School Or Pappy

This book is based on life in Nettleton, 1949. The time has come for six-year-old Leon to start first grade. Until now, Leon has always been with his Pappy during the day while his mom worked. How will he find time help Pappy in the fields and play with his friends and his dog, Shep, if he has to spend all day in school? Join Leon as he struggles to balance starting school and spending time with his Pappy and friends.

The New York Times bestseller! “A warm and loving reflection that, like good bourbon, will stand the test of time.” —Eric Asimov, The New York Times The story of how Julian Van Winkle III, the caretaker of the most coveted cult Kentucky Bourbon whiskey in the world, fought to protect his family's heritage and preserve the taste of his forebears, in a world where authenticity, like his product, is in very short supply. Following his father’s death decades ago, Julian Van Winkle stepped in to try to save the bourbon business his grandfather had founded on the mission statement: “We make fine bourbon—at a profit if we can, at a loss if we must, but always fine bourbon.” With the company in its wilderness years, Julian committed to safeguarding his namesake’s legacy or going down with the ship. Then he discovered that hundreds of barrels from the family distillery had survived their sale to a multinational conglomerate. The whiskey that Julian produced after recovering those barrels would immediately be hailed as the greatest in the world—and soon would be the hardest to find. Once they had been used up, a fresh challenge began: preserving the taste of Pappy in a new age. Wright Thompson was invited to ride along as Julian undertook the task. From the Van Winkle family, Wright learned not only about great bourbon but about complicated legacies and the rewards of honoring your people and your craft—lessons that he couldn’t help but apply to his own work and life. May we all be lucky enough to find some of ourselves, as Wright Thompson did, in Pappyland.

This book is in response to a daughter's statement, "Daddy, I know nothing of your army career." LTC (Ret) James Tucker provides his daughter at least one story from each of his army assignments. LTC (Ret) John Gross was a captain Ranger instructor while Tucker was the commander of the Florida Phase of Ranger School. He provides stories about Tucker as a commander, mentor, and friend.

Ian tries his best to be strong for the family, but he doesn't want to leave his old house or his old room. Most of all he doesn't want to leave his friends. He's most scared about starting third grade. In an effort to make the transition easier, Ian's parents let him pick how he wants his room decorated. After some deliberation, he decides upon a jungle theme so his stuffed animals will have a place to live, especially Kory. His mom transforms his new room into a very special jungle! Little does she know how special it will be... When the time comes to go to school, he reluctantly concedes, only to be met head-on by the class bully, Doug. Find out how Ian learns to deal with Doug, the class bully, by escaping to his secret jungle! Will Ian unlock all the secrets of strength in Kory's Jungle?

Lost innocence. Betrayal. Smalltown secrets. It all adds up to necessary lies. It always starts with the loss of innocence. Life had plenty to offer beautiful seventeen-year-old Cliffie Flowers in 1953 backwoods Georgia before she got pregnant by a local lothario whose conquests also included her sister. Fearing the disappointment of her adoring father, Cliffie lies to conceal her downfall as the golden girl who might have been the hope of her poor family. But her deception leads to far worse trouble. "Janice Daugharty is a born story-teller. Her voice is a finely honed 'Southern' voice that is warm, vibrant, and original; her characters seem to leap from the page, fully imagined in a sentence or two. Best of all, her fiction is rich with surprises. Each story is like a wild, improvised ride that takes us to an unexpected destination." --Joyce Carol Oates "Janice Daugharty is a natural-born writer." --Pat Conroy "Daugharty once again has succeeded in creating a suspenseful, well-written narrative around an unusual plot line." --Library Journal Janice Daugharty's 1997 novel, EARL IN THE YELLOW SHIRT (HarperCollins) was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize. She is the author of seven acclaimed novels and two short story collections. She serves as writer-in-residence at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College in Tifton, Georgia. Visit the author at JaniceDaugharty.com

It’s 1928 in Odessa, Texas, and eleven-year-old James is struggling to find his purpose in life and to uncover a family secret. With his father struck dead by lightning and his mother in jail, he is taken in by his grandparents. Treated as a pariah at school, James is taunted as being cursed by his family’s bad luck. But he finds a friend in Paul, a Russian immigrant, who is also treated as an outcast, and together, they battle the school bully. But James's life is turned upside-down yet again when he uncovers a family secret involving his beloved grandmother. His discovery leads him to find the sense of purpose he's been seeking.