A Place Called Wiregrass [Paperback]

Michael Morris (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 2002

Winner of a 2003 Christy Award, honoring the best in Christian fiction!

Erma Lee is on the run. Running from an abusive husband. Running from a mother who doesn't care. Never cared. Running from all that has held her down her entire life.

She and her granddaughter, Cher, flee to the town of Wiregrass where they can escape the past and start over--or so Erma Lee thinks. But adversity seems to follow Erma Lee no matter what town she calls home.

However, not everything is the same in Wiregrass. There Erma Lee meets Miss Claudia: kind, gracious, merciful and hiding secrets from her own past. And in Miss Claudia, Erma Lee meets a true friend. Life holds promise until Cher's convict father arrives in town, forcing all three women to come to terms with buried secrets.
Winner of a 2003 Christy Award, honoring the best in Christian fiction, this novel by Michael Morris captures the essence of the Deep South. Written with truth and grit, the story is woven with characters that will stay in your heart long after you have put the book back on the shelf.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“...truly inspiring and uplifting without ever being preachy or didactic. A real page turner with very strong characters.”- (--Le Smith, author of The Last Girls )

“Erma Lee is a wonderful character ...It is hard to believe that Wiregrass is a first novel.” (--Anne Rivers Siddons, author of Nora, Nora ) --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

From the Publisher

"Erma Lee Jacobs is a wonderful character full of strength, vulnerability and possibility, all in equal measure. It is hard to believe that A Place Called Wiregrass is a first novel."-Anne Rivers Siddons, Author of Nora, Nora

"Having done a lot of literary work in one of the poorest counties of eastern Kentucky, I know the world of this novel. Michael Morris has captured the hardscrabble world of the marginalized and dispossessed to a 'T.' The depiction of abusive relationships is very real, as is the friendship, camaraderie, and strength among women. This novel is truly inspiring and uplifting without ever being preachy or didactic. A real page turner with very strong characters."-Lee Smith, Author of Saving Grace

"In words both simple and eloquent, Michael Morris writes of the people he knows with honesty and compassion. His style is worthy of comparisons to fellow Southern writers Larry Brown and Lee Smith."-Tim McLaurin, Author of The River Less Run

"Michael Morris is a born writer who learned his craft by living. He knows that story comes first. Try putting this one down!"-Janice Daugharty, Author of Like A Sister

"A Place Called Wiregrass is a powerful story of saving grace, cherished friendship, and gritty survival. You'll read it and cheer. This is a great book!"-Lynne Hinton, Author of Friendship Cake

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: RiverOak Publishing (March 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1589199669
• ISBN-13: 978-1589199668
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (51 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #302,913 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Michael Morris is the author of the award winning novel, A Place Called Wiregrass, and Slow Way Home, named one of the best novels of the year by the Atlanta Journal Constitution and the St. Louis Dispatch. His novella, Live Like You Were Dying, was a finalist for the Southern Book Critics Circle Award. A native of rural Florida, he currently resides in Alabama.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

32 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I would give it 10 stars if I could!, November 10, 2003

By 

Soozie4Him (Chicago suburbs) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: A Place Called Wiregrass (Paperback)

What first attracted me to this book was the fact that it won the "Christy Award" for the best first novel. But what kept me reading past the first chapter was the realistic, delightful character of Erma Lee. When we first meet her, Erma Lee has left her no-good abusive husband. She takes her granddaughter Cher with her. They find a town called Wiregrass, Alabama where Erma Lee finds a job, friendship and a whole new life in the person of Miss Claudia, a wealthy older lady.

The author shows how being a survivor of bad circumstances isn't something just for the poor - even Miss Claudia has her secrets. This book is almost impossible to put down. The story line is so believable, and the writing style is incredible. I can't wait to read Michael Morris's next book!

Please check out my other reviews!

22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars REAL WOMEN AND REAL LIFE, September 29, 2004

By 

LORNA E. (VERO BEACH, FLA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Place Called Wiregrass (Paperback)

FINALLY A NOVEL ABOUT SOUTHERN WOMEN THAT DOES NOT PAINT THEM AS DIRT EATING FOOLS! THE WRITER SHOWS THE READER TWO DIFFERENT LIFESTYLES FROM THE RURAL WORKING CLASS TO THE OLD MONEY WHEELS OF SMALL TOWN LIFE. i VERY MUCH ENJOYED THE MAIN CHARACTER, ERMA LEE, EVEN THOUGH I CAN'T SAY THAT I LIKED HER. IT IS THE MORE REFINED MISS CLAUDIA THAT WON MY HEART. I FINISHED THIS NOVEL THINKING THAT I NEED A MISS CLAUDIA IN MY OWN LIFE. THIS IS REAL LIFE (FRIENDSHIP, FAITH, HURTS AND DREAMS). A SOLID FIRST NOVEL THAT LEFT ME WANTING TO KNOW MORE ABOUT WHAT HAPPENS TO ERMA LEE.

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A touching story!, June 22, 2004

By 

Deb "debs4jc" (KS, United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Place Called Wiregrass (Paperback)

Erma Lee is an abused wife who runs off to Wiregrass with her granddaughter Cher. The story is told from Erma's point of view, so you understand why she does what she does even if it doesn't make sense. The relationships and chracters are the heart of this book. I was very touched by them and I could have almost cried at the ending. This novel is well deserving of the Christy Award that it received.