You Can't Un-Ring the Bell

The title, You Can't Un-Ring the Bell, refers to the time the author, as a child, who longed to be old enough to do all the things she observed her older siblings doing, e.g., ring the dinner bell to call the men from the field, but was not allowed to do. Unfortunately in her attempt to experience this, she does ring the bell in the evening, which, unknown to her, is a signal of distress, and caused all the neighbors to rush to their aid. She learns that once you have committed an act, it is not reversible-- you can't un-ring the bell. There are humorous accounts in the personal life of the author, who grew up in a small, close-knit community, where the people took care of each other. Reflections of the time period of the end of the Great Depression and through the end of WW II are included, but also there are accounts of incidents outside that time period, as related by her parents.

Creative memoir of the end of the Great Depression, and especially of the World War II years, as seen through the eyes of this child who lived through those times. It's a book about living in a close-knit community, when times were hard but life was soft--with friends and neighbors and a loving family. Descriptions of farm life before any modern equipment had been invented, and how neighbors worked together in harvesting their crops makes for interesting reading. Hog killings, the entire process of the drudgery of tobacco farming, and being self-sufficient in growing all the family's food is recounted. She relates humorous stories of her life experiences, as when at the age of 3 she decides she can no longer abide living with two brothers, and decides to run away from home. She is constantly told she is too little to do all the things she wishes to do, but then when she attempts to do them anyway, she suffers the consequences. During the depression, a tramp visits her grandmother's house, asking for scraps from supper. Using Biblical instructions, he is given the left over supper food. There are stories about the wars and the soldiers who fought for our freedom. There are vivid descriptions of what the war years were like and the sadness that resulted, because not all the soldiers came home. Personal stories about military battles as told by the author's father, who was a Doughboy in WW I, are entertaining as well as educational. This memoir is factual because the author, who is now 85 years old, actually experienced the incidents she describes.

(Bio information included in dedication) Linda Fay Clark taught Nursing at Murray State University where she was promoted to Associate Professor and awarded tenure, not once, but twice! She retired from the United States Army as a Lieutenant Colonel, with 20 years of service. As a Certified Nurse-Midwife, she delivered more than 3,000 babies. The Governor of Kentucky recognized her for making valuable contributions to the Commonwealth by awarding her the prestigious title Kentucky Colonel, (which has nothing to do with fried chicken.) She has previously published several articles in professional journals and her first book, Coming Home to Wiswell. In addition, she and her husband Ray raised four beautiful and successful sons.