Gang, read below......I'm going to try and get a copy this weekend........you can contact her at [email protected]_ (mailto:[email protected]) Mickey now lives in Frankfort, Ky like me! In a message dated 2/29/2008 11:45:08 AM Eastern Standard Time, [email protected]_ (mailto:[email protected]) writes: How are you???? I have been so busy, I don't know how I ever worked, do you??? Let me hear from you. By the way my book is out. It is at Poor Richards and will be at Joseph Beth's, Amazon, and Barnes and Noble in about a week. It has a lot of Eastern KY History and a chapter on the Scripture Memory Mountain Mission and Camp Nathanel in it. The name of my book is "Pieces of My Heart" Growing up in an Eastern KY Coal Camp. I did donate one to the History Center. Roberta Padgett has the copy and there will be a write up in the Kentucky Genealogy Magazine---Roberta is writing a review---she read the book. Ron Bryant wrote the introduction and I didn't read it until after the book was published. Below is his review. Let me hear from you. Are you doing very much genealogy? INTRODUCTION TO PIECES OF MY HEART Mickey Smith has written a book that is an absolute delight. It is rare indeed when an individual authors a work that encompasses so much history of family, friends, and region. Smith has accomplished this difficult task by producing one of the best compilations of local history to be published in quite some time. Pieces of My Heart is such a book. Smith writes directly, and eloquently of her life in eastern Kentucky. Although born in West Virginia, her memories are those of growing up in Kentucky. In her narrative she brings a refreshing and poignant view of life in a Kentucky coal mining town. These memories of life in the hills and hollows of eastern Kentucky paints a picture rich in vivid characterizations of the men and women who lived their lives in rural Kentucky during the mid twentieth century. Pieces of My Heart is an aptly named work. Smith’s journey through life is taken piece by piece, with each phase being a heartfelt experience. In her book she writes lovingly of her family and friends. Her stories are a part of the American experience. She writes of her memories in eastern Kentucky with passion, and humor. In many ways, Smith personifies “everyman’s” journey through life. Throughout Pieces of My Heart, the reader will be taken not only on a journey through the different phases of Smith’s life they will also be guided through a changing Kentucky, and a changing nation. The Kentucky of the 1950s and 60s is captured in prose and in photographs. In her work, Smith shares her extensive photograph collection with her readers. These images represent portions of a time now relegated to history. However, these photographs not only enliven Smith’s work, they also give a glimpse of a society that has nearly slipped away. As a social historian I applaud Pieces of My Heart as a work of social history. Smith has done what so many people need to do— recall their memories and preserve them for future generations. In her preface, Smith tells her readers why she wanted to write her book. She stated that she wished to leave a legacy to her children and grandchildren, and to provide a reflection of her life and values. She has admirably succeeded in those desires. I believe that the readers of Pieces of My Heart will be caught up in the drama of an American family. They will share the triumphs and tragedies of men and women who helped make Kentucky the great place that we love and cherish. The journey of Mickey Combs Smith becomes our journey, and a part of the American dream. Ron D. Bryant Kentucky Historian Ron D. Bryant is a noted Kentucky historian, author, and teacher. He has written extensively on the history of Kentucky. He is the author of A Bibliography of Kentucky History, and over 300 articles pertaining to the history of the commonwealth. He served as a Kentucky history and genealogist specialist for the Kentucky Historical Society, editor of a newspaper, Dean of Academic Affairs for Bowling Green Junior College, and presently is the historian for Kentucky State Parks, and director of Waveland Historic Site in Lexington, Kentucky. **************Ideas to please picky eaters. Watch video on AOL Living. (http://living.aol.com/video/how-to-please-your-picky-eater/rachel-campos-duffy/ 2050827?NCID=aolcmp00300000002598)