Movies and television shows have made much of the forties and fifties seem like the good old days. To those who lived during those times, it wasn’t necessarily so. But despite the hardships, people found ways to make the best of what they had.

The forties and fifties provide the background for much of author Jan Joiner’s Days Gone By. This memoir composed of short stories of two people who grew up in the same, rural area but never knew each other until adulthood. The first part consists of Carlton’s recollections of his childhood and the many escapades in which he was involved. The middle part is the author’s stories of how things were for her and her family as she grew up during that time. The final part of the book tells how fate brought together Joiner and Carlton as adults, a time the author cherishes most of all.

Through the sometimes humorous, sometimes sad, and always heartwarming stories of Days Gone By, you will come to appreciate the conveniences we have today as well as the strength of the people living in the forties and fifties. Most of all, you’ll have a new appreciation of the people who have entered and become part of your life.