Precious Memories

Phyllis Myers Miller
AuthorHouse (2009)
ISBN 9781438994475
Reviewed by Richard R. Blake for Reader Views (9/09)

 

Phyllis Myers Miller relates her experiences of growing up in a family of seven children. She has captured hundreds of unforgettable favorite family moments in this delightful memoir, “Precious Memories.”  Using a combination of prose and poetry Myers gives the reader a behind-the-scenes glimpse into an almost-forgotten era of Americana.

A unique highlight of the book is the amazing selection of candid camera shots and colorful family portraits that tell a story which goes beyond what even well-chosen word pictures can express.  The genuine heartfelt smiles and eyes that sparkle with mischief reveal the delight and joy that are the results of the sense of family closeness, loyalty, love, and respect instilled by their struggle for survival as sharecroppers in Missouri.

The book is made up of three parts. Part one is dedicated to deceased family members, brothers Don and Emmett, and Mom and Dad Myers. An ode is included in honor of each of them.  Additional background material, drawn from incidents from their lives, reveals the impact they have made on the other family members.

Part two recounts the adventures of the surviving siblings (the rest of the clan). Tributes are included to: Suzy, Bill, Geri, and Hank, as well as: Mr. Wonderful, Jerry Miller, the author’s spouse.

In part three Myers includes more family background and stories of their early childhood years in Missouri and later in Iowa. Here Phyllis includes her own personal most embarrassing moments. She tells of her first crush, masquerading as an angel, her hatred of snakes, how a goat ate her hair in the night, and of her disobedience in a challenging lesson in bareback riding.

Although written for the family, “Precious Memories” is a book that can be enjoyed by anyone growing up in the Midwest in the mid 1900s. The pages are packed with moving stories that will trigger nostalgia and personal memories. It is the authors’ hope that these readers will pass the book along to younger readers who will learn of the value of family bonding and love which grow through the experiences of hardship and sacrifice.

Miller’s writing is ingenuous, sometimes tragic, often provocative, told in good-natured humor. By the time I finished reading the book I felt I had become an extended member of the Myers family. “Precious Memories” by Phyllis Myers Miller is a captivating invitation to a stroll down memory lane.

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