John Messer

Earth Sweat Blood and Tears John Messer

This story told in colloquial language of the time is a must read for those who love great family stories about the South. The central character is a young boy and his family on a rented cotton farm in rural Arkansas just before, during and after WWII. The memorial given Ol' Gray, the horse that was much loved by his father; Ol' Pal the dog of his boyhood; his meeting of Uncle Tom the boot legger; the fear and horror of Polio and many others will surely enthrall you. The sacrifices of his mother "The General" will touch your heart. We may view religion of that time as quaint in our modern era. But you will marvel at her faith. The stories are in short essay form and cover periods from the time of the Civil War, as told by his 92-year-old Uncle Floyd, through his fourteenth year. The influence of his grandparents, parents and siblings are related in a manner that you will come away feeling you know them. You will thrill at their successes and feel pain with their failures.