Grits: What Makes Us Southern

Nowhere are Kathryn Tucker Windam's transcendant themes of community, fidelity, and family more evident than in these stories. The author calls them "recollections of a happy Southern childhood," but her avid admirers would tell you they are much more than that. Combing her vivid characterization, her affection for the South and its people, her well-seasoned humor, and her distinctive diction, these stories capture something of Southern culture that is in danger of extinction. By listening to Ms. Windham, we remember, celebrate, and carry on ways that will allow future generations of children to have similar memories of family and community.