to see the places he wrote about in his tales.
I award Tales from the Riverside…
Click here to buy Tales from the Riverside on Amazon.
Iseult Murphy 
Sounds interesting
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It is. 🙂
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I like the sound of this one. But there must have been elements which you didn’t like since ‘only’ 3 out of 5 is rewarded?
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The stories were lovely vignettes, and the author has a likable voice, but there was no over arcing narrative or linking theme, which detracted somewhat from the satisfaction I derive from reading. There was also some repetition in the tales in the fact that a lot of them revolved killing snacks and making hatbands, or killing fish and eating them. It is obvious that the author loves the fauna and flora of the swamp, and I understand that death is a part of life, but it did get to me. One star deducted for each point, hence 3 out of 5. It’s always nice to journey into another’s life and see how other people live, and the author does touch on some deep themes which could have been expanded to produce a more satisfying read. However, he has already written his memoirs, so perhaps he expounds on them in that.
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Not killing snacks – killing snakes! Lol.
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Ah, that makes a lot more sense! 😀
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