Product Description
Earlene Fowler has earned unprecedented acclaim for her "compelling" (Booklist), "brilliantly crafted" (The Mystery Zone) mysteries featuring folk-art expert Benni Harper. In Arkansas Traveler, Benni returns to the small Arkansas town where she spent her childhood summers, hoping to reconnect with her friends and family. But Sugartree isn't the peaceful place she remembers. It's torn apart by racial tensions-and murder... AUTHORBIO: Earlene Fowler was raised in La Puente, California, by a Southern mother and a Western father. She lives in Southern California with her husband, Allen, a purple pickup truck, and twenty-five pairs of cowboy boots. She is currently working on the next Benni Harper mystery.Amazon.com Review
Benni Harper is coming home to Sugartree, Arkansas. The folk-arthistorian, ranchwoman, and unwitting detective of Earlene Fowler'sAgatha Award-winning series is back in the Ozarks for SugartreeBaptist Church's Homecoming festivities. Benni's brought both herhusband, Gabe, and her best friend, Elvia Aragon, from California forthe occasion, which promises to be a celebration of the best ofsmall-town Southern life. For Benni that will always carry "the memoryof muggy Arkansas summer nights filled with the scent of sweethoneysuckle, fresh-mowed grass, and the taste of half-melted DairyQueen chocolate sundaes."

But Benni's nostalgia is cut short abruptly when the worst ofsmall-town Southern life rears its ugly head. Benni's childhoodfriend, Amen Tolliver, is running for mayor against incumbent GradyHunter, whose son Toby--a fledgling white supremacist--will doanything to make sure a black woman doesn't win his father'soffice. When Toby is found with his head beaten in, and Amen's nephewQuinton becomes the prime suspect, Benni's idealism takes a backseatto curiosity--and to the painful consequences of exposing both theprejudices and the skeletons that Sugartree residents would prefer tokeep deep in the closet.

Fowler is perhaps more concerned with local color than with the rigorsof mystery plotting, lovingly creating a world bound by faith,friends, and food--especially food. Witness Benni's soliloquy toOzark comestibles, sparked by her first glimpse in years of a PigglyWiggly grocery store: "'Blue Bunny and Yarnell's ice cream,' I saidgleefully. 'Delta Gold syrup. White Lily flour.Aunt Nellie's cornrelish. Martha White cornmeal. Crowder peas! Eight flavors ofgrits. Eight! You can't get that in California.'" But soappealing are Fowler's characters and so enticing is that world, thatthe novel's essentially anticlimactic denouement will probably seem oflittle importance. Fowler is rapidly proving herself a master of theAmerican cozy, and the Benni Harper series continues to improve witheach outing. --Kelly Flynn ... Read more

Customer Reviews (27)

My favorite Benni Harper book so far....
I have become a huge fan of the Benni Harper series.This was my favorite so far.I loved that you were able to get to know Benni on another level....her childhood.The author's descriptions of the state of Arkansas made me want to travel there and the dialect was amazing.The story line was excellent and she dove right into the racial theme and didn't back down and it made you cringe and feel uncomfortable (as you should) and really think about backgrounds and the differences that makes us all human. The scene with Gabe and the treatment of him by the police was heartbreaking to read but written so well.I love Dove & Gabe and it was such a pleasure to watch Dove interact with her sister.The "politics" portions of the story were real and not always pretty or "tied up in a neat bow."I can't say enough about this last book.I truly enjoyed it and kept thinking about it long after I was done reading it.I have read all of the previous books and now need to order more.Iplan to box all of these up and ship to my sisters so they can enjoy them and we can have our own "book club" discussions!

excellent mystery
This is great--one of the better mysteries in this series. Arkansas is an interesting setting. Benni's relationships with friends from years ago is definitely not boring and the developing relationship between her two best friends is intriguing. The southern setting is a nice change from California. The solving of the murder takes some unusual twists which keeps one guessing until the end.

a little preachy
In "Arkansas Traveler", main character Benni returns to Arkansas to a church "homecoming" with feelings of nostalgia for her small town. However the visit is marred by incidents of racism, many of them centered around an African American woman (and an old friend of Benni's) running for mayor. "Arkansas Traveler" is my first step into the series, so I am sure I was at a disadvantage as far as knowing the backstory of the characters, but the parts of it that I didn't enjoy were not really affected by my lack of knowledge.

