A Place Like Mississippi

This is a book for anyone who wants to understand the state of Mississippi a little bit better. It breaks the state down into sections and tells you the history of each.

As a native Mississippian, I was pleased to see my home state through the literary lens that I know so well. As the book breaks down the unique regions of the state, you learn about the depth of history, the richness of its setting, and the writers who saw Mississippi as beautiful, in spite of her scars.
I grew up near the Gulf Coastal region and also spent time in other parts of the state as a child and learned more than I expected, specifically about the modern authors that call Mississippi home.

If you want to fall in love with Mississippi, let this book be your love letter.

Date reviewed/posted: December 5, 2020
Publication date: January 5, 2021

When life for the entire universe and planet turns on its end and like everyone else you "have nothing to do" while your place of work is once again closed and you are continuing to be in #COVID19 #socialisolation as the #secondwave is upon us,  superspeed readers like me can read 300+ pages/hour, so yes, I have read the book … and many more today.

I requested and received a temporary digital Advance Reader Copy of this book from #NetGalley, the publisher and the author in exchange for an honest review.  

From the publisher, as I do not repeat the contents or story of books in reviews, I let them do it as they do it better than I do 😸.

There is a palpable connection to the landscapes of Mississippi displayed in the work of the state’s many lauded writers. This connection to the land runs deep—across onerous lines of class, gender, and race—and spans gen­erations of authors birthed in the Magnolia State. It’s difficult to read Faulkner, Welty, Wright, and Ward and not come away with the very particular sense of place that the state and the greater American South represent in their work.

In A Place Like Mississippi, W. Ralph Eubanks takes readers on a visionary tour of the real and imagined landscapes that have inspired generations of authors. Eubanks is a native Mississippian and he knows its writ­ers and its complicated history well. In A Place Like Mis­sissippi, Eubanks reveals how a little state that rests alongside the banks of a great and mighty river has made so many significant contributions to American letters, carrying an outsized role in the national imagination. The answer lies in a landscape that pairs ordinariness with beauty, magic with madness, and mystery with magnificence.

This is a beautiful, lyrical book that makes one want to take a road trip down the back roads and to find these places. The books that inspired this book are classics that represented the truth south and are worth reading and enjoying the Magnolia State with – read them, this book and gas up the car for a trip you will never forget. 

As always, I try to find a reason to not rate with stars as I simply adore emojis (outside of their incessant use by "🙏-ed Social Influencer Millennials/#BachelorNation survivors/Tik-Tok and YouTube Millionaires/snowflakes / literally-like-overusers etc. " on Instagram and Twitter... Get a real job, people!) so let's give it 🚗🌸🚗🌸🚗

There may well be no place quite like Mississippi, but every state should have a literary guide like this one, captivating in itself and a further prod towards bookstore and library, hill country and delta. Snapshots and photographs of Mississippi illustrate a text which illuminates an amazing literary legacy from William Faulkner and Eudora Welty through Larry Brown and Jesmyn Ward.  Something fertile found there feeds more than the blues, and this book is a prompt to feed the soul.

Over the last few decades I have been fortunate to travel the State of Mississippi and see the different topographically characteristics. “A Place Like Mississippi” has added another dimension to the memories of my travels.  Ralph Eubanks’ description of the landscape easily brings you to the area and one can imagine what the writers he highlights are feeling as they write.  He seamlessly moves from one write to another, making for a smooth continuous read.  A visit to Eudora Weltey’s home has been on my bucket list, now my daughter and I look forward to a trip to visit the homes of these other Mississippi literary prodigy.

This is a thoroughly entertaining look at the rich and bittersweet culture of  Mississippi through it's poetry and prose. Some of this country's greatest writers and literature have come from this State, and this book weaves its way through the different regions, their history, and all that it entails through the eyes and words of some very prolific writers. The imagery produced with the wonderful photographs from around the  State only tend to strengthen the depth and lend credence to the words written by Mr. Eubanks. A wonderful book! 5 Stars!

