Customer Reviews

Swag: Southern Women Aging Gracefully

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

That pretty much says it all, doesn't it? I sent this book last week to my cousin in North Carolina who flew to California for my father's funeral with a poundcake in her purse. Us Californians thought that was a bit nutty, but my husband, who is from the south, laughed until he cried and said, "You didn't expect a southern lady to show up empty handed now, did you?"

My cousin called yesterday to thank me for the book and said it had been the highlight of her day.

I'm sure I'll be buying this book a few more times...

I received a copy of this book from the publisher and was delighted to see it was written by someone from my hometown (Greenville, Ala.) Melinda Rainey Thompson.
I was even more delighted when I actually read the book. It is full of the warmth, sentiment and wry humor of the South I know and love. As a Lifestyles writer for a small town paper, I get a lot of preview copies of books. Frankly, some of them I never finish or even start.
Definitely not the case with Melinda's book. One of the great aspects of this collection is you can browse throughout the book and read an essay here or there as time allows...keep it on your bedstand at night, in the car to read while waiting in line at the drive-thru, etc.
While this is a humorous book (with the author constantly poking fun at herself) there are also some very touching moments, too.
You don't have to be a southern woman to enjoy this, either. Some things like motherhood and trying on bathing suits are just universal!
Melinda and I have never met but we have chatted via phone, and it was like we were old friends.
You'll feel that way when you read her book. Well recommended and suitable for all ages (no R-rated humor here).

This is one of those books one just does not want to finish reading because it will be like the end of a friendship. As a former English teacher, the author expresses her love of the English language in her writing without anyone ever guessing she was a "stuffy old English teacher." She is wise beyond her years and should inspire other lovers of our language to write about ordinary things. This book will make you laugh and cry; it will make you think and do. It will send you on a wonderful trip down memory lane and will inspire you to drink more lemonade, visit more friends, and catch more lightning bugs.

Though I am from a different region of the South than the author, the truisms smack you in the face like the humidty on a hot Southern summer's day. She has captured the essence of all of us who were reared in the South. And it is true, that most of us over a "certain" age prefer red lipstick. After all, Revlon wouldn't lie to us, would they?
I vary between gales of laughter and nodding in agreement while reading and wish someone were here so I could read it aloud to them.
She has captured our little customs, the SOP of our daily lives in a way no Yankee could ever do, but still it is an inspiration to those women who grew up North of the Mason-Dixon line and want to understand the mystique of Southern women. Men should read this as well. It is full of insights on how to survive with a Southern woman in a close personal relationship.
G Hileman, Middle TN and now FL

This is a great book, and is so funny. I felt like the author was telling stories of things that had happened in my life. If you are from the south, you understand---if your from the north----you'll want to move to the south to age gracefully. Easy to read and enjoy.

Although I'm not aging all that gracefully, my grandmother certainly did. Unlike her I'm approaching 40 and can't decide on the proper thing to wear. I Love this glimpse into southern womanhood as it should be lived out - and in some cases is. Like Ms. Thompson, I have told my husband to clean me up and dress me in something cute if he should have to take me to the hospital or, heaven help him, the funeral home. I just hope he picks something that I think I look good in, and not something he's always wanted to see me in.

Lucy Adams, author of If Mama Don't Laugh, It Ain't Funny

Melinda Rainey Thompson is a woman who has a way with words! She is able to take the everyday life of a Southern woman and make it so true and funny that I am left breathless with laughter! In one chapter I was driven to tears as I laughed! Read and enjoy!

This book is an accurate description of me, my grandmother, my southern girlfriends and female family members. From the obsession of plants and trees to the foods we love. Our habits, eccentricities and what makes us the absolutely wonderful creatures we are. I loved it and I am sending copies to my newly inherited (by a new marriage) Yankee girlfriends. From one Birmingham girl to another, thank you.

SWAG, Southern Women Aging Gracefully is truley one of those books that a Southern Woman shakes her head at and laughs as she goes from chapter to chapter. Her whitty stories and Southernisms are great. You laugh out loud because if you are a Southern Woman, you know she is not just gossiping! Even if you aren't a Southern woman, you will enjoy her stories of family, friends, and heritage...all Southern Style. What a good read.

I love this book! I have had my mother read this and am planning on buying more to give to other SWAGs I know.