First, what I liked. I loved the small town descriptions and the clear affection the author has for southern culture and life. Church, social conventions, and food are lovingly portrayed. I also liked the characters, especially the female ones. They are mostly well described, their behaviors seem real and consistent and they speak with voices that read like people we all know. I loved the constant rivalry of Benni's two female relatives, it was very funny.

What I enjoyed less. The preaching tone taken about race and poverty. I realize that the plot of the story hangs on a racial issue, but it came across to me as "oh these ignorant people, Benni is here to show them the error of their ways." It was offputting. And there seemed to be a patronizing view of the poorer folks in the book too.

I wondered about the quilting theme, there really didn't sem to be one, but maybe other books had more and I'll see more connection that just the title in other books. And I did like it enough to try other bookes in the series. I hope I learn to like Benni more since I liked her friends!

Arkansaw Traveller by Earlene Fowler
Most enjoyable with interesting insights into the race realtions of the South.The development of the characters and imsights are always more interesting than the plot.

An enjoyable novel
Benni Harper returns home to Arkansas with her husband Gabe Ortiz who, back home in California, is chief of police. Shortly after they arrive, the mayor's son a rowdy, disorderly bigot is found dead. The nephew of Benni's childhood friend is blamed for the murder. The primary plot thread is Benni's progress in identifying the real killer.

This novel falls clearly into the "cozy" mystery category. The major sleuth is both female and an amateur, the cast of characters is thankfully restricted, making it easy to track who they are even if the novel is read over a few days, and there is no gratuitous sex or violence.

Although I found it a bit slow going; once started its hard to but down. It is, in addition to a mystery story, a story of friends and their relationships along with a nostalgic look at memories of both people and things.

The novel appears to be aimed primarily at a female audience, considering the content of passages relating to Benni's PG-rated time alone with her husband, and the occasional female chauvinism reflected in some of the writing. However, although the author and lead character are female, and some of the writing will have a more feminine appeal, it would definitely be a mistake to consider this a "for women only" novel, as it will be interesting to male readers as well.

In conclusion, this is a gentle and very enjoyable novel, and one of the nicer ways to unwind.
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Product Description
Chapters: Little Rock Central High School, Hall High School, Parkview Arts and Science Magnet High School, Henderson Health Sciences Magnet Middle School, Rockefeller Early Childhood Magnet Elementary School, Dunbar Magnet Middle School, J. A. Fair Systems Magnet High School, Mcclellan Magnet High School, Williams Traditional Magnet Elementary School, Cloverdale Magnet Middle School, Mabelvale Magnet Middle School, Forest Heights Magnet Middle School. Source: Wikipedia. Pages: 47. Not illustrated. Free updates online. Purchase includes a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Excerpt: Little Rock Central High School -President Bill Clinton led celebrations of the 40th anniversary of desegregation at Little Rock Central High School.Central has had the most National Merit and National Achievement finalists in the state over the past 10 years with over $4 million in scholarships awarded during the 20062007 school year. Central has had five Presidential Scholars in the last decade and had 144 AP Scholars in 200607. The school dominates at regional and state Science Fairs. It has the largest number of delegates to Boys' and Girls' State, the most participants in Governor's School Gifted and Talented Program, and has competed in chemistry Olympiad, Arkansas Junior Science and Humanities Symposium, mock trial, various mathematics competitions, and the SECME Olympiad. In addition, Central has had 55 Stephens' Award winners for outstanding academic achievement. As of 2008, Central has the most successful policy debate program in the state, winning the state championship 11 out of the past 12 years. Central has an International Studies Magnet Program, one of the most advanced E.A.S.T. Lab Programs (run by Kirby Shofner), over 30 service, academic, and honors clubs available, award-winning instrumental and concert band and choral programs, over 141 course...More: http://booksllc.net/?id=298129 ... Read more