This is a great book for history and education on all things MississippI! Wonderful read! This had many facts that I did not know about Miississippi from growing up here most all of my life!!

This book breaks down everything you need to know about Mississippi. It was very educational and insightful. It was a beautiful book. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC.

A Place Like Mississippi, written by W. Ralph Eubanks, captures the never-ending allure of Mississippi like no other book I have ever read. I spent my first 20 years of summers in Biloxi and Gulfport with my extended family. It became a haven for me and a place of beauty. I remember the pine trees, the cicadas, the rivers, bayous, and the most beautiful coastline drive in the entire United States pre-Camille. I still return to Bogue Chitto to visit my brother on his farm and sit a spell while reflecting on this state with a rich yet often tragic historical past blessed with a wealth of marvelous and unforgettable writers and poets. I am a fan of Mississippi authors (I’m looking at you, Greg Isles), and I am thrilled that Mr. Eubanks has highlighted what most feel is an insignificant state yet is so wealthy in culture. I will buy this book, and I will place it prominently so I can pick it up and remember precious Mississippi memories. Not all history is good, but it’s not all bad either.  Thank you for this fantastic book, Mr. Eubanks. Bravo. Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC but my review and opinions are my own without bias. #nonfiction #aplacelikemississippi @netgalley @wreubanks #mississippi

Eubanks takes readers on a journey through the real and imagined parts of MS that its people and writers know well. Reading this made me nostalgic for my childhood growing up in rural Central MS, spending lazy weekend and summer days reading the books created by fellow children of MS., traveling the roads and visiting the towns mentioned on the pages, or remembering the views shown in the many beautiful photos that accompany the book's discussions. 
MS has produced some of the most prolific writers and artists of the past and present, and Eubanks takes readers into their works and the real world places that inspired them. Using a good dose of historical research, letters, and personal interviews, this work provides readers with an insight into what it is like for people in what many consider an illiterate and backwards state; it doesn't gloss over the conflict between Southern hospitality and racial struggles or the desire for many to push to the future while clinging to an imagined or long forgotten past. 
I would recommend this for those that want to understand more about MS, American literature, American Southern History, or just want to understand how something run down or seemingly forgotten can inspire and help produce something fantastical and engaging. 

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for the dARC of this work in exchange for my honest review.

Books are good way to travel to new places with your mind when you cannot travel in real life.
I loved this one, it's well written and fascinating. I travel to places, learned new thing and loved it.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Great discussion of the stories and authors that created Mississippi's literary past.  Great insight to the people, writers and land that is Mississippi.
My to be read pile grew exponentially by reading this book.

This book is a real delight. A literary tour enhanced by gorgeous photography on nearly every page.  I loved it – and learnt so much about the writers who come from the state.  is a real delight. A literary tour enhanced by gorgeous photography on nearly every page.  I loved it – and learnt so much about the writers who come from the state.

This was gorgeous. The photographs, the history, the culture. It was truly fantastic. I ended up going through it twice.

I have taken my time to read this book. I wanted to savor every minute of it. The book travels the landscape of Mississippi from the Gulf Coast to the Hill Country and back down to the Delta. When my copy arrived I was surprised. I was not expecting a book that falls somewhere between a coffee table book and a creative non-fiction novel, but that is what this is. The book is full of gorgeous photos from throughout Mississippi. Mississippi’s regions are varied, and Eubanks does a fantastic job making that clear. As he travels with us throughout the state, we are introduced to the writers of the region. You will know some; others you may not know. I have read a great many pieces of Mississippi literature, and still I walked away from this book with a lengthy To Read list. I wish I had this book when I began my Mississippi Writer’s class. The next time I teach it, this book will be the required first reading. If you are a Mississippian interested in the writers of our state and the land they inhabited, this book is for you. If you are a lover of Southern literature, this is a great resource for welcoming you to the Mississippi literary landscape. If you are interested in how large portions of American literature and cultural history stem from one state, this book will open your eyes. It’s all around beautiful in photography and in word.