My Grandfather's Finger

My Grandfather's Finger

From Booklist Novelist (of Mother of Pearl and Splendora) and visual artist Swift details his post^-World War II childhood in this amusing and somewhat poignant memoir. Born and raised in the Big Thicket, an isolated rural hamlet in East Texas, Swift recalls the joys and curiosities of his simple childhood, using brief anecdotes and plenty of photographs of his relations and many of the town's other colorful characters. From neighbors dwelling in bomb shelters to an island inhabited by albinos, and from atomic bombs to carnivals and amputated fingers kept in jars, Swift's portrayal of his childhood is not the usual nostalgic treatment. Instead, there is a darkness lurking about the edges of this town and about the edges of these stories, which lends strength to the author's memories and contributes to the success of this collection. Texas libraries may be especially interested in the work of this native son. Kathleen Hughes Not long ago the Big Thicket of East Texas was still one of those places singular in its southernness, like the Mississippi Delta or the Carolina Low Country. Now its old-timers and their ways are nearly gone.They will not be forgotten, though, for in My Grandfather