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Philip Gulley
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Front Porch Tales: Warm Hearted Stories of Family, Faith, Laughter and Love Kindle Edition

by Philip Gulley (Author), Paul Harvey (Foreword) Format: Kindle Edition
4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 453 ratings
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“Part Mark Twain, part Garrison Keillor, Philip Gulley is a breath of fresh air in an over-sophisticated and often jaded world.” —Gloria Gaither, singer and songwriter

Master storyteller Philip Gulley shares tender and hilarious real-life moments that capture the important truths of everyday life.

When Philip Gulley began writing newsletter essays for the twelve members of his Quaker meeting in Indiana, he had no idea one of them would find its way to radio commentator Paul Harvey Jr. and be read on the air to twenty-four million people. Fourteen books later, with more than a million books in print, Gulley still entertains as well as inspires from his small-town front porch.

“Perhaps more things were resolved on America’s front porches than in any other place, and yet so few are being used today. With this delightful collection of stories, told in a warm and easy style, Philip Gulley invites us to sit again on the front porch—a place of hearth, home, and folks we’ve known.” —Gary Smalley, bestselling author and family relationship expert

“The tales Philip Gulley unveils are tender and humorous . . . filled with sudden, unexpected, lump-in-the-throat poignancy.” —Paul Harvey, Jr., American radio broadcaster
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  1. Print length
    178 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  4. Publisher
    HarperOne
  5. Publication date
    October 13, 2009
  6. File size
    563 KB
  7. Page Flip
    Enabled
  8. Word Wise
    Enabled
  9. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
  10. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Philip Gulley is the bestselling author of Front Porch Tales and the acclaimed Harmony series, as well as If Grace Is True and If God Is Love, coauthored with James Mulholland. He and his wife, Joan, live in Indiana with their sons, Spencer and Sam.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0012OYBO4
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ HarperOne (October 13, 2009)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ October 13, 2009
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 563 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 178 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 453 ratings

About the author

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Philip Gulley

Philip Gulley

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Philip Gulley has become the voice of small town American life. Gulley is a Quaker pastor, writer, and speaker from Danville, Indiana. He has written 21 books, including the "Harmony" series recounting life in the eccentric Quaker community of Harmony, Indiana and the the "Hope" series which continues the exploits of Sam Gardner, first introduced in the "Harmony" series.

Gulley also authored the best-selling "Porch Talk" essay series. Gulley’s memoir, "I Love You, Miss Huddleston" was a finalist for the Thurber Prize for American Humor. In addition, Gulley, with co-author James Mulholland, shared their progressive spirituality in the books "If Grace Is True" and "If God Is Love,"" followed by Gulley’s books "If the Church Were Christian," "The Evolution of Faith," and "Living the Quaker Way."

Gulley's 22nd book entitled "Unlearning God: How Unbelieving Helped Me Believe" will be released on September 25, 2018.

"An illuminating spiritual memoir from America’s favorite Quaker storyteller shows how beliefs learned early must often be unlearned so that more helpful and enduring understandings can thrive."

You may read Philip Gulley’s essays in every issue of INDIANAPOLIS MONTHLY and THE SATURDAY EVENING POST. His weekly messages and upcoming speaking appearances are posted on his GraceTalks website at www.philipgulley.com

Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
4.6 out of 5
453 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Jason E. Smith
5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderfully Warm Tales With Real Substance & Wisdom
Reviewed in the United States on January 4, 2005
Verified Purchase
If you find the whole genre of 'Chicken Soup for the Soul' type books to be annoyingly sappy and over-the-top then this book is your antidote.

It features real stories from real life whereby the author (a Quaker pastor) draws real substantive wisdom. Where Chicken Soup and the like were "cute" or "charming", Gulley is challenging. There's plenty laugh out loud comedy here too, and enough sweetness to aggravate a toothache, but those elements are the icing instead of the cake.

Gulley talks about raising children to be tough, the capacity people have for mid-life change, prayer, loss, flexibility, the home, the dignity of work, the debilitating effect of television, why we need more listening and less psychology, love between a husband & wife, and many other subjects. Nearly all of these short essays are punctuated with surprisingly relevant scriptural anecdotes from the Good Book.

