Brookwood Road: Memories of a Home by Scott Douglas Vaughan is a collection of thirty-nine short stories inspired by Vaughan’s memories of growing up. Each story takes place on or around Brookwood Home, which is located in Georgia. As Vaughan states in the beginning of the book: “Some stories are true. Some of these stories are based on truth. Some of these stories should have been true.” Each story is told through Frank’s eyes, and is unique and obviously told with a love and fondness for the area and the people in it.

I chose Brookwood Road because I love to read about memoirs that occur in the South. Vaughan does not disappoint. Some of his stories are humorous and tell of easier times. Other stories just make you wish that you could have lived in those times and experienced the same things that Frank did. The very first story in Brookwood Road was hilarious. R.C. Wilcox, the grandfather, forced the hired help to sing upon his newborn grandson’s, named Frank, arrival home. My personal favorite story was “Tallywackers” which also happens to be my new favorite word. The story was hilarious and occurred when it was still innocent to go skinny-dipping. “The Pink Store” had a good message in it that I wish more people would listen to. I also loved Papa Paul’s advice: “Anytime you are stumped for an answer or find yourself worried about something, I recommend a Hershey chocolate bar.”

I am glad the promise was kept to Vaughan’s father and this book was named Memories of a Home. I recommend this book to anyone who likes memoirs or stories from the South. Reading these stories made me long for my own small town that used to be, and the days when a Coca-Cola only cost ten cents.

Brookwood Road: Memories of a Home by Scott Douglas Vaughan is a memoir of a man living and growing up with his family in the heart of the Deep South, in North Georgia in the 1960s. Scott has drawn from his own memories of growing up on a hog farm with his brothers and the sense of camaraderie that they enjoyed not only with each other in the family, but also with the community. Most of the characters and depictions in this book are based on real life people and memories. The story starts with Frank, the eldest brother in the household, making a promise to his dad that some day he will write about their stories of living on this farm on Brookwood Road which they are about to leave forever. It is an emotional moment and sets the stage for the rest of the book as we delve into memories and collections of stories revolving around mischievous pranks by the boys, family life, faith, community, working on a pig farm, love, and laughter.

Brookwood Road: Memories of a Home by Scott Douglas Vaughan is a surprisingly engaging tale told in a very direct, down-to-earth way. I felt like I was “there” as I read about the antics of the kids, and the fun and laughter that accompanied it. I found Brookwood Road very easy to relate to as I saw that, along with the fun and laughter, the family also deals with real problems like everyone else, including bickering and alcoholism. In fact, that is exactly what makes the story so simple and powerful at the same time. In the end, it makes us realize and recognize what the truly important things in life are and that they are not related to money, but centered around people and community instead.