Cajun Country

I read this to prepare for an Elderhostel in Lafayette LA. It was a revelation to realize I am practically going to a foreign country (from Minnesota). Every aspect of the Cajun culture was described. I'm looking forward to crawfish.

I found this book to be a great introduction to "who are the cajuns and where did they come from?" as well as an overview of their folk culture such as food, music and even some architecture. Not overly scholarly, it reads rather easy and would make a great introductory text for anyone who is interested in learning a little more about Cajuns.

I have read several sources on Cajun culture and traditions. I can objectively state that this book is superior, hands down. Ancelet gives a balanced and circular snap shot of the history of Cajun Culture and how it has evolved into its current form. The book is very endowed in the areas of music, cuisine, social gatherings, and the historical struggle of the Acadian descendents to salvage their identity in the mainstream United States. I would HIGHLY RECOMMEND this book for any collegiate research (it has served as the foundational source for a term paper of mine) or for anyone who has a true passion for the Cajun Culture.

I'm surprised that no one has yet reviewed this classic in the field of Cajun studies. "Cajun Country" should be subtitled "Everything You Wanted to Know about Traditional Cajun Culture But Were Afraid to Ask". It contains sections about history, religion, music, cuisine, as well as other aspects of the culture, including architecture, settlement patterns, language, storytelling, joke telling, gaming, folk medicine, and folk justice. Compiled by several top experts in the field, including premier Cajun scholars Barry Jean Ancelet and Carl A. Brasseaux, among others, this book is a "must have" for anyone intrigued by traditional Cajun culture -- note, however, my repeated use of the word "traditional," because this books concerns Cajuns of the past more so than today's Cajuns. An excellent index complements this volume, which I consult frequently as a reference work, although it is highly readable from cover to cover, and presented in a manner that any general reader can understand. Not only is this an excellent book for adults, but I would recommend it to high-school and junior-high readers.