{"title":"Leon Hale","description":"\u003cp\u003eDiscover the folksy charm and gentle humour of Leon Hale. A beloved Texas storyteller, Hale's essays and columns offer a warm, witty glimpse into everyday life. Browse his delightful collections today.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"see-you-on-down-the-road-book-leon-hale-9780975272718","title":"See You on Down the Road","description":"The habits of a lifetime ebb slowly, and so we have this honest, moving and amusing account of a retirement that began, in 2014, when beloved Texas writer Leon Hale was 93.   In his inimitable voice, Hale reveals his personal joys and regrets as he traverses the territory of old age, travelling through time and place from his spot on the old front porch at Winedale.   We're with him at the dinner party where he told an 11 PM story at 8:30; we learn why he doesn't like the ocean, but loves the shore. For the first time, he shares the World War II experience that haunts him still; and relates the sad drama of his first divorce. We watch turf battles between blue birds and chickadees, and observe his mother's long effort to teach a parakeet her favorite Bible verse.   There are health challenges, yes, and the give and take that goes on in a happy marriage. Through it all, however, flows the unstoppable optimism that has sustained him through every crisis.   For everyone who has wondered what it's like to approach their hundredth birthday, here is one inspiring and truthful answer, told with the special sheen of wit and human feeling that we have come to expect from this fine writer.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"US \/ GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":49759929499921,"sku":"CIN0975272713G","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"US \/ VERY_GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":50095867789585,"sku":"CIN0975272713VG","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/0975272713.jpg?v=1763473585"},{"product_id":"old-friends-book-leon-hale-9780975272701","title":"Old Friends","description":"From the beloved Houston Columnist comes a new collection of his wise, tolerant, funny, and occasionally poignant narratives that appear regularly in the Houston Chronicle. Also included are a few hard-to-find favorites from the past, including \"\"The Chamber of Commerce Bull\"\" and the unforgettable Christmas story, \"\"Miracles out of a '22 Chevy\"\".  All are related in the graceful conversational prose, full of warmth and humor, that has long been Hale's hallmark. Among the many pleasures to be enjoyed here are kibitzing with the Old Codgers, sharing Cousin C. T.'s pranks, visits from My Friend Mel, adventures in rural life at Winedale, and other delightful examples of his warm hearted wit and wisdom.  All display Hale's eye for the telling detail and enlist us in the gentle laughter of self-recognition.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"US \/ WELL_READ \/ SBYB","offer_id":49981699457297,"sku":"CIN0975272705A","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"US \/ VERY_GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":50368733970705,"sku":"CIN0975272705VG","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"US \/ GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":50376168014097,"sku":"CIN0975272705G","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"GB \/ VERY_GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":51074200731921,"sku":"GOR009830173","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/0975272705.jpg?v=1751454485"},{"product_id":"one-man-s-christmas-book-leon-hale-9780940672246","title":"One Man's Christmas","description":"Leon Hale's well-known gift for touching the humanity in all of us finds the ideal subject in this personal recollection of Christmases he has known throughout his life. Originally published in 1984 and long out of print, \u003ci\u003eOne Man's Christmas\u003c\/i\u003e highlights the warmth and humor for which this legendary writer is so beloved. Whether Hale is scrambling to put together a new toy for his children on Christmas Eve, racing around to buy last minute, often misguided gifts, or reliving his family's fraught holiday on a hardscrabble sheep farm during the Great Depression, the unique sensibility that has endeared him to generations of readers shines through every word. These are stories to savor by oneself or to read out loud to loved ones of all ages during the holiday season, when we discover again in our own memories the reasons why this time of year is so special.\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"US \/ WELL_READ \/ SBYB","offer_id":50032652026129,"sku":"CIN0940672243A","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"US \/ GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":51845993758993,"sku":"CIN0940672243G","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/0940672243.jpg?v=1750819622"},{"product_id":"bonney-s-place-book-hale-9780940672024","title":"Bonney's Place","description":"When Johnny Lancaster comes into Bonney's Place, he hopes to find answers. Somebody stole a sum of money from his father and he wants retribution. At least, he wants the money back. It's his inheritance. And it surely looks as though the person doing the stealing was Bonney McCamey himself, except Bonney's not the type of person to steal from an old man, is he? Johnny decides to hang around awhile and find out.\u003cbr\u003e What Johnny discovers--along with the limits of his personal endurance--is that passing judgment is a perilous endeavor. This Texas tavern and the unforgettable characters for whom it provides recreation and, in some cases a reason for living, reflect a far more complex reality than Johnny had anticipated. And in the person of Bonney himself, Johnny finds a man who is more than capable of stretching small truths and shading small sins, in order to prevent a larger miscarriage of justice.