In Spite of! . . . but Because Of!

About the Book

In 1954, in West Shawmut, Alabama, it was a kinder, gentler, and more peaceful time in life and society. Gas was twenty-two cents a gallon. This is a community memoir chronicling, detailing, and reflecting upon some of those memorable events, experiences, and adventures of youthful yesterdays. West Shawmut, Alabama is a nondescript small town and quaint, folksy community nestled in southeastern sweet home Alabama, not even a dot on the Alabama map. But it is a village haven of genuine love, hope, dreams, and aspirations for its perhaps one thousand inhabitants. It’s not too far from the West Point, Georgia, Kia Automotive Plant, a hoot, holler, and a skip from Valley, Alabama. Submerged in the heart of the backwoods of Chambers County right across the Georgia/Alabama boundary line and the Chattahoochee River resides the West Shawmut community. In Spite of! is a time-captured portrait of humble beginnings transformed to hardworking determination, overcoming impoverished circumstances with academic achievement, and overturning obstacles by divine intervention and fate. Kerry “The Hawk” Meadows transports the reader to a kinder, gentler, and more peaceful time in life to a quiet, leave-your-door-open community of neighborly down-home, homegrown, genuine, sit-on-the-front-porch, y’all-sit-a-spell, real folks. The detailed imagery is steeped in thoughtful homespun language and old-school relics as old as rabbit-ear antennae wrapped in aluminum foil, outhouses, and eight-track cassette tapes.

About the Author

Kerry “The Hawk!” Meadows resides within a metro Atlanta suburb with his family. He is a longtime educator within Georgia and Florida educational communities. The Hawk received his undergraduate degree from Tuskegee Institute/University and graduate degree from Troy University. He describes himself as a downhome-realistic-writer. His passion for writing began as a teen and continues presently. *In Spite Of!...But Because Of!” is the first installment of a series of community based memoir stories introducing a truly unique masterful story telling style that is sure to engage the reader from page one-highly entertain-as well as stimulate one’s memory from cover to cover. Kree-a-ting an illuminating stage for plain talk clever writing “The Hawk!” transports the reader to his community based hometown of West Shawmut, Alabama where he vividly reflects upon childhood memories, friends, neighbors, and various community characters. Kerry Meadows aka “The Hawk!” spends his freetime writing-reading-and playing chess. He loves eating fried shrimp and cheesecake. His favorite musical artist are Grover Washington Jr. and Marvin Sapp. His favorite writes are J. California Cooper, Eric Jerome Dickey, Tananarive Due, K’Wan, Ashley and Jaquavis. Feel very free to directly contact “The Hawk!” at kerwayne73@gmail.com