Ms. Smarty Pants Know It All

Potato Branch is a series of short stories about the author’s childhood in the Appalachian Mountains. The author was also one of my teachers in high school.

Personal connection aside, I really enjoyed the book. By coincidence, I had just finished Prodigal Summer by Barbara Kingsolver right before starting Potato Branch. While Potato Branch does not have the sweeping themes of Prodigal Summer, it serves as a nice companion piece because it talks about the life that used-to-be along the small farm communities of those mountainsides.

Potato Branch provides little vignettes about the traditions, morals, and work ethic of the region during the ’30s and ’40s. The hardships of the life come through but the stories mostly focus on the positives. It’s a nice dip into the nostalgia/Americana genres.

The stories are well-written, full of humor, and flowing with love. It kind of is what a lot of Jimmy Carter’s writing should be.

New Author Challenge: two completed, thirteen to go.

Tags: Books by Ms. SP
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