“Remembering Gator: A Black Family Saga”—is a poignant tale of resilience, family bonds, and the weight of buried secrets. In this gripping narrative, delve into the life of an African American protagonist, Beau Lewis, as he embarks on a journey to deal with the untimely death of his brother, Gator, only to discover that his real mission is to reunite his shattered family. As the weight of grief hangs in the air, Beau must confront the demons of the past and navigate the complex maze of family dynamics. Unraveling the threads of memory that have been stretched thin by time, he unearths secrets that threaten to tear apart the fragile unity his family desperately needs. In “Remembering Gator,” the author skillfully explores the profound impact of history and the struggles faced by African American families in the post-migration era. This novel presents a vivid picture of resilience, love, and the strength of family bonds through richly drawn characters grappling with their own personal battles. Prepare to be captivated by a narrative that traverses generations, exposing the wounds of the past and the potential for healing in the present. As Beau confronts his family’s legacy, the reader is invited on a deeply introspective journey, where the haunting question lingers: Can the ties that bind ever truly be broken? “Remembering Gator” is a masterfully crafted novel that examines the complexities of family, the unreliability of memory, and the profound ways in which secrets can shatter lives. In this moving exploration of identity, loss, and the enduring strength of the human spirit, readers will be left breathless and yearning for more. Get ready to immerse yourself in the evocative pages of “Remembering Gator,” where the power of love and the weight of truth collide in a tale that will stay with you long after the final word.

A carousel alligator goes on a courageous journey to find a place with real alligators--and a wonderful, familiar sound--in this moving and modest story. Full color.

A Land Remembered has become Florida's favorite novel. Now this Student Edition in two volumes makes this rich, rugged story of the American pioneer spirit more accessible to young readers. Patrick Smith tells of three generations of the MacIveys, a Florida family battling the hardships of the frontier. The story opens in 1858, when Tobias and Emma MacIvey arrive in the Florida wilderness with their son, Zech, to start a new life, and ends in 1968 with Solomon MacIvey, who realizes that his wealth has not been worth the cost to the land. Between is a sweeping story rich in Florida history with a cast of memorable characters who battle wild animals, rustlers, Confederate deserters, mosquitoes, starvation, hurricanes, and freezes to carve a kingdom out of the Florida swamp. In this volume, meet young Zech MacIvey, who learns to ride like the wind through the Florida scrub on Ishmael, his marshtackie horse, his dogs, Nip and Tuck, at this side. His parents, Tobias and Emma, scratch a living from the land, gathering wild cows from the swamp and herding them across the state to market. Zech learns the ways of the land from the Seminoles, with whom his life becomes entwined as he grows into manhood. Next in series > > See all of the books in this series

Folktales teach, inform, and heal. Most of all, they entertain. Here's a collection of tales rich with homespun humor, charm, and wisdom--all told with flair by some of Florida's best and most sought-after storytellers. Their stories will make you feel part of the great "family" that is Florida. If it's spooky ghost stories you crave, let "The Silent Customer," "Kissimmee Bound," and "The Ghost Dog of the Biltmore" chill your spine. Heed the Cracker wisdom handed down in "Seek the Higher Ground," cow-hunter poetry with a message. Chuckle over the misadventures of Flossie, Bubba, and Flo in "Three Little Cracker Pigs," a tongue-in-cheek version of the classic children's tale. Test your wits against the little troll in "Angelina and Cigam." Will he have you running in circles, growing smaller with each snap of his fingers? Take "Cousin Cassie's Cookin" with a grain of salt. It's not true, of course. Then again, if Cassie asks you to dinner, say you have other plans. Many Indian legends attempt to explain why the world exists as it is. In this tradition, several tales target specific flukes of nature--the rabbit's short tail, the flamingo's long neck, the woodpecker's lack of song--and offer entertaining reasons for their existence. Discover these legends too: "The Devil's Millhopper," "The Legend of Lake Okeechobee," "Monkey, the Trickster," "Why Florida Key Deer Are So Small." A few history lessons never hurt anyone, and these are entertaining as well. Jonathan Dickinson, Mary McLeod Bethune, and Jake Summerlin have a thing or two to teach you about overcoming adversity and being resourceful. Settle back into your easy chair and let these tales entertain you.

In this outlandish re-working of Euripides' "Medea," Gator Hedgepeth, a former Mississippi football star, plans to abandon his wife My Deah ¿ an ex-beauty queen from Louisiana ¿ and marry Simplicity Bullard, the daughter of the corrupt Mississippi governor. My Deah's bridge-playing buddies show up to play their weekly card game. Instead they get the domestic scoop from the touchy housekeeper Lillie V., and the physical education tutor of My Deah's sons, closeted homosexual Coach McCallister. My Deah confronts her card-dealing friends as well as the Governor, and she lays her bloody plans. Her vengefulness leads to the murders of trashy Simplicity and her father, and ultimately to the deaths of her own senseless sons, Skipper and Scooter. Deus ex machina, faux-Greekstyle, enables My Deah to attempt getaway to anonymity in wild, inebriated, immediately pre- Hurricane Katrina New Orleans. She hits the road, leaving Gator behind to live with the tragedy wrought by MY DEAH.

A Land Remembered has been ranked #1 Best Florida Book eight times in annual polls conducted by Florida Monthly Magazine. In this best-selling novel, Patrick Smith tells the story of three generations of the MacIveys, a Florida family who battle the hardships of the frontier to rise from a dirt-poor Cracker life to the wealth and standing of real estate tycoons. The story opens in 1858, when Tobias MacIvey arrives in the Florida wilderness to start a new life with his wife and infant son, and ends two generations later in 1968 with Solomon MacIvey, who realizes that the land has been exploited far beyond human need. The sweeping story that emerges is a rich, rugged Florida history featuring a memorable cast of crusty, indomitable Crackers battling wild animals, rustlers, Confederate deserters, mosquitoes, starvation, hurricanes, and freezes to carve a kingdom out of the swamp. But their most formidable adversary turns out to be greed, including finally their own. Love and tenderness are here too: the hopes and passions of each new generation, friendships with the persecuted blacks and Indians, and respect for the land and its wildlife. A Land Remembered was winner of the Florida Historical Society's Tebeau Prize as the Most Outstanding Florida Historical Novel. Now in its 14th hardcover printing, it has been in print since 1984 and is also available in trade paperback.