Ava's Man

Written by:
Rick Bragg
Narrated by:
Rick Bragg

Abridged Audiobook

Ratings
Book
44
Narrator
8
Release Date
August 2001
Duration
6 hours 0 minutes
Summary
NATIONAL BESTSELLER • With the same emotional generosity and effortlessly compelling storytelling that made All Over But the Shoutin’ a beloved bestseller, Rick Bragg continues his personal history of the Deep South.

This time he’s writing about his grandfather Charlie Bundrum, a man who died before Bragg was born but left an indelible imprint on the people who loved him. Drawing on their memories, Bragg reconstructs the life of an unlettered roofer who kept food on his family’s table through the worst of the Great Depression; a moonshiner who drank exactly one pint for every gallon he sold; an unregenerate brawler, who could sit for hours with a baby in the crook of his arm.

In telling Charlie’s story, Bragg conjures up the backwoods hamlets of Georgia and Alabama in the years when the roads were still dirt and real men never cussed in front of ladies. A masterly family chronicle and a human portrait so vivid you can smell the cornbread and whiskey, Ava’s Man is unforgettable.
Reviews
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Meleigh S

I love the narrators voice, and the tone of this book is soothing and calming. Love hearing about the family and the time period. Would for sure recommend to anyone looking for a calming listen.

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Gail B

This story made me proud of being a 'Country Bumpkin. I was so reminded of my own father and his matter of fact approach to the dilemmas of being poor in the south. My family was one of thousands who braved the desperations brought about by the Dust Bowl era, and brought back to me stories told by relatives and old timers who know what its like to be truly self reliant when it came to putting food on the table in times of extreme need. This is a beautiful tale, richly wrought by the people who made it through similarly hard times. I admire Rick Bragg's painfully honest account of a fathers tough decisions and a woman's steel when it comes to making sacrifices for their children. To me it felt a little like Harper Lee's To Kill A mockingbird. A dark but richly woven story of human trial and error in a harsh world. Inspiring!

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AnnaMarie Felts

This is my favorite book ever! I've read it two or three times several years ago and when I saw it on AudioBooks I couldn't resist. I actually liked it better on audio books because the narrator was so good!!! I just love the characters in this memoir; Rick Bragg is a master of storytelling!

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Mark hughes

I was thoroughly enjoyed by this book. Good stories about a man I would like to of met.

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Pete P.

Most excellent. For anyone that grew up in the country or, had grandparents that grew up poor in the south, this book is for you. I fully expect to find out the author is a cousin........ Listened to it twice!

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Billy

I got this book without paying that much attention to what it was about. It was a very pleasant surprise. A real story about a real person.

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Anonymous

Well written but a hollow hero figure. The writer tries to equate a Southern hillbilly with being a "man" and further, a hero. Perhaps he was a hero among hillbillies because he loved his family and kept them fed during difficult times but it seems more like a personal narrative of the author's need to validate his roots.

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Lisa

I'm a newcomer to Rick Bragg, but a convert after thoroughly enjoying this moving, vibrant, well-written book as read (lyrically in southern accent splendor) by the author. I'm moving on to 'All Over But the Shouting' next.

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Anonymous

This was a delightful book that had me wishing traffic in Chicago was worse than it is! Author Bragg's voice is charming and it really welcomed me into his family's world.

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Renee Locks

I loved every word of this book and Rick Bragg's reading is warm, true, human and humorous. It left me full of regard for the deepest ethics of the human heart. Rick Bragg is so one of a kind I look forward to whatever stories he tells. I give it at least 5 stars times 2.

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Lari Tonti

5 stars are not enough. I really enjoyed this book one of my favorite. What made it even more interesting is my Best Friend in Ga. still uses some of the same sayings. She had no idea she was audio material.Talk about bringing a book to life. Rent it and enjoy,,,

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Orville Amazor

Ava's Man is a true and touching story of a man who loves his family just a bit more than the moonshine he brews out in the woods. The narration takes you to that time and place and endears the reader to Charlie, Ava, Hootie, and the whole brood of children that come along through the years. Fun to listen to with lessons on every "page"; thank you Rick Bragg for getting to know your grandfather so well and for sharing him with the rest of us. One of the best audiobooks available!!

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Sandy K.

Loved this book. Listening to the Author read it was like sitting at his feet and being told a grand family legend....

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Varin Acevedo

There's more analogies in this book than fleas on a yeller-haired dog. If you have a hankering to know 'bout life in them thar hills, than this is the book for you.

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Cathy Rowan

This was the most entertaining book I have rented from Simply Audiobooks. Both my spouse and I could start at any point and immediately get into the story. Laughed a lot while listening to it on California's wonderful freeway system. True, heartwarming story with lots of ethics.... for those who can take it.

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