Review by Mjgarrison -- Tales from Piney Grove
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Mary Garrison
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Review by Mjgarrison -- Tales from Piney Grove
[Following is a volunteer review of "Tales from Piney Grove" by Bobby Morrison.]
3 out of 4 stars
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Tales From Piney Grove is a compelling recollection of a boy’s adolescent life, as he grew up in a small town. It took place during the industrial revolution and was all written in his perspective as he went into extensive detail about the people he encountered, as well as the events he attended. He told of his experiences in church every Sunday morning and the ball games he enjoyed on Sunday night. The majority of the population in his town were sharecroppers and lived paycheck to paycheck. He and his family were sharecroppers and devoted members of their church. His father worked tirelessly, as well as always took it upon himself to help anyone in need. He told of how the town progressed from having to heat their homes with a potbelly trash-burner, to having a furnace and air conditioner. He also told of the trouble he created for himself and the hustling he decided to partake in, so he could enjoy some of the experiences he might not of had a chance to otherwise.
Growing up in a small town myself, I loved hearing his thoughts on small-town life and the people he encountered. I appreciated how he didn’t sugarcoat the whole experience, but actually told how he viewed the people in town and how they treated each other. Some of them attended church in the morning and proceeded to get drunk, use profanity, and stir up trouble at night. While others were more sincere about their love for God and their desire to please him. His attention to detail made me excited to drink a Pepsi with peanuts or enjoy an ice-cream cone at the local grocery store. I felt his experiences, as he enjoyed the simple aspects of life that are so often taken for granted these days. I also felt the pain as he lay in bed freezing, took the punishment coming to him, and as he endured being bullied at church.
The only downside of this book is that it doesn’t seem to be professionally edited. I found 10 mistakes, mainly consisting of missing letters or words. Here is one example of a mistake I found, “He couldn’t have care less.” That being said, they were easy to read past and did not deter me from the storyline at all.
I rate this book 3 out of 4 stars, as a result of the editing mistakes. Without those mistakes it would’ve been a 4 out of 4 without a doubt. It was a wonderfully written view of his life, including all of the joy and struggles he and his family endured.
I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys hearing about small-town life or anyone interested in how life was during the industrial revolution. There were some alcohol and marijuana references in addition to some profanity, so I would recommend it to an older audience. Though none of it was too overwhelming and I believe it was necessary to tell the true story of his life. So get in the hammock with a cold drink and be ready to be transported to a simpler time, where we didn’t need as much to enjoy life.
******
Tales from Piney Grove
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3 out of 4 stars
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Tales From Piney Grove is a compelling recollection of a boy’s adolescent life, as he grew up in a small town. It took place during the industrial revolution and was all written in his perspective as he went into extensive detail about the people he encountered, as well as the events he attended. He told of his experiences in church every Sunday morning and the ball games he enjoyed on Sunday night. The majority of the population in his town were sharecroppers and lived paycheck to paycheck. He and his family were sharecroppers and devoted members of their church. His father worked tirelessly, as well as always took it upon himself to help anyone in need. He told of how the town progressed from having to heat their homes with a potbelly trash-burner, to having a furnace and air conditioner. He also told of the trouble he created for himself and the hustling he decided to partake in, so he could enjoy some of the experiences he might not of had a chance to otherwise.
Growing up in a small town myself, I loved hearing his thoughts on small-town life and the people he encountered. I appreciated how he didn’t sugarcoat the whole experience, but actually told how he viewed the people in town and how they treated each other. Some of them attended church in the morning and proceeded to get drunk, use profanity, and stir up trouble at night. While others were more sincere about their love for God and their desire to please him. His attention to detail made me excited to drink a Pepsi with peanuts or enjoy an ice-cream cone at the local grocery store. I felt his experiences, as he enjoyed the simple aspects of life that are so often taken for granted these days. I also felt the pain as he lay in bed freezing, took the punishment coming to him, and as he endured being bullied at church.
The only downside of this book is that it doesn’t seem to be professionally edited. I found 10 mistakes, mainly consisting of missing letters or words. Here is one example of a mistake I found, “He couldn’t have care less.” That being said, they were easy to read past and did not deter me from the storyline at all.
I rate this book 3 out of 4 stars, as a result of the editing mistakes. Without those mistakes it would’ve been a 4 out of 4 without a doubt. It was a wonderfully written view of his life, including all of the joy and struggles he and his family endured.
I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys hearing about small-town life or anyone interested in how life was during the industrial revolution. There were some alcohol and marijuana references in addition to some profanity, so I would recommend it to an older audience. Though none of it was too overwhelming and I believe it was necessary to tell the true story of his life. So get in the hammock with a cold drink and be ready to be transported to a simpler time, where we didn’t need as much to enjoy life.
******
Tales from Piney Grove
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
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