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High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! Orval Eugene Faubus (January 7, 1910? December 14, 1994) was the 36th Governor of Arkansas, serving from 1955 to 1967. He is best known for his 1957 stand against the desegregation of Little Rock public schools during the Little Rock Crisis, in which he defied a unanimous decision of the United States Supreme Court by ordering the Arkansas National Guard to stop African American students from attending Little Rock Central High School. Despite his initial staunch segregationist stances, Faubus much later moderated his positions. He even endorsed the African American minister, the Reverend Jesse Jackson, in the 1984 Democratic presidential primaries. The nomination, however, went to Walter F. Mondale of Minnesota. ... Read more

Product Description
This digital document is an article from Arkansas Business, published by Journal Publishing, Inc. on February 14, 1994. The length of the article is 1856 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: UAMS seeks to compete. (University of Arkansas Medical School Medical Center)
Author: Jim Harris
Publication: Arkansas Business (Magazine/Journal)
Date: February 14, 1994
Publisher: Journal Publishing, Inc.
Volume: v11Issue: n7Page: p1(2)

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High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! Oak Grove High School is a public secondary school located in North Little Rock, Arkansas and serves grades 9 through 12. Oak Grove High School is administered by the Pulaski County Special School District. Since 1967, Oak Grove has been accredited by the North Central Association (NCA) Commission on Accreditation and School Improvement (CASI). Oak Grove's official colors are green and white and the school's mascot is a hornet. ... Read more

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9x6 Inches. Plastic ringbinder softcover (4 green rings). 74 Pages. Light age discoloration to light brown covers. Light sporadic foxing to text. Complete pagination. Named recipes. Six full-page local advertising pages. Estimated date of publication: late 1940's - early 1950's. ... Read more

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High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! Sacred Heart High School is a private, Roman Catholic high school in Morrilton, Arkansas. It is located in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Little Rock.Sacred Heart School was founded in 1879, serving grades 1 - 8. The high school was opened in 1923. Morrilton is a city in Conway County, Arkansas, United States, 51 miles (82 km) northwest of Little Rock. The town was home to Harding College, now Harding University of Searcy, Arkansas, for about a decade in the 1920s and 1930s. The population was 6,550 at the 2000 census. The city is the county seat of Conway County. ... Read more

Product Description
This digital document is an article from NewsInc, published by The Cole Group on April 13, 1998. The length of the article is 955 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: AP RELIES ON WARM SOUTHERN HOSPITALITY IN A CRISIS-Photos from school shootings in Arkansas reach wire service from staffer's home
Publication: NewsInc (Magazine/Journal)
Date: April 13, 1998
Publisher: The Cole Group
Volume: 10Issue: 8Page: N/A

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The book has no illustrations or index. It may have numerous typos or missing text. However, purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original rare book from the publisher's website (GeneralBooksClub.com). You can also preview excerpts of the book there. Purchasers are also entitled to a free trial membership in the General Books Club where they can select from more than a million books without charge. Original Publisher: Little Rock Printing Company; Publication date: 1897; Subjects: Educational law and legislation; Law / Educational Law ... Read more

Product Description
The book has no illustrations or index. It may have numerous typos or missing text. However, purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original rare book from the publisher's website (GeneralBooksClub.com). You can also preview excerpts of the book there. Purchasers are also entitled to a free trial membership in the General Books Club where they can select from more than a million books without charge. Original Publisher: The Brown Printing Company; Publication date: 1895; Subjects: Educational law and legislation; Law / Educational Law ... Read more

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Hundreds of poems by students from 54 different Arkansas Schools and Districts ... Read more

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Due to the very old age and scarcity of this book, many of the pages may be hard to read due to the blurring of the original text. ... Read more

Product Description
Due to the very old age and scarcity of this book, many of the pages may be hard to read due to the blurring of the original text. ... Read more

Product Description
Due to the very old age and scarcity of this book, many of the pages may be hard to read due to the blurring of the original text. ... Read more