Bits of Bob

Blending humor with nostalgia, this collection of twenty-six short stories recaps the early life of author Robert L. Hartley. From his first memories at age three until his eighteenth year, Hartley provides a poignant look back at his formative years. Born to a baseball player and the daughter of a widowed school teacher in Nelsonville, Ohio, in 1923, Hartley relates the fond and not-so-fond memories of his childhood. From his first memories of his father bringing home a new 1927 four-door sedan Essex when he was three years old to his hazing by the football players at Philo High School, the stories reveal what life was like during these years. Hartley remembers his first dog Jack, his elementary school teachers, and his parents' business-a combination filling station, restaurant, and inn. Bits of Bob, a compilation of personal memories, paints a picture of growing up along the beautiful Muskingum River in southeastern Ohio. Not only does this area abound with history, but it plays a prominent role in one man's life.