by Ted Thompson
First published 2010
Fred Thompson looks back on the people and experiences that shaped him in Lawrenceburg, Tennessee. The county seat had a courthouse, movie theaters, and a Davy Crockett statue, but nearby Summertown was so small they served possum for Sunday dinner. Thompson grew up among unforgettable locals like Shorty, who could make his pants drop by sucking in his stomach, and Grandma Thompson, who got television just to watch wrestling and carried around a removed "gourder" in a handkerchief to show neighbors. Thompson remembers pranking his unflappable teacher Mrs. Garner with explosive cracker balls and playing football under the stern Coach Staggs, who had no patience for smart alecks. Through childhood scrapes, early romance, starting his law career, and raising his own family, Thompson discovers the influences that molded his character and worldview. His parents taught him that children thrive on dependable love and support.
Genres: 20th-century, american, biography-memoir, 21st-century, americana
Vibes: intimate, nostalgic, thought-provoking
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, found-family
Setting: Lawrenceburg, Tennessee, Summertown
Period: 20th-century, 21st-century
272 pages · Hardcover · Crown Forum