Memoir Review

I Have Been Blessed! Hard Work and Happiness
by James M. Hill Sr.
ISBN-10: 0977485994
Review by Heather Froeschl

"I Have Been Blessed!" by James M. Hill, Sr. is a blessing in itself. It brings back the lessons of life that have traditionally been handed down by our parents and grandparents, but in recent generations have been lost due to the frequency of the scattering of families and the shattering of family closeness. Pull up a chair and listen to your elders! There is much to be learned, entertained, and touched by.

This is a book of memoir, an autobiography, of a man who in many ways has been a typical American. He has lived through 92 years and shares his tales of living with ups and downs, life lessons, and a great deal of change. From his early days of gathering eggs laid by hens under the house to his getting stuck in the well while in his 70s, from his taking over the family farm at age 14 to his having great-great grandchildren, James Hill has stories to tell. He well remembers when electricity was brought to the house where he still resides, a house that was built in 1890 for his own great-grandfather. He recalls riding in a Ford model T as well as he remembers riding in his grandson's Porsche.

His stories of growing up as one of ten children, then those of raising his own five, are nothing short of being Walton-like. His admiration for his mother and father and the dedicated work they did for their family clearly shines through his stories. Hill's love for and life with first his wife of 50 years is an endearing portion of the book that tugs the heartstrings. And his enjoyment of life with his second and third wives is inspiring.

Through it all James Hill proves to be a person we would all be blessed to have in our family. He passes the things he has learned on to his readers and shares a story of America as seen from the foothills of North Carolina. The book reads like being at the side of our grandparents, with honesty and appreciation for life. "I Have Been Blessed!" is a touching, enlightening, and entertaining book to enjoy.