Overview

In the tradition of The Glass Castle, Educated, and Heartland, Neal Wooten traces five decades of his dirt-poor, Alabama mountain family as the years and secrets coalesce.   Neal Wooten grew up in a tiny community atop Sand Mountain, Alabama, where everyone was white and everyone was poor. Prohibition was still embraced. If you wanted alcohol, you had to drive to Georgia or ask the bootlegger sitting next to you in church. Tent revivals, snake handlers, and sacred harp music were the norm, and everyone was welcome as long as you weren’t Black, brown, gay, atheist, Muslim, a damn Yankee, or a Tennessee Vol fan. The Wooten's lived a secret existence in a shack in the woods with no running water, no insulation, and almost no electricity. Even the school bus and mail carrier wouldn’t go there. Neal’s family could hide where they were, but not what they were. They were poor white trash. Cops could see it. Teachers could see it. Everyone could see it. Growing up, Neal was weaned on folklore legends of his grandfather—his quick wit, quick feet, and quick temper.  He discovers how this volatile disposition led to a murder, a conviction, and ultimately to a daring prison escape and a closely guarded family secret. Being followed by a black car with men in black suits was as normal to Neal as using an outhouse, carrying drinking water from a stream, and doing homework by the light of a kerosene lamp. And Neal’s father, having inherited the very same traits of his father, made sure the frigid mountain winters weren’t the most brutal thing his family faced. Told from two perspectives, this story alternates between Neal’s life and his grandfather’s, culminating in a shocking revelation. Take a journey to the Deep South and learn what it’s like to be born on the wrong side of the tracks, the wrong side of the law, and the wrong side of a violent mental illness.

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9781639362400

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Reviews

With the Devil's Help is a survival story in the mode of Harry Crews' brilliant memoir A Childhood. Crews concluded that for a 'grit,' a redneck like him, survival was triumph enough. Wooten concurs. -- <B>Don Noble, <I>The Tuscaloosa News</I></B> Stand-up comic and writer Wooten turns in an earnest, sometimes sorrowful account of his upbringing in the poorest part of northeast Alabama...A Drive-By Truckers album of a book, sometimes appalling, always heartfelt and vividly observed. * <I><B>Kirkus Reviews</B></I> * Readers who are interested in complex family histories like Tara Westover's Educated will enjoy this book. * <I><B>Library Journal</B></I> * I devoured this book. It is engrossing, relatable, intriguing, heartbreaking and so well written. I could visualize it and that is not something that every writer can convey. The author took a brutal childhood and somehow turned it into a story filled with heart. The way he intertwined the two storylines was masterful. -- <B>William Dameron, author of <I>The Lie: A Memoir of Two Marriages, Catfishing and Coming Out</I></B> A powerful story told by an excellent writer that paints a true picture of the Deep South. Neal Wooten weaves a tale that will make you cry and then laugh, often in the same paragraph. This book will draw you in and hold on to you. -- <B>Jerry Ellis: author of <I>Walking the Trail: One Man's Journey Along the Cherokee Trail of Tears</I></B>

I encourage you to read it. It could be a movie. -- <B> Louie Saenz, The Book Club, NPR</B> A searing memoir which is going to set the literary world alight...an astonishing, heart-rending book. -- <B>Mary Webber O'Malley, Skylark Bookshop</B> True crime. Memoir. Family history. Southern story. Dark comedy. WITH THE DEVIL'S HELP is a little bit of all of these and more. -- <B> Lady Smith, Snail on the Wall booksellers</B> With the Devil's Help is a survival story in the mode of Harry Crews' brilliant memoir A Childhood. Crews concluded that for a 'grit,' a redneck like him, survival was triumph enough. Wooten concurs. -- <B>Don Noble, <I>The Tuscaloosa News</I></B> Stand-up comic and writer Wooten turns in an earnest, sometimes sorrowful account of his upbringing in the poorest part of northeast Alabama...A Drive-By Truckers album of a book, sometimes appalling, always heartfelt and vividly observed. -- <i><b>Kirkus Reviews</b></i> This story takes you into the heart of Sand Mountain...has readers and true-crime lovers practically giving themselves paper cuts from turning the pages so fast. -- <b >Charles Montgomery and Anna Mahan, WAFF News Huntsville, AL</b> Readers who are interested in complex family histories like Tara Westover's Educated will enjoy this book. -- <i><b>Library Journal</b></i> I devoured this book. It is engrossing, relatable, intriguing, heartbreaking and so well written. I could visualize it and that is not something that every writer can convey. The author took a brutal childhood and somehow turned it into a story filled with heart. The way he intertwined the two storylines was masterful. -- <B>William Dameron, author of <I>The Lie: A Memoir of Two Marriages, Catfishing and Coming Out</I></B> An interesting book. -- <B>AL Warren, House of Mystery, NBC Radio</B> A powerful story told by an excellent writer that paints a true picture of the Deep South. Neal Wooten weaves a tale that will make you cry and then laugh, often in the same paragraph. This book will draw you in and hold on to you. -- <B>Jerry Ellis: author of <I>Walking the Trail: One Man's Journey Along the Cherokee Trail of Tears</I></B>

