Feedback on Brothers:

Michael ordered 5 books from Amazon as soon as he heard it was out. They delayed his delivery until 1st week in December.

I would love to see my Dad honored. He is very humble about things like that so we might have to talk him into it. I agree and think there is so much more to his war times. He has talked about it very little over the years. He is a little better about it now, but only talks about some of the better times if there were any.

I just want you to know that I think the book was awesome. As many stories we have heard over the years, there were plenty in this book that we had not heard. As our family is constantly discussing this book, we all agree that it gives us some great insite to our Dad's upbringing and his family.

I was crying as I read different parts of the book and within minutes laughing so hard I was crying.

I am letting one of my friends read it. I want to see if an outsider of the family will get the meaning as much as we did. daf


Donna, I doubt that most will get it in quite the same way as family but hope they do. I think the remarkable thing about your Dad and at least, Raz and Corb, somewhat Wallace but mainly your Aunt Margaret is being poor and not really knowing it. And, knowing how they were all surrounded by Uncles in particular who were huge bootleggers and drank and ran around and yet your Grandpa never got caught up in it. And, as you, better than most know, your grandma had a subtle strength about her that was often underestimated.

Thanks for the comments. We want to put together a book party for your Dad. He is a central part of the book and a pretty remarkable brother. In doing research, in what little we could find out, I think he was probably much more than we really know: I've always thought that maybe he was nominated for the Medal of Honor because it was incredibly rare for a lower ranking enlisted man to be given the Silver Star unless it was an interim award. And, of course, paper work is lost, disappears, etc. But, a book party would be a good way to honor him and your Mom too, of course.

Just read the book last night as a matter of fact and LOVED it. I don’t have the time to read like I did once (wonder why! Ha!) but I stayed up last night after Sanibel went to bed and read it….all of it.

I just loved reading about your Dad. I feel like I know him now. Had to laugh over Aunt Gertie’s biscuits (we called them cat head biscuits, because of their size), because I, too, ate many many many of those. Did I ever tell you that Aunt Gertie made a SPECIAL Sunday dinner every Sunday just for me? I didn’t care for the fried chicken as much as I liked HER baked BBQ chicken and once she knew that she began making THAT for me. I loved those meals – good times. And, of course, I’ve told people over the years when they don’t know a thing about lard that I saw it in action. And, I can still to this day picture Granny making those biscuits. I was probably eagerly awaiting them to be baked and I would stand next to her in the kitchen and watch her hands form those biscuits and pop them onto the baking sheet. She would just fly through the process like she’d done it a million times and no doubt she HAD. Those were the tastiest biscuits.

It is what it is. I couldn’t believe it when I read that, because that’s a staple phrase at the bank. We all use it. Can’t change the situation and IT IS WHAT IT IS. Maybe Granddaddy coined it!

All of the stories were enjoyed immensely. I’ve already told 2 friends about it and they’ll be reading the book next. I cried over Margaret. (Feel like I know her now, too.) I cried over Rob. I didn’t know about Corbett’s love story – and how sad. (What happened to Bella? Does anyone know??) And, honestly, it made me cry over what I lost – the family I had, yet didn’t have. I’ve missed out and would have really loved being a full part of the Autry family.

White Line sounds like another sad place. I’d never heard of that. And, poor Betsy. What a life. Sounds like she overcame it. Zack must’ve been a character!!

I think I’ve heard Daddy talk about Royston and the food he’d eat. And, I got a big laugh over your Mom saving the “scraps”. LOVE THAT.

Thank you for writing this book. I’m so appreciative. It makes me want to hightail it out of FL and head ‘home’ to NC! I’ll be sending a note of thanks to Raz (R-A-I-S-E, ha ha), too! la

So happy that you read the book, identified with all these people in our family's lives. And, I must say, as I said in the front material, really the story is about four brothers and a sister. By the time I arrived, most were out of there to live their lives. And, so many of the things you've recounted are the things I also remember. I can still see that lard stand and Mom dipping into it. They were somewhat tired by the time I got up some size and so the hustle and bustle of life was not the same.

And, I must say, that I've enjoyed getting to know some of the details too. Over time you finish a book or at least I do, I always want to say, "the writing of the book is almost better than the book." For instance, I kept pretty good notes. Things that Corb., who was a great source and seemed to have a better memory than any of us--He told me things that way down the road, he doesn't remember telling me. Corb's life is the greatest mystery of all: he was so incredibly secretive and what we know now is that at one time, he was very wealthy, making so much money selling sugar to bootleggers that he literally did not know what to do with it all. The IRS moved in and instead of hiring a lawyer, etc., he just wrote a fat check and all this did was give them a license to come investigate. Eventually, they broke him down to nothing. Now, this is a story we didn't include. Well, we wouldn't have as the book was just growing up years.

The Memoir

i told her how much i was enjoying your book. i told her to tell you that in your next book you needed to include names with the pictures ! how about a picture book with all the autry siblings and their children and grands, and great-grands.......and pictures of your parents and siblings and cousins, etc.....!!!! your next project

Thanks for the suggestion but a youngster needs to tackle that project. Laura is a super writer, I nominate her.

