With the same emotional generosity and effortlessly compelling storytelling that made All Over But the Shoutin’ a national bestseller, Rick Bragg continues his personal history of the Deep South. This time he’s writing about his grandfather Charlie Bundrum, a man who died before Bragg was born but left an indelible imprint on the people who loved him. Drawing on their memories, Bragg … reconstructs the life of an unlettered roofer who kept food on his family’s table through the worst of the Great Depression; a moonshiner who drank exactly one pint for every gallon he sold; an unregenerate brawler, who could sit for hours with a baby in the crook of his arm.
In telling Charlie’s story, Bragg conjures up the backwoods hamlets of Georgia and Alabama in the years when the roads were still dirt and real men never cussed in front of ladies. A masterly family chronicle and a human portrait so vivid you can smell the cornbread and whiskey, Ava’s Man is unforgettable.
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Oh. My. Word. I can hardly wrap my mind around how much I love this book. I listened to the audiobook, read by the author, in his wonderful Southern accent, which only served to immerse me even deeper into the story of Charlie, Ava’s man (and the author’s grandfather). The book was published in 2001, so it isn’t new. But if you haven’t read it, …
The heart of this book beats out a rhythm of hardship, family loyalty and steadfast love in the hardest of times. Rick Bragg tells us of his grandfather, Charlie Bundrum, who somehow managed to keep seven mouths fed (Bragg’s mama was the 4th daughter) in any manner he could. With wit, charm and integrity, Charlie Bundrum, despite being poor as …
i enjoyed this immensely. the time/era topic of this book was the hook. the reality of the protagonist was mesmerizing and the historical context was so foreign to me, it was a page turner. do yourself a favor and read this.
Great character development and capture of the feeling of that era for the reader.
I have, and will, recommend this book to all.
True to the period and human nature. Very well written. A true literary work.
Touching memoir of a great Southern writer’s moonshining grandfather, since after all he, too, is instrumental to what the author became as an adult. A fascinating, insightful read.
My family LIVED this book. Relatable characters of time past that molded families.
One of my top 5 all time favorites.
I love Rick Bragg’s writing – and by the end, loved his grandfather, Ava’s man and the era of Appalachian poverty, hidden whiskey stills and brave love that he so beautifully recounts.
Realistic and honest portrayal of the South and its people.
Thank you, Rick Bragg, for another wonderful book. I loved, “All Over But the Shoutin’, and now another great book about your family and their life in the south.
I loved that your grandpa was not “religious” in the churchy sense, but he had a moral “code” and he stuck to it. People admired him, and I do too. He was a fine man that many of us …
My favorite book of all time. Brilliant! It’s no surprise that he won the Pulitzer.
Well written.
Great writer
Everything. The writing is down to earth and about people you can care about and feel you know. I love this book and will read anything else this writer has to say.
I adore Rick Bragg’s writing style. Sometimes it’s as though he’d peeked into my family’s history and plucked a few stories to call his own.
Rick Bragg is a Wonderful American Story teller.
my grandmother lived this rural life. hard times skillfully and creatively written. loved it. got other Rick Bragg books. he knows his stuff!!!
An early Hillbilly Elegy.
Love Rick Braggs writing. It’s hard to believe he never knew his Grandfather the accounts are so real!