Nobody's Child: Memories of a Childhood Lost

by J. L. Lawrence

Overview

On a fall day in 1958, my mother put me and seven brothers and sisters into the back seat of a 1949 Ford. She took us about a hundred miles away from our Harlan County home and then abandoned us on the side of the road amidst the rugged Appalachian Mountains of Eastern Kentucky. Shortly thereafter, my siblings and I were separated and sent to a foster home and two orphanages. I was three years old, my youngest brother had just turned one, and my oldest brother was not yet thirteen.

Nobody's Child grew out of an interest in that event and in family tales about a witch and a possible murder. It's a story about discovering the author's heritage among the moonshiners, coalminers, and truck drivers of Eastern Kentucky. Most of all, it's the true story of a journey to understand the circumstances and the desperation that drove my mother to do what she did, and to know what ultimately became of the twenty or so children my parents brought into this world.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9798823179607
Publisher:	Barnes & Noble Press
Publication date:	01/14/2023
Edition description:	2nd ed.
Pages:	564
Product dimensions:	8.50(w) x 11.00(h) x 1.14(d)

About the Author

A Kentucky native, Jackie Lawrence received his BA degree in Mathematics from Western Kentucky University where he graduated summa cum laude and received the Scholar of the University and Scholar of Ogden College awards. He holds MS and PhD degrees in computer science from the University of Missouri-Rolla (now Missouri S&T). Prior to joining industry, Dr. Lawrence was a professor in the Mathematics and Computer Science Department at Western Kentucky University. He then worked in robotics, artificial intelligence, computer security, satellite systems, and Command and Control systems for corporations serving the Department of Defense. Dr. Lawrence is presently a Chief Scientist and Vice President for a data company that serves various Government agencies. Dr. Lawrence is the author of numerous technical publications and articles, as well as an inspirational book, a book on astronomy, and a computer science textbook.