This memoir is very compelling in parts. The first third focuses on the narrator’s experiences growing up on his home place in South Carolina. The second part drags; I read the book a couple of weeks ago and can’t remember now what the middle third is about! The third section does an excellent job of contextualizing the narrator’s personal and professional experience within relevant historical, social, and cultural contexts. While interesting for the general reader, I do not think this book would work well as a Campus Reading Program selection.
I agree with the assessment. The book is well written and at first takes the reader into the past memories of growing up in a rural environment. The middle is about odd experiences doing research on birds but the end of the book splinters into a odd hunting experience and wanting to know his roots. It just wouldn’t make a good pick for the “read”. Too slow and not enough follow through on the sustainability issue.
I read the beginning of the book and skimmed the rest of the text. While I find it interesting as a general reader, I agree that it would probably not capture our target audience’s attention quickly enough.
The Home Place is a good read where students can explore their place within their families, their landscape and in the larger society. The author discusses his family life in great detail which does lead to a slower read in the beginning of the chapters. Students would be interested to read how he changed his major, and followed his heart with the rest of his studies; how he started his family and finished his graduate studies. Parts of chapters discuss his relationship as a black man to discrimination by others and facing these fears. Overall, I think once students get used to slower style of descriptive prose, they would benefit in learning about nature from this book.
This memoir is very compelling in parts. The first third focuses on the narrator’s experiences growing up on his home place in South Carolina. The second part drags; I read the book a couple of weeks ago and can’t remember now what the middle third is about! The third section does an excellent job of contextualizing the narrator’s personal and professional experience within relevant historical, social, and cultural contexts. While interesting for the general reader, I do not think this book would work well as a Campus Reading Program selection.
I agree with the assessment. The book is well written and at first takes the reader into the past memories of growing up in a rural environment. The middle is about odd experiences doing research on birds but the end of the book splinters into a odd hunting experience and wanting to know his roots. It just wouldn’t make a good pick for the “read”. Too slow and not enough follow through on the sustainability issue.
I read the beginning of the book and skimmed the rest of the text. While I find it interesting as a general reader, I agree that it would probably not capture our target audience’s attention quickly enough.
The Home Place is a good read where students can explore their place within their families, their landscape and in the larger society. The author discusses his family life in great detail which does lead to a slower read in the beginning of the chapters. Students would be interested to read how he changed his major, and followed his heart with the rest of his studies; how he started his family and finished his graduate studies. Parts of chapters discuss his relationship as a black man to discrimination by others and facing these fears. Overall, I think once students get used to slower style of descriptive prose, they would benefit in learning about nature from this book.