A Grandfather's Gift: Papaw's Life and Times in Rural Mississippi

This book is about my life experiences and also contains the stories I have heard my folks tell while sitting on the front porch after supper. For many years, my maternal grandfather lived with us. He and my dad would swap interesting stories about times when they were growing up and farming with oxen and mules. They talked about the "dummy line" railroads that ran through the forest near our home and told their childhood tales and many other stories I would long for later in life. I wanted to pass this and my life stories down to my descendants. Many interesting stories were told in the serene setting of the front porch deep in the country, with only the interruptions of whippoorwills, hoot owls, screech owls, and such making pleasant noises in the distant woods. ... I hope that this book will inspire future generations in some way to understand the important things in life. It's been said that the best things are free, and I learned that one only has to make necessary efforts to obtain a peaceful, happy, and fulfilling life.

James E. Smith grew up in south Mississippi. He wrote this book to help people discern the things that really matter in life. He is semiretired, and he owns his own business in Brookhaven, Mississippi. He likes to tell true stories.