Tales of Coles County has only been out for a few months and already it has many positive reviews on Amazon.com. Here are just a few:
“I grew up in Coles County, Illinois. This book brought back many memories and I learned some things that I didn’t know.”
Madonna J. Long
“Very insightful.”
Andrew Dowling
“Valuable reference book on the History of Coles County.”
Stephen F. Anderson
“Michael Kleen is so in depth in his research and delves deeply into each story. If you love small towns and the stories within them, you will adore this book. Check it out!”
Bobbie Jean Ashley
A man named Cub Jones had a surprising experience with the book he shared on Goodreads:
“This book came to me as a misprint. I had ordered Last and First Men by Olaf Stapledon in some CreateSpace edition I chose simply because it had the least awful cover, and that’s definitely what it said on the cover when it came, but upon opening it, I found the text was this county history and tales collection of a county in Illinois.
“… It was an intimate look, in a number of ways intentional and otherwise, at a region similar to where my family comes from that I’ve never been privy to in quite this way, especially in print. Not every story or tale is terribly interesting in and of itself, but it’s inherently interesting to me just to see a book written about an area largely forgotten or ignored economically and culturally–unless, of course you happen to live there, or have family there.
“Every county, every region deserves to have it’s history and stories and culture preserved and told, even when, maybe especially when, these places are lost to the brutal march of the economy, history, and the whims of the incurious. I enjoyed and shared this book’s enthusiasm for the local, the humble, and the less celebrated.”
I have no idea how that happened, but I’m glad fate chose Cub to read Tales of Coles County! I couldn’t agree more when he says “Every county, every region deserves to have it’s history and stories and culture preserved and told.” Local history is often the most interesting history.
Have you read the new edition of Tales of Coles County? Please consider writing a review on Amazon or websites like Goodreads. You’d be surprised how helpful it is.
M.A. Kleen 