Front Porch Tales

Bought this as a gift for my Mother who is in a nursing home, looked for light, up lifting reading for her and WOW did I find it in this author, bought two more of his books and am thrilled with the poignant and sometimes humorous stories. Would recommend again.

If you find the whole genre of 'Chicken Soup for the Soul' type books to be annoyingly sappy and over-the-top then this book is your antidote. It features real stories from real life whereby the author (a Quaker pastor) draws real substantive wisdom. Where Chicken Soup and the like were "cute" or "charming", Gulley is challenging. There's plenty laugh out loud comedy here too, and enough sweetness to aggravate a toothache, but those elements are the icing instead of the cake. Gulley talks about raising children to be tough, the capacity people have for mid-life change, prayer, loss, flexibility, the home, the dignity of work, the debilitating effect of television, why we need more listening and less psychology, love between a husband & wife, and many other subjects. Nearly all of these short essays are punctuated with surprisingly relevant scriptural anecdotes from the Good Book. On the first page, Gulley wrote, "I thank God I was born before Nintendo video games and all the other things that keep kids from getting out and exploring their environs. My parents turned off the television set and sent me outdoors, where I met all kinds of interesting people, like Mrs. Harvey and Doctor Gibbs and Mr. Welty." And he isn't kidding. This is a superb read that--through the window of the author's life--manages to search out so much of what's wrong with the world, offers beautiful alternatives, and does it all with the charity, humor, modesty, and self-depreciation proper to a Christian. Highly recommended!

This was a wonderful little book about love, friends, family and faith. I don't normally read religious books, but this book left me feeling really good. Mr. Gulley has a wonderful sense of storytelling. He's never preachy, and he's very humorous without trying to be. I've just picked up the sequel to this book Hometown Tales...and though I've only read a couple stories in it...it's just as wonderful. I recommend Mr. Gulleys books to everyone. They won't disappoint you!!

Philip Gulley's books give me a sense of peace, calm, and quiet seasoned with a generous helping of humor that always lets me end my day on a happier note. I've read most of his works and especially enjoy the characters who make me think, "I KNOW that person!" "Front Porch Tales" has joined my other favorite book, Clyde Egerton's "Walking Across Egypt" as my gift of choice to dear friends and loved ones.

For most of my life I have sought the answer to many questions about life, I've complicated my life in trying to find the answers. But here, after the better part of twenty-five years of searching, is the definitive answer.....basic simplicity, fundamental values, caring for each other, respecting each other, gathering strength from friends and family....no frills, no thrills in the new age sort of way....just remembering the past, learning from it and living by it, we've lost so much of it......well here it is...Phillip Gulley has restored my belief in living life to it's fullest, savoring every moment big and small. This book for all its simplistic values is the one book, that every man, women and child should read, to help them cherish the life that God has given us, the opportunities that are presented to us, and the gift of small, sacred treasures.....like home.