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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"I love the way Bragg writes. My adoration of this book comes in part from my heritage. I grew up near where much of the book takes place. Bragg writes about poor or lower middle class southerners in a way that rarely works. His character are regal and what some would call "white trash" at the same time."
— Kendal (5 out of 5 stars)
" I love these back-woods, southern reads...something about the culture that I really enjoy reading about. "
— Christa, 2/8/2014" I absolutely LOVED this book. Bragg did a great job in this memoir about his grandparents. "
— Caroline, 1/24/2014" A great read & testimony of a son's love "
— Kay, 1/15/2014" The beauty of the language in this book knocked me over. It is a stellar piece of writing. "
— Laurel, 1/1/2014" Ava's Man has the most vivid imagery of any book I've ever read. Period. If you don't believe me, find the about Charlie Bundrum, his grandfather and the hero of this book, shooting a woman clean through her breasts. "
— Grace, 12/18/2013" Profound resonance. "
— Laura, 11/24/2013" One of my most favorite books I've ever read! "
— Jeanne, 11/23/2013" See review of The Prince of Frogtown. I love these books. And that's a handsome devil on the cover, don't you think? Emphasis on devil. "
— Pamela, 10/25/2013" Could not put it down, love historical fiction "
— Shannon, 10/16/2013" I was challenged by this sensitive portrait of a time and place, hung on the character of Bragg's grandfather. There was nothing one dimensional about it, beautifully drawn, highly complex. "
— Sandra, 10/11/2013Rick Bragg is the author of ten books, including New York Times bestsellers. He is also a regular contributor to Southern Living and Garden & Gun. As a feature writer for the New York Times, he won a Pulitzer Prize in 1996 for his “elegantly written stories about contemporary America.”