About Upshaw's A Biscuit for Your Shoe

A Biscuit for Your Shoe captures the lore of a community which began as a freedom colony west of Nacogdoches in East Texas, through the eyes of Beatrice Upshaw. The book is a memoir, but it shares more than merely family memories of significant events. It tells of beliefs, home remedies, folk games, and customs, as well as the importance of religion and education to a community of like-minded people. The narrative is a rich source of colloquial language and proverbial sayings that help define a group of people and their strong sense of place.

Richard Orton was first introduced to County Line by F. E. “Ab” Abernethy, the Secretary-Editor of the Texas Folklore Society for nearly four decades. Richard’s introduction explains the value of the stories Beatrice Upshaw presents; they are personal, but the overall narrative speaks collectively about the perseverance and innovation of many people who found a way to not only survive, but to thrive in East Texas.