I read mainly nonfiction, often biography, memoir, and essays. This collection of essays by Southern writer, Rick Bragg, caught my eye in the local library’s audio book collection, and I’m glad it did. I’m embarrassed to say that I didn’t know Bragg’s work. I recognized his name, but I had never read anything he has written. I say “embarrassed” because I consider myself a well-read person (I read 50-75 books a year), so to come across a writer of this caliber, I should have known about him. Well, I’m glad to found him because this book is nothing short of wonderful. And I am so glad I decided to get the audio version with Bragg narrating. In fact, I don’t think I would want to read a Rick Bragg book in print. At least half of the fun in reading him is HEARING his words in that terrific Southern accent. And if you’re an audio book listener, don’t even think of cranking the speed up to 1.5 or 2.0. Doing that to Rick Bragg is a literary crime. You must hear him at the speed and pace he actually talks. I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys good writing and great story telling. ( )

Rick Bragg grew up in the same place as my father, so it is interesting to read this selection of short pieces on Bragg's life. Some of it takes place not in Alabama but in other places. Still, as a fellow Southerner, I really enjoyed reading his writing and can identify with most of it. ( )

A compilation of short essays that Bragg has written about his life in the South. Many are nostalgic for the way things used to be such as music and food for instance. The theme here is that things aren't the way they used to be and he generally doesn't like the changes. He does give tips on places you can eat and still get the old dishes are prepared properly. There are essays centering on his mother and dogs his family has owned other the years. If you like Rick Bragg you will like this folksy book. ( )

I seem to be in the minority and I'm disappointed that I didn't like this enough to finish it. I was really looking forward to reading it so was surprised that I felt relieved to make the decision to stop reading nearly halfway through this book of essays. Previously published in "Southern Living" and "Garden and Gun" magazines, this compilation of very short articles was just OK. I love southern writers and their perspective on the culture, the food, the humor, the lifestyle. But somehow I felt like I was on the outside looking in as Bragg related anecdotes from his childhood, his relatives, his experiences with fishing, cars, dogs and other southern topics. This wasn't warm or humorous or endearing. It was just a little better than boring. ( )

Thanks to Knopf and Edelweiss+ for the dARC in exchange for an honest review.

"Where I Come From" is comprised of Rick Bragg's columns in publications such as "Southern Living" and "Garden & Gun." The pieces are of varying lengths, some from a few years ago up to a few from 2020. The columns are organized by general subject matter and and just as insightful and hilarious as you always expect Bragg to be.

A reader who was expecting a large book of original writing might have been disappointed in a collection of columns, but none of Bragg's writing is ever dated, and since I love everything he writes and subscribe to none of the publications for which he writes, I guffawed all the way through the whole book.

Much of our country is angry with the South, and we need our writers to humanize the region and defend its many good points (food, for instance) from the many in other regions of the USA who are hostile toward it, sometimes with good reason. A lovely collection from the greatest living Southern humorist who is currently living, by choice, with his beloved mother in Alabama. ( )