If you read Renkl's wonderful LATE MIGRATIONS, you might be curious about this book. It's not as good. This is a collection of short essays, originally published in the NYT. Some are very good, some are slight and don't seem worthy of a book. (although all would be nice to read in a newspaper!). It doesn't hold together as a book.

I was happy to read it, however, for the sense of what it feels like to be a blue voter in a red state, and to love the south, but hate the legacy of slavery. Also, Renkl's nature writing is lovely. ( )