Hailstorms and Hoop Snakes: Tall Tales from the General Store. 2nd ed.

Tom Arnett is a freelance writer who lives in Victoria Harbour, Ontario.

This revised and expanded collection of tall tales, first published in
1984, is the type of yarn encountered anytime farmers sit around
“chewing the fat” between chores. The author has a genius for
catching the way conversation slides into the exchange of whoppers, and
an ear for those stories that listeners are apt to believe right up to
the end—when they suddenly realize they’ve been had. His three
fictional storytellers from Deer River deliver the yarns with the
authenticity of oral history.

This is a quick, light read for anyone who needs a distraction; it
would be an appropriate gift for someone who has lived in the country
for a while and appreciates rural culture. The brief epilogue gives
solid advice on how to develop the skill of telling tall tales.