Moonshine and Watermelons: and Other Ozark Tales

by Mark Van Patten

The Ozarks conveys a different mental image for everyone. Some visualize long black beards, moonshine whiskey, and corncob pipes, while others imagine canoe trips down clear, free-flowing, gravel-bottom streams, oak and hickory forests, a log cabin nestled in a wooded grove, and a wisp of blue-gray smoke floating above a native stone chimney.
Life in the Missouri Ozarks was hard and taken seriously. At the same time, the folks who scratched out a living from the rocky ground never lost their sense of humor and the zest for life. Pie suppers, turkey shoots, and church were time for folks to get together and catch up on what was happening with their neighbors. Between the covers of this book, you will experience colorful characters, boyhood shenanigans, and a real feel for what is was like to be a big-city kid moving back to his ancestral roots.
If you haven't experienced the sweetness of a ripe watermelon chilled in a cold spring and laced with high-quality moonshine, you should add it to your bucket list. Or better yet, discover the experience through the tale of an innocent boy's first taste.

140 pages, Paperback

Published July 15, 2020

Reviews

[Jenny Preston · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun look at growing up in the Missouri Ozarks a few decades ago. It's interesting to see what's similar and what's very different - while no 14yo would getaway with "John Wayne-in" anymore, these Missouri gravel bed creeks are still incredible and the best place to spend a day.

[AT · Rating 5 out of 5]

Funny but respectful of the Ozarks people and their way of life. Well-written slice of life- highly recommended!