This book is a plain spoken series of vignettes based on the author’s memories of growing up in the hills and coal mining towns of the far western part of Virginia in the 1940’s. It includes his intensely personal recollections of the great Appalachian migration to the big cities of the Northern Midwest in the 1950’s. Additional vignettes of his experiences later in life are included to demonstrate the enduring nature of the influence of his Appalachian upbringing. History buffs will enjoy the verbal snapshots of the schools, churches, and everyday life in the post-war Appalachian backwoods. Others will find these “Echoes” inspirational, as they have an unintentional but definite “Horatio Alger, Jr.” like quality; and depict the author’s personal journey from boyhood in an Appalachian ”hollar” to being a physician who has been named one of the “Best Doctors” in  America.