BEST BASIC CAJUN COOKBOOK EVER. HAVE USED IT SINCE 1987 PUBLISHING AND HAVE VIRTUALLY MEMORIZED IT.

Mr. Rodrigue has done it again. "A Blue Dog Christmas" is not only filled with wonderful pictures of his newest Blue Dogs, but it is also a heartwarming story that brought back some of my own childhood holiday memories. It is a fantastic book for adults as well as children, good for bedtime reading.

About 70,000 Italians entered the Port of New Orleans in the first thirty years of the 20th century, most of them in response to widespread poverty in Sicily and the demand for labor among Louisiana planters. Land ownership was rare in Sicily and conditions were crowded and unpleasant in the northeastern urban slums of the U.S., but in Louisiana the immigrants settled mostly in rural areas and quickly became the principal food producers for the state. They often were not welcomed, however, by those who came before, as in the infamous lynching of a dozen Italians who had been arrested but not charged following the murder of New Orleans Police Chief David Hennessey in October, 1890. Margavio and Salomone, both professors of sociology, have done an excellent job in depicting the gradual assimilation of Italians and their culture, from muffalettas and Roman Candy in New Orleans to Nick La Rocca's Original Dixieland Jazz Band and the activities of the Societa Italiana di Mutua Beneficenza Cefautana. There are today hundreds of thousands of Italian-Americans living in Louisiana and this book should be of interest to most of them.

From one author to another I tip my hat to Terry Blackstock for this supurbly written ROMANCE. How refreshing to read about characters that could live next door instead of with 'the rich and famous.' "Broken Wings" rings with realism and the authentic action and dialogue will often reduce the reader to grab for the tissue box. Masterfully researched, this narrative and its study of fear and its effect on our lives will bring back similiar experiences for many of us. The author offers insight into recovery with out sounding preachy. Actually the best romance I have read in a long time. Plan to read more from the talented Terry Blackstock.
Beverly J Scott author of Righteous Revenge

Kate Stone is one of my favorite Civil War diarists. She is an admixture of a great privilege, passionate beliefs, lover of literature, keen social observations and amazing fortitude. Her Civil War was dangerous, turbulent and life changing.

Brokenburn was a large plantation containing over 150 slaves in Madison Parish, LA. From 1862 on, it was in the center of the Union Army's fierce assault to gain control of the Mississippi River and divide the Confederacy in half. Plantations were commandeered and slaves were encouraged to revolt. The civilian population was helpless before the demands of military control. Madison Parish had a population of approximately 9,000 of whom 7,000 were slaves. After 1861, the Parish was emptied of able-bodied white men, most of whom had been sent to far-off Virginia and Tennessee, leaving none to protect the civilians.

In 1861, Kate was 20 years old, her immediate future being beaus, courtship, and a gay social life before she settled down to become a proper southern matron. She was unsure whether this route was ideal, as she remarked, "women grew significantly uglier in wedlock and ignored and abandoned their former female friends." This comfortable world was turned upside down, never to reappear again. With great enthusiasm and some trepidation, she watched her three older brothers go off to war. Her widowed mother made it clear that 14-year-old James was now in charge of the running of the plantation and the protection of the rest of the family. I was amazed at the serene assumption that a young teenager was thrust in this role, but it seems that was the custom of the times. If you had to grow up fast, you did. Yellow fever was a constant in the area, and longevity was not a norm. Both Generals Grant and Lee wanted their troops out of these areas during "the seasons of pestilence." This was not to be, and both armies suffered devastating losses to disease. Kate treated the "fever season" as a fact of life, and planned around it with remarkable briskness.

By 1862, the Stone family was desperate. The Federal leadership demanded that they stay on their property; yet there were serious slave insurrections that threatened the lives of the plantation holders. Those slaves who were not hostile were running off, and there was no labor to farm the crops. Many southerners could not believe that their "loyal" slaves would run away. Kate was not among them, saying, "If I were in their place, I'd do the same." She was by no means sympathetic, just practical.

The family finally escaped through the bayous in a rickety canoe with nothing, not even underwear, and finally made it across the border into Texas. They were refugees along with many other prominent Louisiana families. Kate was convinced they had arrived at "a dark corner of the Confederacy." Upon noting the barefoot but hoop skirted frontier ladies, she sniffed "there must be something in the air of Texas fatal to beauty."

Kate agonized over the increasingly bad war news and was devastated by Lee's surrender. Kate is one of the most vivid, perceptive diarists of the Civil War. Her diary is one of social history, a time of calamitous change and invaluable for understanding this crucial time in American history. Kate is a natural writer and observer. A highly enjoyable read.

I was impressed by the fine quality of both the cover and the content. This book is essential to all those researching this topic, and to those who simply wish to gain some perspective on the Louisiana Purchase. I congraulate the author on her amazing job!

Having lived in St. James Parish for most of my life, this book gives a great look into the past. While many of the sites stated in the book have been lost in time, this book gives a look back to the eary years when this parish was a little Cajun settlement. Being black, this book has given me a link to my family's past and our cajun roots

After you read this book, you'll want to visit the lake just to see what you can see of the past. Filled with myths and legends, but also with a look at the history of the Texas/Louisiana area. This book is a gem especially to those who are interested in the way life might have been for all those that went to Caddo. Almost has you wishing you could have been there.

Having been raised in Southern Louisiana, and having to raise my own child in Oklahoma, I love reading this book to my 2 year old son. It brings back memories of home, of my grandparents sitting around the kitchen table, sipping chickory coffee and trading gossip in the old language. Wonderful peek into the old language of Louisiana, which is quickly being lost.

A fascinating and easy introduction to the patois of L'arcady French of Louisiana. It is interesting, informative of some culture - and should be read out loud for full enjoyment!

Exceptional history and current description of Cajun, Creole, and Zydeco music. Will be appreciated both by tourists new to Louisiana culture as well as by serious connoiseurs of folk music and traditions and of French language. Barry Jean Ancelet is both a distinguished professor at the University of Louisiana (Lafayette), as well as being a Cajun "Garrison Keillor" (of Prairie Home Companion fame).