Rating: 
Summary: "Going to Ground" is a book of sincerity and connection
Review: Readers do not have to live in the south to appreciate the sincerity of the voice of Amy Blackmarr in her first collection of essays entitled "Going to Ground: Simple Life on a Georgia Pond." Blackmarr takes her experiences while living in her Grandfather's tar-papered, unheated fishing cabin located in the woods of south Georgia and shows the reader how nature, including human nature, can change one's life forever. Though Blackmarr's pond is not Walden, she does find answers to some of her questions about life and death (her grandmother's and her dog's) during her five-year stay. She realizes that only true friends are willing to take a long drive into the country to visit in a cabin that has no hot water or heat. Often alone, she finds solace as well as wisdom in the company of Gene, her neighbor who farms the land, and Queenie and Max, her dogs. "Going to Ground" is both humorous and thought-provoking. But perhaps the largest compliment for Blackmarr is her ability to relate to her reader, to make the reader say, "I understand; I've been there, too."
Rating:
Summary: Nice place to sit back and relax
Review: Young South Georgia woman gets off the fast train, returns to family's shack by the pond, then delivers us a way to enjoy her experiences and reflections. The sparce prose of Amy Blackmarr lets you sit back and relax awhile. You'll also enjoy the sequel, House of Steps, where she moves to a peculiar little house out in Kansas. Her outlook on life is quite refreshing. Both books are short, too, so they're great for summer trips to the beach, or weekends out in the backyard.
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