About this item
Highlights
- Marie Lathers wades into the history and legends of the Okefenokee Swamp.
- About the Author: Marie Lathers grew up in Silver Spring, Maryland, and spent summer vacations with her grandmother in Waycross, Georgia.
- 192 Pages
- History, United States
Description
Book Synopsis
Marie Lathers wades into the history and legends of the Okefenokee Swamp. The Okefenokee, nearly 440,000 acres of bog and swamp lying in south Georgia and north Florida, is the largest blackwater wetland in North America. Almost all of these acres are protected by a National Wildlife Refuge, one of three access points to a land characterized by cypress, Spanish moss, and alligators. This book, with its broad overview of the Swamp and more detailed focus on certain aspects, has something for everyone, the nature-minded, history buffs, and regional culture enthusiasts. Read about the animals named for the Swamp--the Okefenokee fishing spider and zale moth--the history of lumbermen in the Swamp, the religious and musical practices of Swampers, and the novels and movies set in the Land of the Trembling Earth, including, of course, the infamous opossum, Pogo.
Review Quotes
An exploration of the Land of the Trembling Earth
Lather takes a broad view of the Okefenokee in her book, encompassing the history, flora, fauna, commerce and inhabitants of the half-million acres of blackwater wetlands located where Florida and Georgia meet. There's also a chapter on movies inspired by the swamp and the 1945 opening of the Okefenokee Swamp Park, which made it more accessible to visitors.
In addition to dozens of black-and-white photos embedded throughout the text, there are 16 pages of color photographs at the end that capture the beauty and wonder of the swamp.
About the Author
Marie Lathers grew up in Silver Spring, Maryland, and spent summer vacations with her grandmother in Waycross, Georgia. Her first question when she arrived there was always, "When are we going to the Okefenokee?" Unlike her friends at home, she was never afraid of alligators--up to a point. Lathers holds advanced degrees in literature and has spent thirty-five years teaching literature, film and French to university students, mostly at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio. She has written scholarly books and articles and is trying her hand at creative writing for children.