The Battle of Five Forks was one of the the last battles of the American Civil War. A week later; Lee surrendered. Two weeks later; Lincoln was dead. In this meditation on that battle; Alexander juxtaposes the story of the battle; which he tells through narrative; letters; and journal entries; with his own impressions; viewing the South through Northern eyes. In addition; he views contemporary American society through the story of the Civil War and specifically through the story of Five Forks. If it is true that we meet our past coming to us out of the future; then; Alexander posits; America is still grappling with issues unresolved by the Civil War. Those issues are not just the obvious ones of race and class; or of North vs. South; but also the more ephemeral issues surrounding the mythos Americans live by.Alexander is not a historian; and this is much more a literary work than a battle story. However; the immediacy with which Alexander tells his tale leads the reader to experience Five Forks—the land; the smells; the cries—as if present there in 1865. Thus; he does not just describe a battle; he captures the spirit of all battles; all wars.
#84186 in Books Ingramcontent 2015-05-05Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 8.90 x .60 x 7.90l; .0 #File Name: 0865717893240 pagesThe Color of Food Stories of Race Resilience and Farming
Review
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Helps our Hunger BanquetBy Patricia M. RuppertI co-facilitate a "Hunger Banquet." This year we are choosing Natasha Bowen's book as our focus. Bowens has so much to say! (By the way; at a Hunger Banquet; audience members are randomly chosen to be rich; middle income or poor. The rich get a great banquet; the middle income get an ok meal; the poor get a handful of rice and some water. Then we talk!) Bowen's book brings to life the issue of food justice. I especially appreciate her section called "Generation Rising" about young farmers. Our Hunger Banquet audience is full of millennials who will be inspired by these stories. The stories of "the elders" are very moving too. I liked the one about the migrant mom who left her employer because of her family's exposure to pesticides. Her son developed leukemia. When she signed up for a FARM INCUBATOR project she started living a better life. I recommend this book to anyone who has ever puttered around in soil or sunk teeth into a fresh picked tomato. I'm buying several copies to give as gifts.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Read it. You won't regret it.By CustomerIf you care anything about social justice or food security then I highly recommend this book. I stumbled upon this title about a year ago while casually researching "food deserts". Now; I work for one of the farmers that was highlighted and am helping to build capacity so that he can continue the work. You will connect with each farmer on a different level; and the best part is that they are REAL people.This is my go-to reference when I forget why I started the journey of food advocacy.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. My book of the year!By namckeandThese stories are about real people. You can read their stories and see their pictures. Natasha does not hide the truth but showsthat strong people in strong communities can overcome huge challenges.Community is spoken of often; community is shown to work and work well. These farmers are helped by the community and in returnthey give back to the community. This is what we must work for; the people in power will not help us.Ms Bowens has had her hands in the soil; she can reach out in a way that I never could. The quotes from people in these stories willmove you. The pictures are reason enough to buy the book; as a photographer I can only say wow.Thank you Natasha.