I devoured this book. It is engrossing, relatable, intriguing, heartbreaking and so well written. I could visualize it and that is not something that every writer can convey. The author took a brutal childhood and somehow turned it into a story filled with heart. The way he intertwined the two storylines was masterful. -- William Dameron, author of The Lie: A Memoir of Two Marriages, Catfishing and Coming O A powerful story told by an excellent writer that paints a true picture of the Deep South. Neal Wooten weaves a tale that will make you cry and then laugh, often in the same paragraph. This book will draw you in and hold on to you. -- Jerry Ellis: author of Walking the Trail: One Man's Journey Along the Cherokee Trail of Tears

Past Praise for Neal Wooten: Pacing and dramatic tension is excellent. Nearly impossible to put down. * Kirkus Reviews * Intriguing, well-written, and kept my interest throughout. -- Homer Hickam, New York Times bestselling author Reternity is a remarkable read! -- Jerry Ellis, Pulitzer Prize nominated author I devoured this book. It is engrossing, relatable, intriguing, heartbreaking and so well written. I could visualize it and that is not something that every writer can convey. The author took a brutal childhood and somehow turned it into a story filled with heart. The way he intertwined the two storylines was masterful. -- William Dameron, author of The Lie: A Memoir of Two Marriages, Catfishing and Coming O A powerful story told by an excellent writer that paints a true picture of the Deep South. Neal Wooten weaves a tale that will make you cry and then laugh, often in the same paragraph. This book will draw you in and hold on to you. -- Jerry Ellis: author of Walking the Trail: One Man's Journey Along the Cherokee Trail of Tears I love it. Keep up the books. You do a great job! * Don Reid (The Statler Brothers) * This is an incredible book. -- Lowell Barron, seven-time Alabama senator A profound, beautiful story. -- Mark Herndon, Country Music Hall of Fame Reternity is an awesome book. I loved it. -- Leah Seawright, country music singer Reternity is one helluva page turner. -- Julia Pandl, author of Memoir of the Sunday Brunch Reternity is magnetically charged with Biblical parlance and scientific exploration. Really captivated by it. - -- Sandra Lafferty, actress (The Hunger Games, Walk the Line, Footloose, A Walk in the Woods, and many more.) A very evocative book. -- Tonie Niblett, Dean/Northeast Community College I could not put it down until I finished it. -- Linda Millican, Psychology Instructor/Northeast Community College Takes the reader on an adventuresome journey they won't soon forget. -- Maurice A. Williams, Seattle Post Intelligencer Stays with you long after turning the last page. * Corey Colombin, Colorado Serenity Magazine * We rated it five hearts. * Heartland reviews * Reternity is a rare postcard from our own futures. -- Laura Houk, Library Media Specialist A compelling read. * Indie Reader *

A powerful story told by an excellent writer that paints a true picture of the Deep South. Neal Wooten weaves a tale that will make you cry and then laugh, often in the same paragraph. This book will draw you in and hold on to you. --Jerry Ellis: author of Walking the Trail: One Man's Journey Along the Cherokee Trail of Tears I devoured this book. It is engrossing, relatable, intriguing, heartbreaking and so well written. I could visualize it and that is not something that every writer can convey. The author took a brutal childhood and somehow turned it into a story filled with heart. The way he intertwined the two storylines was masterful. --William Dameron, author of The Lie: A Memoir of Two Marriages, Catfishing and Coming O

Author Information

Neal Wooten grew up on a pig farm on Sand Mountain in the northeast corner of Alabama. The first person in the history of his family to graduate from high school, Neal went on to graduate from Auburn University with a B.S. in applied mathematics. He became a math teacher and director of a math school in Milwaukee, winning numerous math awards.  He is now the Managing Editor for Mirror Publishing, a contributor to the Huffington Post, columnist for The Mountain Valley News, curator of the Fort Payne Depot Museum, creator of the popular Facebook comic strip “Brad’s Pit,” and standup comedian.

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