Allen McDaniel

Small Town Big Memories Allen McDaniel

On busy Highway 78, between the bustling cities of Memphis, Tennessee, and Birmingham, Alabama, is the close-knit rural town that Allen McDaniel once called home. Myrtle, Mississippi, population 250-home to four churches, four service stations, and zero stoplights. There, he experienced his earliest memories, among family and friends, living a life familiar to many small boys brought up in small Southern towns.

From 1949 to 1970, McDaniel's life was shaped by the colorful people, places, and events that took place within Myrtle's borders-from a small business owner whose tax audit went terribly wrong to a retired railroad man with a love for guns, gold watches, and diamond rings.

In Small Town Big Memories, McDaniel shares a memoir of the years he spent living in Myrtle, including humorous explorations of the nuances of small-town life and how these early memories would shape his character and personality for decades to come.

The result is an enchanting rabbit hole of nostalgia and comical reflections that will appeal to Myrtle locals, country people, and the rural at heart-whether you were brought up in one of many "Myrtles" around the United States or wish you were.