From a Limestone Ledge: Some Essays and Other Ruminations about Country Life in Texas

by John Graves

“Another fine, reflective, anecdotal look at rural Texas.” —New Yorker

“Graves writes eloquently about a countryman’s concerns. There's not a false note in the book.” —Boston Globe

“Like the unmortared stone fences of Graves’s native hill country, From a Limestone Ledge is constructed of bits and pieces never designed to fit together, yet made to achieve a unity that is more enduring than the sum of its individual parts by the hands of a master craftsman.” —Southwestern Historical Quarterly

“The beauty of his work endures, and there is a greater pride in Texans’ hearts for their home, I think, than there would be if he hadn’t written the books he did.” —Rick Bass, Garden & Gun

“In describing the particulars of his surroundings, Graves often was describing the world in microcosm and the place and plight of humankind in it.” —Bryan Woolley, Dallas Morning News

Genres: Nonfiction, Memoir, Nature, Westerns

252 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1980

Reviews

[Jim Misko · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you want some honest, slow-paced, smily-faced reading don't miss this book. John Graves, a WWI wounded Marine stakes out a chunk of Texas ground that has been beaten to death by previous owners. He and Jane's travails in putting the place back together and touches of the people and animals they live with are comfortable and heart warming. I've read it three times now and if you are not into tweets and earplugs and like your writing beautifully thought out and expressed, this is a winner. All of John's books are wonderful.

[Nina]

I’m about 1/3 of the way through this collection of essays. By far my favorite is the one on fences.

[Ed Belding · Rating 5 out of 5]

John Graves is one of my favorite writers. Most of his work is regional to north central Texas and he has been called a modern Thoreau. I don't know about the latter statement but his style is definitely reflective and a tad melancholy at times. But he clearly connects with the land of his youth and in this book you see his connections to his little piece of Texas in Bosque County. He writing style gives life and meaning to even the more mundane elements of country life. While it will not appeal to everyone, this is a book that I can read over and over and enjoy each time.

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

All three of Graves' major works are wonderful reads. I put Hard Scrabble at the top of the heap, followed by Goodbye to a River, but this collection of essays previously published in Texas Monthly is of the same quality, full of homespun philosophy, humor, and poignancy, especially his closing piece, "A Loser". Along the way, he gives us some subtle life lessons without the least bit of preaching. Anyone who has moved from the country to the city, or vice-versa, will recognize himself somewhere in these pages. This is a great companion piece for Hard Scrabble.

[Margie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a pleasurable read. This book, in contrast to Goodbye to a River, had more humor and relatable stories. Although relatable is probably relative. I live in Texas and my FIL had land on which he raised cattle, so much about what Graves writes about rings true. I laughed out loud several times with this book, and read passages to family members sitting nearby. Graves is one of my favorite authors.

[Walter Danley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the first John Graves book I've read, but the first of my intention to read all of his works. I was motivated to read From a Limestone Ledge because I share that unique spot of Texas called The Texas Hill Country with this author and found my love for the land memorialized by Mr. Graves prose.
From a Limestone Ledge is a series of essays about rural life and the small but ever-important aspects of living on a small farm. Graves’s concise observations flow from his experiences on his “400 acres of rocky, thin topsoil place.” A reader will grasp the book’s essence when reading the author's dedication to his wife.
“This one belongs to Jane for many reasons, not least because without her I might never have stopped in one place long enough to recognize the profundity of such archetypal metaphors as chickens and fences and chewing tobacco.”
The description of From a Limestone Ledge can not be better said than the publisher’s sketch on the dust jacket flap. "From a Limestone Ledge is a celebration of the casual but constant observation of detail, the noticingness of rural life, a treatise on the pleasures and hardships of doing things for oneself, a nostalgic meditation on country ways."
I highly recommend this excellent, personally empowering book to countrymen and city citizens alike, for the power of John Graves’s writing will strike the heart and soul of all readers.

[Kerry Pickens · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is the third book in a series, and my favorite of the three is Hard Scrabble. Graves writes about life on a small farm and trying to be self-sufficient. He is very knowledgeable about local history and environmental issues although the books were written between 1960 and 1980, so they are a bit dated now.

[Matt Fuller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Classic Graves. If you love his other books, you will love From a Limestone Ledge. Here Graves tackles rural life in his iconic way and through such topics as chickens, dogs, chewing tobacco, and night sounds. Brought me back to my childhood in rural Texas.

[Carmen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book of essays. This surprised me because I didn't get into or finish *Goodbye to a River.* He is a good writer and honest. His description of life in the country is good to read.

[Phylwil · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful musings about living in a rural area in Central Texas

[Marty]

No clue about it yet.

[WBJ · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read for all Texans and Texan wannabies.