About the South: An Aging Southerner Recalls Life Tragic and Triumphant in a 1900s-Era Rural Farm Family...

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R Olin Jackson

About the South

An Aging Southerner Recalls Life Tragic and Triumphant in a 1900s-Era Rural Farm Family

R Olin Jackson

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Hardback

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QTY:

English

Whippoorwill Publications LLC
16 May 2025

Memoirs; Age groups: the elderly; Coping with old age; Family & relationships; Humour

Within the pages of this book are a collection of events and experiences ""About the South"" which, once perused, will be difficult for the reader to put down. These collective memoirs include tragic and heart-rending life on one hand, and adventure and absolute hilarity on the other, all of which took place within the Jackson family of northwest Georgia in the 1950s and '60s. On the surface, this household appears to be a typical rural farming family of that era, but in reality, things often were not quite what they seemed. These events - for the most part - are all true and represent a semi-autobiographical account of the author's life.

In the early years of the lives of these family members, there are countless comedic moments. In one instance for example, the author, as a child of five years in age, exercised a small tyke's vengeance to ""imprison"" his grandfather in the family's dairy farm milk-house for some five hours where the elder Jackson was forced to angrily ""cool his heels"" after having chastised the fearful tiny youngster for a perceived innocent activity. On another occasion, the two oldest brothers conspire to convince their younger sibling that he can safely jump off the roof of the family home and supposedly float gently and unharmed down to the ground beneath a tiny surplus Army military supplies parachute. On yet another day, the dynamiting of a troublesome beaver dam on the Jackson farm property almost eliminates more than the dam. And in separate episodes of reckoning, the youngest brother finally gains an opportunity to wreak vengeance upon his elder sibling in dramatic fashion in incidents which will leave the reader reeling in laughter.

Beneath this veneer of humorous life, however, were also many sad and heart-breaking experiences. When ""the chips were down"" financially, alcoholism (not to mention a fire in the middle of the night) almost destroys the family completely. After the forces of this evil and subsequent divorce have taken their toll upon the family, the youngest son is tragically accused (and sadly convicted by an over-zealous legal system) - at the youthful age of 16 - of a ""crime"" which actually was no crime at all, and then later accidentally poisoned to death at age 23; the youngest sister is beaten, robbed - and worse - by thieves; and the family home is a whisker away from being repossessed when bankruptcy comes knocking on the door.

Along the way, however, are many interspersed inspirational moments as well. Learn about a devoted elderly Black farm worker who meticulously and lovingly cared for the Jackson youngsters during their formative years, earning for him their undying love and respect. Enjoy the exploits of a highly-decorated World War II veteran who took his young charges - as members of Troop #14 of the Boy Scouts of America - on many high adventures in the 1960s and taught them how to survive in a world which was fast-becoming a very confusing place. These and some 20 additional episodes of unusual comedy, high adventure and heart-rending tragedy await the readers of this account of the author's rise to manhood where even then, he continued to experience oft-hilarious incidents ""About the South"" which defy description.

By: R Olin Jackson
Imprint: Whippoorwill Publications LLC
Dimensions: Height: 229mm, Width: 152mm, Spine: 13mm
Weight: 449g
ISBN: 9798990021181
Pages: 210
Publication Date: 16 May 2025
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active

R. Olin Jackson founded Legacy Communications, Inc., in 1985, where he became the award-winning executive editor and publisher of his flagship creations - North Georgia Journal and Georgia Backroads magazines. He ultimately built these endeavors into the premier travel and history publications of Georgia.During his tenure at Legacy Communications, Olin was the recipient of a number of awards from the Magazine Association of Georgia (MAG) for excellence in publishing. He parlayed this business endeavor into a long and fruitful career before selling it in 2005.In the interim of his work at Legacy Communications, Olin also wrote/co-wrote a selection of books, including Moonshine, Murder and Mayhem in Georgia (2003); Tales of the Rails in Georgia (2004); and Georgia Backroads Traveler (2005) among others.In 2021, Olin founded Whippoorwill Publications, LLC. His literary creations there include Mystery & History in Georgia, Volume I (2022) (honored with a ""Five-Star Award"" by Readers' Favorite book awards); Mystery & History in Georgia, Volume II (2023); Some Genealogy Keys to Some Georgia Family Trees (2023); Memories of Army Life and MPs of the 529th (2023); Gunmen, Lawmen and Wild Men of Early Georgia (2024); selections of the author's original poetry entitled After All That We've Been Through (2024); Historic Rails and Forgotten Trails of Early Georgia (2025); and the semi-autobiographical About the South (2025).Olin is a decorated U.S. Army veteran who served as a military policeman on the security detail of the Army Commander of NATO from 1972 to 1975. He is married to the former Judy Grizzle of Dahlonega, Georgia. The couple make their home in Woodstock, Georgia.All works by Whippoorwill Publications are available online at Amazon.com, IngramSpark.com, BarnesandNoble.com, and other fine booksellers. For more information, please also see www.georgiahistorytraveler.com.