“Mama favored turpentine and sugar for wounds …”

My grandmother gave me this book because it was my grandfather’s. He passed away a few years ago and one of our greatest bond was books. Whenever we would see each other, which wasn’t as often as I would have liked, we talked about books. I grew up as a military brat and then married into the military so I didn’t get “home” very often. Even our letters and postcards to each other contained notes about what we were reading. He was a church librarian for a while and he would put books aside for me to read before they would go on the bookshelves. We both love(d) books.

Way Back in the Hills is a childhood memoir about growing up in the back country of the Ozarks.
James C. Hefley was called James Carl most of his life. He lived in the back hills of the Ozarks – at first in a log cabin out in the country and then behind the general store that his mother ran. His father made money hunting for animal skins. His mother always kept extras on hand that people would come to buy from her since it was closer than the store. That eventually grew to her having a store in town, which was also closer to the school. James Carl was the oldest and the smartest – going to college at the age of 13. In this book he shares stories of his growing up years – fishing with the boys, antics at school, the religion of the people and the role alcohol played in some lives. Each chapter picks a time or theme and reads like a short story.

This book gave a real glimpse into Hefley’s childhood and what a lot of childhoods were probably like in America out in the country in the early 1900s. Children spent time outside and helped their parents with household chores. School was optional, but church often wasn’t. Radio shows were a highlight of the evening if the batteries weren’t dead and the signal came through. People-watching was an art and strangers were welcomed (or interrogated) when they came to small towns.

This book is a good read for any adult who wants to wander back in time. The writing style is easy to read and there are life lessons that are shared. 

The author passed away in 2004 and wrote several other books.