From a Limestone Ledge
by John Graves
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“Another fine, reflective, anecdotal look at rural Texas.” —New Yorker“Graves writes eloquently about a countryman’s concerns. There's not a false note in the book.” —Boston Globe
“Like the unmortared stone fences of Graves’s native hill country, From a Limestone Ledge is constructed of bits and pieces never designed to fit together, yet made to achieve a unity that is more enduring than the sum of its individual parts by the hands of a master craftsman.” —Southwestern show more Historical Quarterly
“The beauty of his work endures, and there is a greater pride in Texans’ hearts for their home, I think, than there would be if he hadn’t written the books he did.” —Rick Bass, Garden & Gun
“In describing the particulars of his surroundings, Graves often was describing the world in microcosm and the place and plight of humankind in it.” —Bryan Woolley, Dallas Morning News
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Member Reviews
John Graves lived for awhile on a rural property west of Fort Worth. There, he slied into a rural way of life. This book is a compilation of stories and memories of his living there along with some description of the lifestyle of a few others, some human, some animal that also existed there. Stories span the spectrum from plumbing repair to the peresonalities of a few dominant chickens, to how to put in a good fence.
The style of the book is an easy laid back description of a do-it-yourself subsistence lifestyle. It is a good read for winding down from a stressful hurried urban life.
As the book is a collection of stories, there is no plot. The last story seems out of place for this book. it involves a failed attempt to aquire used show more equipment from a failed landowner. The story has no purpose in the book to me. Partly for that reason I do not rate this book as high as many others. show less
The style of the book is an easy laid back description of a do-it-yourself subsistence lifestyle. It is a good read for winding down from a stressful hurried urban life.
As the book is a collection of stories, there is no plot. The last story seems out of place for this book. it involves a failed attempt to aquire used show more equipment from a failed landowner. The story has no purpose in the book to me. Partly for that reason I do not rate this book as high as many others. show less
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Author Information
20+ Works 812 Members
John Alexander Graves III was born in Fort Worth, Texas on August 6, 1920. He attended what is now Rice University. In 1942, he joined the Marine Corps and served in the Pacific. He was wounded by a Japanese grenade in Saipan, which left him blind in one eye. He taught English at the University of Texas at Austin for three years. He received a show more master's degree in English at Columbia University. He wrote numerous books during his lifetime including Goodbye to a River, Hard Scrabble, and From a Limestone Ledge. He died on July 31, 2013 at the age of 92. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
Awards and Honors
Common Knowledge
- Important places
- Texas, USA
- Original language
- English
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- Members
- 81
- Popularity
- 392,193
- Reviews
- 1
- Rating
- (3.86)
- Languages
- English
- Media
- Paper, Audiobook, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 7
- ASINs
- 3
