This collection of short stories is loved, even revered, by many fledgling short story writers, and with some legitimate reasons. Bobbie Ann Mason constructs a story well, and her characters behave as real people would. She rarely chooses to give the reader much of a sense of the landscapes in which she works, but when she does, she does it beautifully and economically. Frankly, though, I grew weary of the themes in her stories. In the middle of one of the stories, I think I screamed something like, "If I have to read one more story about dysfunctional relationships, I'm going to shoot myself!" I never did go through with it, in part because Mason does give the reader a taste of some likeable male characters in a few of the stories near the end of the book. I myself would never want to write stories which are, ultimately, as bleak as the stories in this collection, but Mason's bitter humor is often endearing, and her characters are interesting (if similarly crafted from story to story). If you want to read about people from rural Kentucky, read Wendell Berry instead; if you're looking for stories about relationships, read Joyce Carol Oates. Save this one for after you're read just about everything else.

This is a wonderful collection of stories. I read it originally as a student about 12 years ago and was happy to recently re-read it. Mason gives us an honest and very un-sensational look at the middle and lower class of the South but does so in a way that neither patronizes nor glorifies her subjects. Having grown up in the culture that Mason describes, I can say that she captures both the mystery and the mundane that is the South. The drama is so understated and she allows her characters a quiet dignity.

I was given this book by a friend about ten years ago. Somewhere in between, it went walkabout. It is such a haunting, beautiful set of stories that the chance to get it back - and in hardback - is not to be missed. Tales about working class life don't get much truer or more real than this. Very gentle, very thoughtful, very moving. Worth going out of your way for a copy.

You could blame me.....it was a great book, but I found the solution too simple. I mean, Abby is faced with a seemingly impossible and unusual situation, and she and her friend solve it within a matter of a week. Yeah, right. I mean, the book was good, and maybe I just grew out of it. I read it numerous times, and I don't recall what I thought 2 years ago when I first read it. I haven't read any other books by the author, but this one was pleasing. Maybe I will try to find more selections by her.

Here and Then was a book about a little girl and her dreams. The setting was a real place because it took place in Kentucky.The characters are believable because they went to school and had regular friends.The main character was not a likeable person because she was bossy a whole lot. Yes, I liked the book because she has a lot of dreams. My favorite part of the story is when they were on the bed eating nachos because I like to eat nachos. The main character learned that if you believe in something it might happen. I would recommened this book to a friend because it is a ghost story. If my friend liked this book he might like The Pizza the Size of the Sun and Poppy.

This book is about a little girl named Lawanda. She starts out trying to sell magazines and earn money for college. It's by selling these magazines that she meets Garland. Garland is an older man who lives in a bus, he is generally known as the town's hermit. He chases all strangers away until Lawanda comes along. As Garland and Lawanda get to know each other better, they each encounter conflicts that will forever change their existence. I found this book to be quality reading, but I really couldn't get into the characters. They had such fictional personalities, that it was hard to identify with some of their feelings. The descriptions are exceptional, and I think that's why the book is a Young Adult Book Award Nominee. Somehow I just don't think that Mr. Lyon did his best though. Perhaps another book would help him to create realistic characters.

With a Hammer for my Heart was one of the greatest novels I've ever read.It was passionate,poetic & just a really lovely book.I gave it five stars because it was so greatly & beautifully written. George Ella Lyon is a literary genius. I thoroughly enjoyed this novel & hated to see it end.I would absolutely recommend this novel to anyone looking for a really great read.The plot is fantastic & I just loved the story.

If you like a good story told straight from the characters' mouths, then you will enjoy this book. As a Kentuckian, I enjoy stories with a decisively Appalachian flavor, and in With A Hammer For My Heart, Ms. George Ella Lyon (yes, the author is a SHE) weaves a deceivingly simple, yet powerful, story about family, friendship, and forgiveness. Told through the voices of its many characters, the story centers around the friendship between a young girl, LaWanda, and a war-ravaged veteran, Amos Garland. Determined to make her way to college, LaWanda charges into Garland's life selling magazines. Although he does not welcome company, Garland finds that he has become (somewhat unwillingly) a friend to LaWanda. However, through a series of tragic events, LaWanda's loyalty to her family and Garland are tested. Yet, in the end, LaWanda's strength and courage brings about powerful changes in the people around her. Ms. Lyon's first attempt at adult fiction is a success and I look forward to reading more of her adult work. She is truly one of Kentucky's treasures!

This book starts out with Mandy and her sisters talking about trees. Thay live in Kentucky and all that, so ya know Her brothers hated ham so they ate at the hotel.

Mandy is twelve years old,and she has to take care of her two younger sisters,nine-year-old Anna and five-year-old Helen.Her
two older brothers,Ben and David,are 14 and 16.One day they have a new baby brother,Willie.Mandy's mother is tired from Willie's birth and really weak.So Mandy had to keep the house running with David and Ben.And she gets to escape all this work by going to her grandparents' house for two weeks in Memphis as a christmas present from her presents.

My almost-4-yr.-old and his nursery class love this book. The words detail a meal of bugs and "puddle ink" to drink, but the pictures really capture all the fun of pond exploration. It's a quick read, yet the children go back to it by themselves to look at the illustrations more carefully.

George Ella Lyon has been inspiring writers and teachers for years. Her writing exercises and her lyrical way of talking about writing keep her in demand as a workshop leader and speaker at schools. At last we have this book! I have used her exercises for years in my writing workshops, always with results that far exceed the writing that students have have done up to that point. Those same exercises have led me into writing poems I didn't know were waiting to be written. No one is better at evoking the voices of real people or helping a new writer really see what she is trying to get on paper than Lyon. The exercises in this book are wonderful, but a close reading of Lyon's poems is perhaps the most rewarding part of Where I'm From writers and teachers alike. Highly recommended.

My child brought this book home from his school library. I am in complete disbelief. This book is horribly insensitive and frightening for children of a parent involved with or anticipating involvement with our current war. Originally, I thought, well, maybe it just seems worse because of Enduring Freedom, but then I realized that the book was written during the Gulf War. I am so glad I previewed this book before reading it to my six year old. He would have had nightmares for quite a while. My husband is in the National Guard, so this tale of a mother leaving her child to find her wounded husband while the child is only able to think that perhaps he wouldn't see his father again would have done nothing more than scare him to death. Granted, the back cover tells us that this story takes place during the Civil War, but that is not what a child will focus on. The "happy" ending of the family reunited is only made more petrifying by the father having lost an arm. Give me a break. Perhaps, this story would have some redeeming quality if it was written for older kids, but it sure isn't picture book material. If you really feel compelled to read this to your child wait until the war is over.

Cecil's story was written by the sister of my English professor. It is simple but extraordinarily powerful. The book deals with a young boy's reaction as his father is wounded in the war, though I think it would be appropriate for any child who's parent has suffered an illness or injury. It concludes with the understanding that in the face of debilitating circumstances, we are fortunate simply to have each other.

Both the writing and the artwork are extraordinary--I would recommend it for any child.

Catalanotto's illustrations bring so much depth to this story of a child missing his father. His use of overlapping images to show the passage of time is beautiful. A moving book to have and treasure.