You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
kmsabella 's review for:
Ecology of a Cracker Childhood
by Janisse Ray
I expected a straight-up memoir but it includes a lot of ecological writing also. The chapters alternate between stories of Ray's family and peices on the endangered ecology of the longleaf pine forests that once blanketed large areas of the South. Through personal stories, Ray shows how "her people" - the poor, Southern whites - desperately relied on the land for survival which has been to the detriment of the land's own survival. She did a great job of painting a picture of her childhood; though I'm unfamiliar with Southern culture and nature, I do feel like I have a good understanding of the environment she grew up in.
It was definitely an interesting read and one that I enjoyed most of the time. For me, the chapters of ecology - which I found less interesting - really pulled me out of the story of her childhood and I struggled to keep pulling myself back into the book.
It was definitely an interesting read and one that I enjoyed most of the time. For me, the chapters of ecology - which I found less interesting - really pulled me out of the story of her childhood and I struggled to keep pulling myself back into the book.