Product Description

SWAG started as a lark when Thompson began a monthly mailing of her humorous essays about ordinary events from a Southern woman's perspective. Over several years, her subscription list grew to nearly 5,000 people in 28 states. Covering topics that range from swimsuit shopping, to family reunions, to squirrel battles, to sick children, to cemetery etiquette, this volume will fit right alongside the Sweet Potato Queens and the Ya-Ya Sisterhood.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #33269 in Books
• Published on: 2006-08-28
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 309 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9780895873293
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

About the Author
Melinda Rainey Thompson has a B.A. in English from Tulane University and an M.A. in English from the University of Alabama-Birmingham. She has served on the faculty of Birmingham-Southern College. She lives in Birmingham, Alabama.

Customer Reviews

I'm buying this book for the 6th time
That pretty much says it all, doesn't it? I sent this book last week to my cousin in North Carolina who flew to California for my father's funeral with a poundcake in her purse. Us Californians thought that was a bit nutty, but my husband, who is from the south, laughed until he cried and said, "You didn't expect a southern lady to show up empty handed now, did you?"

My cousin called yesterday to thank me for the book and said it had been the highlight of her day.

I'm sure I'll be buying this book a few more times...

delightful southern flavor
I received a copy of this book from the publisher and was delighted to see it was written by someone from my hometown (Greenville, Ala.) Melinda Rainey Thompson.
I was even more delighted when I actually read the book. It is full of the warmth, sentiment and wry humor of the South I know and love. As a Lifestyles writer for a small town paper, I get a lot of preview copies of books. Frankly, some of them I never finish or even start.
Definitely not the case with Melinda's book. One of the great aspects of this collection is you can browse throughout the book and read an essay here or there as time allows...keep it on your bedstand at night, in the car to read while waiting in line at the drive-thru, etc.
While this is a humorous book (with the author constantly poking fun at herself) there are also some very touching moments, too.
You don't have to be a southern woman to enjoy this, either. Some things like motherhood and trying on bathing suits are just universal!
Melinda and I have never met but we have chatted via phone, and it was like we were old friends.
You'll feel that way when you read her book. Well recommended and suitable for all ages (no R-rated humor here).

like a phone call from an old friend
This is one of those books one just does not want to finish reading because it will be like the end of a friendship. As a former English teacher, the author expresses her love of the English language in her writing without anyone ever guessing she was a "stuffy old English teacher." She is wise beyond her years and should inspire other lovers of our language to write about ordinary things. This book will make you laugh and cry; it will make you think and do. It will send you on a wonderful trip down memory lane and will inspire you to drink more lemonade, visit more friends, and catch more lightning bugs.