Home Town Tales

Book 63 of my 2018 Reading Challenge

Home Town Tales: Recollections of Kindness, Peace and Joy by Phillip Gulley

Summary
Travel back to a simpler time.
Life was uncomplicated and people knew each other by name. Folks cared for one another and were willing to do what was right - no matter the cost. 
Philip Gulley takes you back to those simpler days in these tender stories. Inspired by his own hometown, each story unforgettably celebrates timeless values and enduring virtues. 

My Opinion
I liked his distinction in the beginning about being a storyteller, not a historian. "The stories in this book are true, if by "true" you mean "honest to the human condition." If by "true" you mean "cold, hard fact," then this book is not always true. I can't always recall exactly what folks said, though the values they conveyed return to me crystal clear. I've changed some names, uprooted some folks and replanted them in my hometown, and once or twice made my life seem a little more interesting than it really is. Please forgive me, but that's the kind of thing we storytellers do."

I bet he's a good minister.  These stories are like short little sermons that keep my attention and aren't heavy-handed with the message which is lucky for me; I normally avoid religious books but this one was slightly sneaky about it so I didn't know before starting.

Published in 1998, I laughed when he said he doesn't own a computer and has no intention of buying one because he has no interest in the "Information superhighway".  I'm assuming that changed.  It's also funny that the description says "travel back to a simpler time" when I would use that line now to describe the time this book came out...maybe everyone thinks of their youth as a "simpler time".

Best out-of-context line: "Sister Rosalie staggered out behind our cat, clutching her cross, her hosiery melted from her legs and hanging in shreds".

It may not be my cup of tea but it was a well-written, nice easy book and I can think of multiple people I'd pass my copy along to that would enjoy it.

A Few Quotes from the Book
"Kindness thrives. It's awareness that's on the wane."

"When some people disagree with me, I try to change their minds. When Harold disagrees with me, I rethink my position."