About the Book

Columnist and humorist Jodie Blevins Ratliff offers her first collection of amusing anecdotes detailing life in the small town of Preston, Kentucky, where the grocery store lacks running water, restrooms, heat, and air conditioning; unpaid charge books line the shelves under the cash register; and patrons sit on old benches next to the coal stove to exchange yarns.

Ratliff, a weekly columnist for her hometown newspaper Bath County Bulletin, is known for telling it like it is and she does just that as she narrates entertaining and timeless stories about her childhood in Preston. You’ll hear tales about her family’s store, notorious for Preston Steak sandwiches and cold Ale 8; sleigh riding on Blevins Valley Road; nurturing her passion for pot pies, moon pies, and mud pies; and eating fried squirrel at her grandparents’ house.

As she concludes the collection by retelling present-day stories about marriage, grandchildren, and the contents of women’s purses, Ratliff offers valuable life lessons and food for thought. In a tiny town with only two hundred residents, time seems to stand still—leaving one woman a wonderful opportunity to share scrambled whimsical memories sure to bring a smile to all ages.