ABOUT THE BOOK: This book relates the story of a boy who grew up in the 1920s and 1930s in a rural area of our country where money was scarce, but basic values, and love and trust in God was a way of life. During the bitter years of World War II and the difficult postwar years, he was buffeted by events of the times and began to depend on himself, leaving behind the trust and counsel of the God of his youth. As a result, he lived a sad and unfulfilled life. God had given him special talents, but he found only meager comfort in his work. Along the way, he became heartbroken and he broke the hearts of others he truly cared for. It was only during his later years that, in desperation, he returned to the home in the hills and the values and faith he had known as a boy. It was too late to retrieve the past, but he did invest his remaining time in the lives of others and eventually found peace in his eternal home. This story demonstrates how easy it is to slip by the wayside and become involved in other things if we forget the God who loved and saved us. Yet, it also shows the love and grace of a most amazing heavenly Father who is always waiting for our return. **** ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Melba Conaway, widow of the late Earl Conaway, lives in Texarkana, Texas. She is a native of Oklahoma, but grew up in a small, rural community of Arkansas. Following college and World War II, she returned to the same area, where she and her husband made their home, reared three children, worked, and served the Lord. She served as Secretary to the Superintendent of Mansfield Public Schools and subsequently worked for the Bank of Mansfield as an employee, officer, and a member of the Board of Directors. Other than her family, her greatest joy in life was teaching Sunday school for over fifty years. Her various classes were comprised of preschoolers, children, high-school students, and young adults. Even though she is not a professional writer, she is the author of a previously published novel, Out of Darkness, and has contributed articles and short stories to various publications. She enjoys writing with the hope that it will brighten the lives of others, as well as be a source of encouragement to them.
