Bless Your Heart, Tramp

April 1, 2006
Southern humorist Rivenbark ("We -re Just Like You, Only Prettier") is back with a new short essay collection that explores home life, the South, and various topics such as tofu, greeting cards, Barbie, and Al Gore. The writings are loosely divided into three major sections - -At Home, - -The South, - -And Everywhere Else - -but they are unconnected and do not require to be read in any particular order. This is not presented as an anthology of Rivenbark -s weekly columns for the "Myrtle Beach Sun News" (titled -From the Belle Tower -), yet the length and discrete nature of the essays suggest previous publication. Rivenbark -s observations are quirky and entertaining but rarely scathing; her pride in being a belle is tempered by her ability to take a lighthearted look at serious and occasionally provocative issues. Larger public libraries -particularly those in the South -should consider purchasing." -Audrey Snowden, Cleveland P.L."

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