All Over but the Shoutin’
- Genre: Nonfiction; memoir; Southern literature
- Originally Published: 1997
- Reading Level/Interest: Lexile 1160L; college/adult
- Structure/Length: Divided into 3 parts; approximately 329 pages; approximate length 2 hours and 41 minutes on audiobook
- Protagonist/Central Conflict: All Over but the Shoutin’ is Rick Bragg’s poignant and powerful account of growing up in poverty in the Deep South, specifically in northeastern Alabama, and his journey to becoming a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist. The memoir pays homage to his hardworking mother, who struggled to provide for her family, and offers a candid look at the complexities of family, poverty, and the pursuit of a better life against the backdrop of the American South. Bragg’s narrative is both a personal story of resilience and a broader commentary on Southern culture, societal neglect, and the enduring impact of heritage and home.
- Potential Sensitivity Issues: Descriptions of poverty, domestic violence, war, alcoholism, and the hardships of rural Southern life