Sweet Tea and Jesus Shoes [Paperback]

Sandra Chastain (Author), Deborah Smith (Author), Donna Ball (Author), Virginia Ellis aka Lyn Ellis (Author), Debra Dixon (Author), Nancy Knight (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1, 2000 | Series: Sweet Tea

Come sit on the porch a spell. Let's talk about times gone by and folks we remember, about slow summer evenings and lightning bugs in a jar. Listen to the music of a creaky swing and hand-cranked ice cream and cicadas chorusing in the sultry night air. Let's talk about how things used to be in the South--and for some of us, they way they still are.

Welcome to the world of Sweet Tea and Jesus Shoes, where award winning authors Deborah Smith, Sandra Chastain, Virginia Ellis, Debra Dixon, Donna Ball and Nancy Knight come together for the first time to create this poignant, humorous collection of nostalgic tales. Here life's lessons are handed down--liberally sprinkled with hilarity--from eccentric relatives, outrageous pets and unrepentant neighbors, and served up with a generous dollop of that most valued of all Southern commodities: good old fashioned storytelling. From Mississippi to Georgia, from Florida to Tennessee, these daughters of the South will take you on a lush tour of the times and places they know best, each voice as refreshing and inviting as a glass of cold sweet tea on a hot afternoon.

So come. Let us take you back. Let us take you home.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A brilliant compilation of southern women's stories in the tradition of Anne Rivers Siddons." -- Harriet Klausner, Midwest Book Review

"Delightful. Brew tea or grab something stronger, sit down and enjoy." --Rita Mae Brown, New York Times bestselling author of acclaimed novels including the Sneaky Pie Brown mystery series." -- Anonymous reviewer

"Miss Julia would feel right at home on the front porches and in the living rooms and kitchens where these delightful stories originated. SWEET TEA AND JESUS SHOES stir her memories, as well as my own." -- Ann B. Ross, author of Miss Julia Speaks Her Mind

"Storytelling is back with all its southern habits and charms, thanks to six women who are making it easier to get it in print. The stories are so good you'll be hungry for more." -- Liz Carpenter, acclaimed author and former press secretary for Lady Bird Johnson

"Sweet Tea and Jesus Shoes is a feast for any reader." -- Lisa Knighton, editor, Georgia Women Speak

"Sweet Tea and Jesus Shoes is a joyful and endearing collection of nostalgic stories which are sure to win the hearts of readers everywhere." -- Phyllis George, Miss America, TV Personality & Businesswoman

"Sweet Tea and Jesus Shoes is the debut book from BelleBooks, a small publishing house that caters to Southern fare. The anthology is a collection of family stories that depict the love of family, tradition, and humor which can appear eccentric in other regions, but south of the Mason-Dixon, it's just family. ...knee-slapping humor, two-hanky emotion, and pro-wrestling action into a rich tapestry that defines what it is to be born Southern. ...Sweet Tea and Jesus Shoes joins the works of Fannie Flagg, Lewis Grizzard, and Florence King in capturing the Southern experience. Pull up a rocker and pour another sweet tea." -- Joyce Dixon, Southern Scribe Reviews

"These fine veteran writers not only treat their fans to wonderful stories but also dish up their favorite recipes like Sweet Tea and Mama's Pecan Pie for readers to savor!

Don't miss this simply yummy anthology!" -- Pat Rouse, Romantic Times Columnist

"This book is rich in storytelling and makes me long for those southern days as a child listening to the stories of the past." --Barbara Dooley, author, radio talk show host, and wife of University of Georgia Athletic Director, Vince Dooley

From the Publisher

Among the collection's authors are multi-published, award-winning writers Deborah Smith, Donna Ball, and Sandra Chastain. All three are natives of Georgia with pioneer family backgrounds. Smith's 1997 nationally best-selling novel, A PLACE TO CALL HOME, (Bantam Books) received glowing reviews and was called "a page turner" by Publishers Weekly. Smith made news this year with a two-book, $1.2 million deal to write southern-based novels for Little, Brown. Donna Ball is the highly-lauded author of more than 80 novels in both genre and general-list fiction. Her novel, THE PASSION (writing as Donna Boyd, Avon Books,) was acclaimed last year as a "brilliantly erotic tale" by Midwest Book Review and "magical" by Publishers Weekly. Sandra Chastain is the popular author of over 40 novels in contemporary and historical women's fiction. Rendevous Reviews calls her stories "good for the heart." Her current title, THE RUNAWAY BRIDE (Bantam Books,) is a featured selection of the Doubleday Book Club.

Product Details

• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: BelleBooks, Inc. (May 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0967303508
• ISBN-13: 978-0967303505
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (29 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #123,876 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

33 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Storytelling at its finest!, May 18, 2000

By 

BarkLessWagMore (USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Sweet Tea and Jesus Shoes (Paperback)

Sweet Tea and Jesus Shoes is a charming collection of stories that range from sweetly sentimental tear-jerkers to laugh out loud funny slice-of-life tales. And, best of all, there isn't a dud in the entire bunch. All of the stories were obviously written with love and each is an author's memory of living in the South. The book is broken up into three sections titled: Precious Memories, Family Portraits (wow, do these ladies have some nutty relatives and neighbors!) and Beloved Critters. Being an animal lover the "Beloved Critters" section contained some of my favorite stories in the collection. The hands down winner for me was Donna Ball's UP JUMPS THE DEVIL. It's about a big, slobbering, affectionate dog that sends an entire town into an uproar and gives one grasping old bitty her comeuppance. This story had me in stitches and will be reread whenever I'm in dire need of a good laugh. The book is a little pricey, at $14.95 for only 171 pages of storytelling, but I feel its stories are worth splurging on (or saving for).

26 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful book!, August 30, 2000

By 

Karen Harbaugh (Northwest, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sweet Tea and Jesus Shoes (Paperback)

This book is worth the price. I was only part way done with it, when I had to e-mail my friends and tell them all about it. I was chuckling and sighing through the stories, and enjoying it every bit, good enough to read aloud. And when I do, I swear I start to have a bit of a twang in my words, even though I'm not from the South. The authors' voices are sure and strong, the stories are funny and heartwarming, and I really can't say enough good things about them.

This is a book sure to get you out of a funk. In particular, "Up Jumps the Devil," by Donna Ball had me falling off my chair because I was laughing so hard! I must have been pretty loud, too, because my husband ran up wondering what all the commotion was about. Of course, I gave him the book, and had the prime opportunity to see him fall off his chair, too. Good job, ladies! I'm buying this book for my relatives in North Carolina, Florida, and Texas, and sending it to them.

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Contented Sigh, November 6, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Sweet Tea and Jesus Shoes (Paperback)

"Sweet Tea and Jesus Shoes" is a book of short stories. The kind of stories that family and close friends tell at reunions. The kind of stories in which truth is stranger and funnier than fiction.

You'll walk to Bible School with children in the depression. You'll wait at home with the women while the men folk go hunting. You'll see both sides of the long standing feud between a southern woman and her in-laws. You'll meet a mixed breed black dog named Lucifer who went to a picnic and a revival.

Get a glass of sweet tea, and sit in a rocker by the fireplace. Rock your way back in time with five southern women storytellers as your tour guide. You're sure to end each story with a smile on your face and a contented sigh.

Published May 2000 by BelleBooks, authors Deborah Smith, Donna Ball, Nancy Knight, Sandra Chastain, Debra Dixon, Virginia Ellis.