Thomas H. Olbricht relishes his Missouri upbringing. In this book he narrates the details of his many experiences in the 1930s and 40s. The author was interested in multiple aspects of Ozark terrain, social life, and culture, and often situates them in their historical setting. He writes with multifaceted concretion regarding the influence of his mother, father, and his extended family, which included persons of Irish, Scottish, and German heritages. He not only helped with his grandfather's gas station-grocery but also his uncle's farming operations. Because of his commitment and education he has given special attention to religious activities in the Churches of Christ in the Ozarks. He ends by elaborating upon, in the region of his youth, what it was like to live through World War II and the peace that followed.

Thomas H. Olbricht is Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Religion, Pepperdine University. He has taught at the University of Dubuque, Pennsylvania State University, Abilene Christian University, and Pepperdine. He has written or edited twenty-two books and has published over a hundred essays in books on biblical studies, rhetorical analysis of the Scriptures, and church history. He has lectured on six continents and in most of the fifty states. He lives in retirement in South Berwick, Maine.