Marching Through Georgia

Ellis, author of previous books on long walks (Walking the Trail, about the Cherokee Trail of Tears; Bareback!, about the route of the Pony Express) here follows the route of William T. Sherman's Civil War march through Georgia. Ellis's purpose is to reestablish his Southern roots and reconnect with his late father. He offers a series of anecdotes and vignettes that focus on the people he encounters along the way, seasoned with occasional references to the Union presence over a century ago. The result is a book about seemingly ordinary people who do seemingly ordinary things, from drinking whisky to tending goats, that under Ellis's deft stylistic touch and wry sense of humor become extraordinary. Some of the vignettes reinforce Southern gothic stereotypes; nevertheless, this is a work to be savored. (Oct.)