Joe, George, and Richard Youngblood, three white brothers growing up in the rural South during the Great Depression, live in a world of paradoxes: love and hate; doubt and faith; and sadness and humor. In his poignant memoir "I Must Remember This: A Southern White Boy's Memories of the Great Depression, Jim Crow, and World War II," author George Youngblood shares stories about everything from the brothers' first awareness of death, sex, and race to the truth about Santa Claus. They smoke rabbit tobacco, tremble at ghost and snake stories, watch haircuts for excitement, get baptized, and gawk at locomotives and alligators.
Hard times draw the Youngblood family closer to their father's black farm workers. With one family in particular they form a symbiotic relationship in the hostile world of poverty, disease, and segregation. "I Must Remember This" is Youngblood's family story as they hope, work, and laugh with little cause-and succeed with basic honesty, respect, and an astounding sense of humor.