Official Review: The Little Green Wagon by M.D. Carter

katiesquilts · Post by **katiesquilts** » 28 Oct 2017, 22:48

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The Little Green Wagon" by M.D. Carter.]

4 out of 4 stars

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I’m going to be very honest and admit that I usually don’t read autobiographies. It’s one thing to learn about a person’s life and personal thoughts after their death, when everything boils down to speculation. It’s another to have the person themselves write, in big bold letters than cannot be refuted, exactly what they experienced and how they felt. Reading an autobiography is like listening to the radio; someone’s droning on and on in a one-sided conversation that you may or may not care about, and you don’t get the chance to ask questions or divert the conversation to more pleasant topics. Heaven forbid the autobiographer be full of themselves.

Thankfully, on a whim I decided to take a chance with M.D. Carter’s The Little Green Wagon. Nothing about the title gave any clues to its genre. The summary, which promised tales of adventures hiking around America and narrowly avoiding danger and tragedy, drew me in right away. It said right there in the first sentence, “Written by a homeless man,” and yet it took me a few pages to realize that everything in the book had actually happened.

This realization struck me a few times throughout the book. Carter gave the readers a thorough background, detailing his personal history and the start of his addiction, the events that threw him onto cold streets, as well as the sequence of events that led to him finding his soulmate. A long chunk of the book chronicles the adventures they experienced together, criss-crossing the U.S. and spending as much time as possible sequestered from society, soaking in the silence and peace of nature. Along the way, they’re joined by family members, friends, and temporary travel mates. Every time something dramatic or miraculous happened, I was reminded that the book was based on completely real events.

Carter has an amazing memory and prolific writing skills. Every detail of his journeys are written down, from the dates they were in each city to the names of streets they walked along, even the amounts of money they were gifted by benevolent strangers. I can barely remember what I did yesterday, much less events that happened over a decade ago! Although some of the events were terrifying – racial disputes, close-calls with addicts, law enforcement, and Mother Nature herself – I’m sure they’re imprinted in Carter’s memory. They certainly left impressions on me, as well.

Although I was amazed at the number of details, I have to say that sometimes they make the book sound repetitive. We hiked along a road, something happened, we arrived at a gas station, someone gave us money, we ate, packed up, and moved on. Rinse and repeat until something out of the ordinary occurred. Although the book itself was not very long, I think it could have been condensed a little further.

I enjoyed The Little Green Wagon a lot more than I thought I would. I loved reading about the connections they were able to make with complete strangers, although I cringed while reading about some of the experiences Carter and his friends had to go through. The book has definitely made me reflect on myself as a person. If I had been there, what would I have done? All I can say is that I’ll be giving The Little Green Wagon 4 out of 4 stars and recommending it to restless travelers and anyone who I think needs a lesson about how homeless people truly live, although it may trigger readers who have had traumatic experiences or struggle with drug addiction. This book will change your life, if you give it a chance to.

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The Little Green Wagon
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Al Chakauya · Post by **Al Chakauya** » 29 Oct 2017, 06:50

If a book makes one reflect upon themselves, then it's definitely a very good book, moreso if it's an autobiography then the author did an excellent job and indeed deserves 4 stars. I am glad you enjoyed the book and I can't wait to grab a copy myself. A well documented and splendid review, well done.

katiesquilts · Post by **katiesquilts** » 29 Oct 2017, 08:51

Al Chakauya wrote:If a book makes one reflect upon themselves, then it's definitely a very good book, moreso if it's an autobiography then the author did an excellent job and indeed deserves 4 stars. I am glad you enjoyed the book and I can't wait to grab a copy myself. A well documented and splendid review, well done.

Thank you! I'm sure you'll enjoy it as well!

Post by **kandscreeley** » 29 Oct 2017, 14:22

Like you, I'll not usually much into memoirs. The fact that you like it gives me hope I might. Thanks for a nice review.

Manang Muyang · Post by **Manang Muyang** » 29 Oct 2017, 14:42

I like people who own up to their mistakes and teach others to avoid the same. I am likewise happy that Carter was helped by many on the road to healing. I hope he stays clean and green.

kjoan · Post by **kjoan** » 29 Oct 2017, 16:17

Indeed. Nothing about the title of this book; The Little Green Wagon betrays its genre. But what a thing it is to be pleasantly surprised by a book you had previously dismissed. I'm glad you took the risk of reading cause now I can too

Silverbabe · Post by **Silverbabe** » 29 Oct 2017, 18:03

I am a lover of books, but to be honest, I have not read this book and wish I can read it some day. I also love the fact that the writer toke his time to write about himself.

Kalin Adi · Post by **Kalin Adi** » 29 Oct 2017, 19:26

Fascinating review, thanks! You made me want to read the book too. Carter must definitely have an astounding memory to remember all those details, or perhaps he kept a diary. Anyways, the story sounds good. So, did you discover what the title has to do with the story? I'm curious.

Miss ejay · Post by **Miss ejay** » 30 Oct 2017, 05:16

Great review. Going to grab a copy already

Mercelle · Post by **Mercelle** » 30 Oct 2017, 06:10

Lovely review. I've never read a book written by a homeless man. This sounds like a good read.

Ubheeram Nina · Post by **Ubheeram Nina** » 31 Oct 2017, 00:58

Nice review. It seems to be an adventurous book. Full of discoveries and struggles.

Arushi Singh · Post by **Arushi Singh** » 31 Oct 2017, 04:45

Beautiful review.

Kat Berg · Post by **Kat Berg** » 31 Oct 2017, 21:25

As others have said: I wonder where the Little Green Wagon comes in to play? It sounds like there are probably some pretty painful aspects to this book. It is so easy to pretend that those who are homeless are less than people, and if reading a book by someone formerly homeless helps fight that trend, then yay!

Marissa Michael · Post by **Marissa Michael** » 02 Nov 2017, 06:42

Whoa, I love autobiography books because that is how I learn on how a person is shaped by his/her journey of life and this type of book usually make me ponder about my life. This definitely a must read to me who love adventures and who would like to know the view of the world through the perspective of different persons. I will select this book to my 'Want to Read' list.

katiesquilts · Post by **katiesquilts** » 02 Nov 2017, 08:59

Kalin Adi wrote:Fascinating review, thanks! You made me want to read the book too. Carter must definitely have an astounding memory to remember all those details, or perhaps he kept a diary. Anyways, the story sounds good. So, did you discover what the title has to do with the story? I'm curious.

Yes! The title has to do with a little green wagon that he carried his belongings in! It doesn't show up throughout the entire book, but it's almost a character of its own!