A Memoir

HOW HARD CAN THIS BE? This was the feeling of the authors when they first thought of doing a family memoir. Seven years down the road and finally, Brothers. So, what has been the difficulty? To the authors, coordinating the stories. Although they are involved with each other, almost daily through phone calls, emails, text messaging, you would think this should be a cinch. What they learned quickly was that often they had to deal with the same story but various interpretations. Talking about real places and events, yet under the best of intentions, sometimes they are not so sure they got it right. After struggling for awhile, they finally decided on the subtitle, "a somewhat true memoir." You only know what someone else told you or how they think it was. All the brothers thought this was pretty hit and miss. One said, we are describing a past event that we hope brings us to at least a semblance of the way it was.

When the brothers started out, by their own admission, they didn't have a clue what would evolve. One brother set about to state the facts. This is the way it was as he remembered it. And, it was impossible not to tag on some opinion. And, where was that in our story? Our idea was that we wanted this for our children and grandchildren. The reality is that we wanted it for ourselves. It would be fun remembering and what we knew is that we had lots of stories to tell.

When asked what would be the advice to someone who wanted to write a memoir, the brothers feel that the best thing is to "just start." The story will take over says Raz, who is 13 years older than his youngest brother. Naturally our perspective may be somewhat different but our love of family and our surroundings growing up became very real as we wrote about it. As we wrote the book, manuscripts were flying back and forth between California and North Carolina.

The authors laugh that their childhood traumas were really few if any. Jerry says, "I can’t begin to tell you how often we wrestled with the idea that we can hardly believe our lives were so good growing up. The "proud poor" is a term we've coined and surely not original with us. Poor but not knowing it. In order to make the best story, we needed some trauma and dramatic events."

What is readily apparent listening to the authors is a feeling that this has been hard but good. A kind of tribute to their parents, their upbringing, and to their community. And, such a great love of country and recognizing that their service in the military forever changed them and in a sense made Brothers possible.

How about telling me, I’ll keep it confidential if you like, what you think should be done about providing health care in our nation. If you were King, what would you do? You have both hospital experience and family member input. One of my brother’s daughters is married to a physician. I have talked with him and he wants things left alone, to go on as we are. If I could decide, I don’t know what I would do. I want some kind of universal health care, but I can see no practical way to provide it. I am not resourceful enough in my brain to devise a workable solution. CN

Very hard to make comments about health care without sounding political. I am a Democrat and so support health care reform, mainly because to say that I am a Democrat is the easiest thing to do.

The arguments are all over the map. My real believe which nobody will deal with is the selfishness of who we are. To have real health care reform, those of us who are in good shape with good plans literally might have to give up something and we don't want to do that. And, for you and me, we have been in a super public option for a long time: the VA.

And, the cost of health care reform is a bogus issue I think, as the cost over time of most anything that involves us is enormous. I, at one time, thought health care was a shoo in but am beginning to be doubtful. The private interests and out and out spin looks like it has such a hold that I just don't know. For every argument I give, there are dozens of counter arguments; some truth and many half truths. For me personally, the status quo is simply no option.

The saddest spin to me has been about the "death panels" which is an out and out lie. Here's an example why we need some counseling at some level. I had a wedding over the weekend, my last one I'm ever going to do. I've said it before but in this case, true. This was a former parishioner who has breast cancer and needed to do this for insurance although they would have done it anyway. Wonderful couple, really stand up guy. Anyway, at the reception, even amidst my shingles (hope you have had the shot--you do not want shingles), talked to lots of my former church members. Many old, some very old and was amazed at how few have made end of life decisions. For instance, one 87 year old with an invalid wife who is maybe 85, when asked by me if he had any plans in case he were to go before her. He said, "I'm hoping I outlive her." I was kind and merely nodded but wanted to tell him that "hope" was not a strategy. jda

Adam

***Adam is an autistic adult, normally called, Asperger syndrome , who can't find a place in the world. Space and the stars seem to be his only escape from reality. He's lost his job at an engineering company and needs some way to pay the rent. When a girl moves into an apartment in his building, he opens up his alternate universe to her; but it turns out she has troubles of her own, and needs a man who can help her through this tough times in her life--a man who can take control and knows the right thing to do.

Adam is not this man. In fact, he is the one who needs help. Beth, Adam's new neighbor, helps Adam find a job and helps him get his life together, all the while wondering if this is what she wanted.

This movie made me laugh and cry all at the same time. It made me think what would I do if I fell in love with someone who wasn't right for me? Do you think it would be hurting yourself, always having to take care of someone else even when you're the one who needs caring for? Or, does it matter at all, as long as you know you will always be with them? This movie makes you think and it touches you whereas most movies fail to. This movie makes you think about possibilities and most of all what love means to you. Amazing only begins to describe this movie, seeing it will warm your heart and make you feel good.

***The above and the review below are written by guest reviewer, Lupe Jaccobson, age 13, and author of My Grandma Has A BlackBerry.

The Time Travelers Wife

This movie is many different genres packed together. Not only is it about time traveling but its also a love story, and somewhat of an action packed movie. The main character of this movie was a time traveler, he could narrowly escape death by traveling to a different time and place before even being touched. He could also go back in time and visit people.

Time traveling as we found out comes with many set backs, such as he can't control when he goes on these trips, and he can't control where to. Though this movie is a creation from a book, (that I didn't read) I thought it was well done. The settings, and the scenery were fantastic. Although the movie didn't come out with a good ending, it was well thought out and produced, so I urge you to go see it. Not very realistic, but if you need a break from reality, or something to think about, The Time Travelers Wife is a movie you should definitely consider.