\u003cbr\u003e This classic novel immerses the reader in a richly layered and vivid assemblage of rural Texas characters such as Rose- Mama, Turnip, Slat, Samuel Wilkerson Hobbs, Jr., and, of course, Bonney himself. Often hilariously funny, \u003ci\u003eBonney's\u003c\/i\u003e\u003ci\u003e Place\u003c\/i\u003e is a world of obvious weaknesses, enduring strengths, and the many small exaltations of life.\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"US \/ GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":50138887323921,"sku":"CIN0940672022G","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/0940672022.jpg?v=1750787707"},{"product_id":"addison-book-leon-hale-9780385129114","title":"Addison","description":"Hale's second, award-winning novel that tells the story of a flawed hero and the love of his life.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003ehttp: \/\/www.leonhale.com\/","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"US \/ WELL_READ \/ SBYB","offer_id":50353070604561,"sku":"CIN0385129114A","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/0385129114.jpg?v=1751324808"},{"product_id":"easy-going-book-leon-hale-9780940672109","title":"Easy Going","description":null,"brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"US \/ GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":50365790781713,"sku":"CIN0940672103G","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"US \/ WELL_READ \/ SBYB","offer_id":53371259486481,"sku":"CIN0940672103A","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/0940672103.jpg?v=1763472200"},{"product_id":"one-man-s-christmas-book-leon-hale-9781623493844","title":"One Man's Christmas","description":"Leon Hale’s well-known gift for touching the humanity in all of us finds the ideal subject in this personal recollection of Christmases he has known throughout his life. Originally published in 1984 and long out of print, One Man’s Christmas highlights the warmth and humor for which this legendary writer is so beloved. Whether Hale is scrambling to put together a new toy for his children on Christmas Eve, racing around to buy last minute, often misguided gifts, or reliving his family’s fraught holiday on a hardscrabble sheep farm during the Great Depression, the unique sensibility that has endeared him to generations of readers shines through every word. These are stories to savor by oneself or to read out loud to loved ones of all ages during the holiday season, when we discover again in our own memories the reasons why this time of year is so special.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"US \/ VERY_GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":50386855624977,"sku":"CIN1623493846VG","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"US \/ WELL_READ \/ SBYB","offer_id":51334625165585,"sku":"CIN1623493846A","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"US \/ GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":53264078831889,"sku":"CIN1623493846G","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/1623493846.jpg?v=1763220878"},{"product_id":"supper-time-book-leon-hale-9780965746830","title":"Supper Time","description":"\u003cdiv\u003eFrom the beloved \u003ci\u003eHouston Chronicle\u003c\/i\u003e columnist comes this delightful and heart-warming stroll through the kitchens of his life.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e In relating his love affair with the food that has sustained him for more than three-quarters of a century, Leon Hale recreates for us the tables of Texas and the South enjoyed by our parents and grandparents--and if we are lucky, ourselves. They were filled with solid, nurturing fare like chicken and dumplings, cornbread with Jersey butter, chicken-fried steak, green beans glistening with bacon drippings, and homemade fried pies--tables glowing with the memory of good times and good friends.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e America's way of eating has evolved, of course, and Hale's passion for food has evolved with it. Today his pleasures run to more healthful fare: jalapeno turkey burgers on whole grain buns, blue corn dinner pancakes with black beans, the world's best sweet pepper omelette.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e From the day in Bryan when he invented blackened chicken to his bachelor apartment adventures making pot roast and \"the Soupwich\"--a lunch-time staple--Hale has been a producer of unusual dishes. But he is only an occasional cook.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e For the most part he has been on the consuming end, as he recalls some of the beloved figures whose signature dishes he still longs for: his mother-in-law, \"Mimi\" Vick, and her Christmas ambrosia; Mary Elizabeth Adams and her world-class fried chicken; Marie Moore's guacamole salad accompanied by fried Matagorda oysters--a holiday tradition. Or Mary Helen Hale's Texas cheese dip, which became the Hale family's all-purpose comfort food. With memories of cooks who learned their craft in the late 1800s, Supper Time serves as a kind of food history of twentieth century Texas. Forgotten staples of the 1920s like chow-chow give way to Forties' Spam sandwiches, Sixties' backyard barbecues--where neighbors would piggy-back a pork chop or two on the grill if Hale was cooking--and eventually to today's low fat but satisfying dishes like turkey breast meat loaf with skinny mashed potatoes.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e This is an intimate, unforgettable portrait of a man, his friends, family, and his time, full of personal preferences, brimming with memory and affection, enriched by family recipes, old and new. And Hale tells his story with the self-deprecating humor, wit, and grace for which he is celebrated.