Delta Memories follows the life of Joe T. Harper, as he stands in the shadow of a terminal illness;this delightful book revisits Joe's remarkable life. Born in a rural, poor, black family, Joe overcomes the many obstacles that he faced - poverty, alcoholism, and domestic violence of the 1960s era. He, the son of a Mississippi sharecropper, was able to attend college thanks to a generous benefactor. This is a remarkable story of grinding poverty, perseverance, and redemption. Written in a graphically visual style, Joe keeps the reader right beside him and provides a bird’s eye view as he sits in church during his murdered mother's funeral; watches his brother recover from hernia surgery; and endures the family's status which is viewed an object of humor. Come, travel with Joe back in the pages of time as he relives the early years of life in the Mississippi Delta.

Introduction Even after 50 plus years, I can recall my first memory. I am a small child running as fast as my toddler feet could go. I am chasing after my sister. I can hear the rapid patter of my bare feet beating against the wooden floor of our old four room tenant house. The memory is so strong, so vivid, that I can almost feel the texture of the cold wooden floor. I remember the end of this chase, as if it happened yesterday. At the time, I was drinking sugar water and still wearing a cloth diaper. I hear the sound of my mother's voice, tinged with a distinct pitch of laughter as she tells my big sister to give the water bottle back to me. I asked my mother to make her give the bottle back to me, because I was attached to that thing. Unfortunately, much to my disappointment, my mother wasn't too impressed with the seriousness of the situation. My sister also laughed as my mother told her to give the bottle back to me.

Joe Harper is a child of the Mississippi Delta. He grew up in poverty in the Delta, the son of sharecroppers who struggled under the burden of poverty and alcoholism, which often led to domestic violence. Joe survived, thanks to a series of mentors and completed a degree in Agronomy. He worked as a crop scientist for several major agricultural companies until illness forced his retirement.