Memories from Thickety

Talmadge P. Fletcher has written Memories from Thickety in order to preserve a record of his life experiences, mainly for his children, grandchildren, and other relatives. He undertook writing the book at the urging of his granddaughter. The book will also be worthwhile reading for anyone who wishes to know about the Great Depression, World War II, and the mountain region of western North Carolina from a personal perspective. A special feature of the book is the author's narration of his participation in "Operation Carpetbagger" which provided covert support to the French underground resistance to German occupation during WWII. Another part of the author's intention in writing this book is to help the younger generations learn what a difference there is between today and what some people call "the good old days". In the author's younger days, many people, especially in the mountains of western North Carolina, lived without washing machines, refrigerators, electric stoves, TVs, radios, and cars. The author says, "We never missed those things because we never had them." Memories from Thickety relates many incidents of hardship, but the author is often able to look back upon them and see their humorous aspects. The author was born in Gastonia, North Carolina, in 1923, but he has spent most of the ninety years of his life in Haywood County in the midst of the mountains of western North Carolina. All of his family and relatives are natives of the mountains of western North Carolina.