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e  \u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"US \/ WELL_READ \/ SBYB","offer_id":50467678093585,"sku":"CIN0965746836A","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"GB \/ VERY_GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":51074200797457,"sku":"GOR005883605","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"US \/ GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":51922676678929,"sku":"CIN0965746836G","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/0965746836.jpg?v=1751421886"},{"product_id":"texas-out-back-book-leon-hale-9780890520024","title":"Texas Out Back","description":null,"brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"- \/ - \/ -","offer_id":50480395190545,"sku":"","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"GB \/ VERY_GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":50480395518225,"sku":"GOR013796877","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/089052002X.jpg?v=1751108582"},{"product_id":"turn-south-at-the-second-bridge-book-leon-hale-9780965746809","title":"Turn South at the Second Bridge","description":"\u003cdiv\u003eIn this little gem of a book Leon Hale reacquaints us with the back road individualists who have given Texas much of its character over the past century.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e   A novelist and columnist for fifty years, Hale has built his reputation on an exceptionally smooth writing style combined with a sharp eye for what's unusual and remarkable hidden among the otherwise ordinary people and places of Texas, for example, the alligator that slept by the stove at Scheller's Place; the ghost of Fiddler's Island; or the billboard newspaper of Tillie Roome.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e  \u003ci\u003eTurn South at the Second Bridge\u003c\/i\u003e chronicles a world that abounds with surprises. Check out Virge Whitfield, who combined wisdom with a limitless love of dogs; or Pat Craddock, whose skill at cooking whiskey cost him a leg; or Jack Hillhouse, the one-armed giant beach-dweller who had an unusual way of obtaining fresh eggs. Hale takes us along with him, down winter beaches from Galveston to Port Aransas, deep into the Piney Woods of East Texas, through the bottom lands of the Trinity, the Brazos, and the Colorado Rivers, as he searches for the unique characters who inhabit the part of Texas you don't find in guide books.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e   Many of the places and most of the people chronicled in this delightful Texas classic have vanished by now, and we are the poorer for it. Fortunately for us, however, Hale has captured with warm affection the language and spirit of this memorable part of his state's social and oral history, in the shape of stories and characters you won't forget.\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"US \/ NEW \/ INGRAM","offer_id":51009767538961,"sku":"NIN9780965746809","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"US \/ VERY_GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":51423578358033,"sku":"CIN0965746801VG","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"GB \/ NEW \/ INGRAM","offer_id":52353838317841,"sku":"NLS9780965746809","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"US \/ GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":52819680297233,"sku":"CIN0965746801G","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/0965746801.jpg?v=1763222763"},{"product_id":"addison-book-leon-hale-9780965746878","title":"Addison","description":"\u003cdiv\u003eHale's second, award-winning novel that tells the story of a flawed hero and the love of his life.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003ca href=\"http:\/\/www.leonhale.com\/\"\u003ehttp:\/\/www.leonhale.com\/\u003c\/a\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"US \/ NEW \/ INGRAM","offer_id":51009977057553,"sku":"NIN9780965746878","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"US \/ GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":51691386863889,"sku":"CIN0965746879G","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"GB \/ NEW \/ INGRAM","offer_id":52348901327121,"sku":"NLS9780965746878","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/0965746879.jpg?v=1763221265"},{"product_id":"bonney-s-place-rare-book-leon-hale-1733727251abs","title":"Bonney's Place","description":"1972. First Edition. 264 pages. No dust jacket. Signed by the author. Beige cloth. Flat signed by Author. Pages are lightly tanned and thumbed at the edges. Binding has remained firm. 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This is Texas at its backroads best, a portrait of people and places that remains fresh and unique despite the passage of time.   Hale is special. His view is clear and wide and his theme is happiness—the kind you come upon easily and naturally when you live with a relaxed openness, alert to the potential for joy in common day experience.   His world is a place we can go to when our spirits need soothing. His voice and outlook are grounded and authentic, filled with humor, sentiment and timeless warmth.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"- \/ - \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":53620556431633,"sku":null,"price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"GB \/ NEW \/ GARDNERS","offer_id":53620556857617,"sku":"NGR9780975272787","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/9780975272787.jpg?v=1780558164"}],"url":"https:\/\/www.worldofbooks.com\/en-au\/collections\/author-books-by-leon-hale.oembed","provider":"World of Books ","version":"1.0","type":"link"}