My Southern Voices: From the Mountains to the Coast

by Padgett Gerler

The southern voice isn’t just an accent, it’s an attitude and an experience. For the past twenty years, Padgett Gerler has written the southern voice, setting each of her eight novels in small southern towns. Now comes a compilation of all her voices, from the coast of Georgia to the mountains of Virginia…and parts in between. Some poignant, others humorous, all of Padgett’s short stories in My Southern From the Mountains to the Coast are simply drawling with attitude.

Kindle Edition

Published September 1, 2025

About the author

Born on the coast of South Carolina and raised in the mountains of Virginia, I relocated to the Piedmont area of North Carolina in the 80's to attend college. After graduating with a BA in accounting, I became a CPA and practiced accounting in the public and corporate sector. In 2010, when my passion for writing leapt ahead of my passion for accounting, I quit my career to write full time. I love the southern voice and the southern experience, so I write about the south, from the mountains to the coast.

Reviews

[MargeGordon · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an amazing book! Stories that reach the heart. Stories that make you laugh, stories that make you cry. This book is so southern, so real, so yesterday and yet so today. Totally amazing and such a heart warming read. The final story was, to me, right out of today's news, and the saddest of them all. I will keep this book in my library, so I can read it again.

[Leslie Manning · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read a few of Gerler's previous books, all novels, but this is the first one I've read that is a collection of short stories. Gerler, as with her novels, does not disappoint. Her thoughtful tales are steeped in Southern culture and, just like the subtitle says, they hail "from the mountains to the coast." As a Southern writer (North Carolina), I learn lessons from someone like Gerler, who takes us to tiny places with larger than large characters, and with language and tempo as slow and beautiful as the South itself. My favorite story is actually the first one, entitled "The Art of Dying," but you can select your own favorite, as there are twenty-five from which to choose. I am thrilled to display the book in my guest house so that travelers from far and near can dig into a little bit of down-south history, rich emotion, and experiences that are, indeed, told in a multitude of Southern voices.

[Rebecca Hodge · Rating 5 out of 5]

MY SOUTHERN VOICES’ subtitle, ‘From the Mountain to the Coast,’ reflects the diversity of settings in this beautiful collection of short stories, but it also hints at the delightful range of characters and stories that lie within. Filled with both humor and melancholy, with some stories firmly rooted in the past and others devastatingly pertinent to today, this collection shines with the full intensity of Padgett Gerler’s talent. What stands out in every story is her “heart for compassion, forgiveness, and grace,” which humanizes even her most eccentric characters. Since reading this book, my thoughts have returned repeatedly to these stories. I think you’ll find the same to be true.

[Ellen Cioccio · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! It felt like a series of character studies of people in the South, with just enough plot to make things even more interesting. I’d love to meet many of these folks, and can imagine many of them as my neighbors here in NC. And while sometimes short stories feel like rushed novels, these were just the right length for the content.

I read some of the stories in short bursts (one at a time) and the rest in a continuous session or two, and both worked well. This is one I may return to on occasion, when I need a good story.

[sherri gothorp · Rating 5 out of 5]

Southern Charm

This is such a delightful collection of endearing, character driven stories that all capture and celebrate not just southern voices and locations, but Southern Heart.
Padgett’s storytelling is heartfelt and genuine and completely captures
the southern soul. I look forward to rereading this collection often, just to be able to spend more time with well crafted characters and take in the heartfelt charm.

[Merrill C · Rating 5 out of 5]

Padgett Gerler’s My Southern Voices offers warm, folksy stories full of quiet surprises. From the coast to the mountains, each tale carries an easy Southern cadence—tender, funny, and always inviting. Her characters feel lived‑in, and her storytelling blends heart, humor, and textured detail. A collection that truly celebrates the many shades of the Southern voice.