Hill of Beans

About The Book:  John Snyder’s memoir of growing up in the Depression era south evokes a time gone by. It is written with affection and understanding about people dealing with hard times, sometimes with cruelty, sometimes with violence... including a mysterious case of arson that forever changed the author’s life.

About the Author:  John Snyder grew up in North and South Carolina, attended the University of Chicago, and moved to New York in 1959. Recently retired as an Executive Director of Morgan Stanley, he previously worked as a buyer at Bloomingdales, and head of research for a carpet manufacturer. Along the way, he was awarded 7 patents, made an industrial film that won first place in the New York Film Festival, and wrote 2 off-Broadway plays. Throughout his working career he maintained a machine shop for making prototypes of inventions and turning found objects into sculpture. He continues to make sculpture (www.johnsnyder.org), and has written this memoir. He and his wife divide their time between New York City and Cedar Mountain, North Carolina.

My Thoughts On The Book:  As a southerner....sort of....I enjoyed this story a great deal.  John Snyder is quite the wordsmith.  This was an extremely well written account of what life was like growing up in the south during 1934 – 1951.  The author spent much of his childhood in North Carolina and South Carolina. The book had my attention from the get go.  Southern authors seem to love their characters,  and throughout this whole story there are well life like characters milling about.  During the Depression times were hard and a mysterious case of arson changed Snyder’s life forever.  Snyder writes  in the styles of William Faulkner and Flannery O’Connor.  The book was a wonderful read and would make a great gift for someone who loves southern fiction.  I found a clip of the book on You Tube and you can check it out by clicking here.  I think this book would make a great movie and hope it becomes one.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Smith/Kerr Associates LLC Publishing via Netgalley Publishing Group and their Blogging For Books Program. I was not required to write a positive review. All they asked for was an honest review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255.