Tales from Margaritaville reflects on the longings of the human spirit and the costs and rewards of their pursuit.

The collection opens with a modern cowboy's trek from his Wyoming home to the haunts of his heroes in Hannibal, Missouri and Graceland, eventually finding the place he had dreamed of all his life, a slice of Gulf Stream paradise called Margaritaville. In the course of his travels he stumbles on the tiny Gulf town of Heat Wave, Alabama, which serves as the locale for the following five stories, simple regional tales of life on the Gulf Coast. These are followed by a pair of stories set in Margaritaville, followed by four autobiographical sketches in a section called" Son of a Sailor."

The collection shows the force of wanderlust, propelling people to embark on personal quests for fulfillment.

The stories collectively portray a South whose distinction lies...