On the first page, Gulley wrote, "I thank God I was born before Nintendo video games and all the other things that keep kids from getting out and exploring their environs. My parents turned off the television set and sent me outdoors, where I met all kinds of interesting people, like Mrs. Harvey and Doctor Gibbs and Mr. Welty."

And he isn't kidding. This is a superb read that--through the window of the author's life--manages to search out so much of what's wrong with the world, offers beautiful alternatives, and does it all with the charity, humor, modesty, and self-depreciation proper to a Christian.

Highly recommended!
89 people found this helpful
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Yacomina kuipers
5.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyable
Reviewed in the United States on January 21, 2024
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Easy enjoyable read. I’m sharing it and other person is enjoying it also
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Terry F
5.0 out of 5 stars Nostalgia and time travel
Reviewed in the United States on March 8, 2024
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Humor, fondness, and simplicity drip from the pages of this glimpse back in the author's life and memories. I enjoyed all the short observations he presented.
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Amazon Customer
4.0 out of 5 stars I love all the Chicken soup for the soul books
Reviewed in the United States on March 8, 2018
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I love all the Chicken soup for the soul books.They are funny, sad and just a great book to read. I've never been an avid reader, but these books really touch me. I read whenever I can.
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Noel Marchiandi
5.0 out of 5 stars the meaning of feel good
Reviewed in the United States on September 8, 2009
Verified Purchase
What can I say about this book?
Well, I can say that after reading Front Porch Tales I felt so warm and happy.
Philip Gulley comes across as not only a caring human being, but one filled with humour and goodness.

It's so easy to read that you wonder if it's too easy ...No, it's not. Because in this cold and computerised world we live in, Philip Gulley is able to gently take us back, in very understandable language, to a different world, a different set of standards - a better world.

Just sitting on his front porch with him and sharing his stories brought the odd lump to my throat and a great desire to relive my days in the times he wrote about, the times that gave me a taste of true contentment, happiness and innocence.

He brought those times back to me.

Although he's a Quaker, he doesn't rub it in, (do they ever)? But, he made me wish that I was good enough, sincere enough and pure enough in my faith to become a Quaker like him.

Just get this book, take it to bed with you, read a few chapters and I guarantee you'll go to sleep with the biggest smile on your face you've had in a long time.

This book is just beautiful ....
5 people found this helpful
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Melanie Wade
5.0 out of 5 stars very funny!
Reviewed in the United States on August 6, 2018
Verified Purchase
Love Philip Gulley's tales! He's like a Quaker Garrison Keillor with the same astute observations on human nature, small town life, colorful neighbors, and just the wonders of life in general. Not at all sappy or syrupy. Poignant, funny, and very witty. If you want to escape from all the bad stuff in the world, and go back to looking for the good, I highly recommend this book and this author.
4 people found this helpful
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Denise
3.0 out of 5 stars I bought this for my mother who currently reads Readers ...
Reviewed in the United States on November 18, 2016
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I bought this for my mother who currently reads Readers Digest large print with no problem. Apparently there is no uniformity in what they call large print because the print in this book is about half the size of Readers Digest Large Print
13 people found this helpful
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Donna-Mom
5.0 out of 5 stars Good Read
Reviewed in the United States on September 9, 2012
Verified Purchase
This was just what I was looking for, a good read-aloud book to my 91 yo mother, who has dementia. It is her values, tucked into charming short tales, wry, wise and spiritually focused--something she can enjoy. Invariably, within each chapter there is a tug to memories of our own past that spark pleasant chats, priceless in what has become a somewhat narrow world. I think I will be able to return to this book many times for meal time and fireside chats.
One person found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

Martin
5.0 out of 5 stars Another winner
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 25, 2022
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Another winner from a much loved Quaker writer. Great homespun wisdom of the everyday
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Michael J Hamon
5.0 out of 5 stars Made me chuckle
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 27, 2018
Verified Purchase
I love the style of humour expressed in this book. Philip can spin a yarn that I’m sure most of us can identify with. The anecdotal style draws you in and before you know it you are nodding in agreement to the truths that emerge.
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