Sweet Land of Story

The American experience in stories that young and old love to tellIn the introduction to his latest August House collection, Pleasant DeSpain writes, "Working as a professional storyteller, I travel in every state in this country, and I have found stories worth hearing and telling again in each". Sweet Land of Story shows the proof is in the pudding with a compilation of stories from every part of the nation -- from the frozen tundra of Alaska to the lush green hills of Virginia; from the sweltering bayous of Louisiana to the windswept prairie of South Dakota.Each story is told in DeSpain's signature gentle, simple style, ensuring this collection's roles as a handy classroom tool and an "on-my-own" read for children in upper elementary and middle grades. Every child will surely find something of interest -- the stories range from practical and wise ones such as "Old Joe and the Carpenter" and "Pulling the Rope" to silly and scary ones such as "The Haint that Roard" and "The Big, Smelly, Hairy Toe". According to the author, the stories' variety represents not only the diversity of the United States, but "a storyteller's portrait of our nation's character".Sweet Land of Story embodies almost thirty years' worth of traveling, telling, and -- just as importantly -- listening for Despain. Each story is a microcosm of American culture: our various values, beliefs, and customs that differ from region to region yet retain a fundamental allegiance to the importance of passing that culture on through story. "After all", DeSpain writes, "it's our stories that tell us who we are".