Once Upon A Time When Tobacco Was Good

Most stories are categorized as fiction or non-fiction. "ONCE UPON A TIME WHEN TOBACCO WAS GOOD" is neither fiction nor non-fiction. It is both. The methods and techniques of raising tobacco during the 1940's and 1950's are not only extremely interesting but also very factual and educational. The story and its characters are all from the mind and imagination of the writer. However, the majority of the instances described in this fascinating story actually happened. Therefore, names were changed to protect the guilty. Tobacco has not always been a negative word. There was a time in the not so distant past when being in the business of raising tobacco was a very prestigious and much sought after way to earn a living. Back in the 1940's and 1950's one carried a great deal of respect if you farmed it...sold it...bought it...chewed it...or smoked it. A Famous movie star who was later to become president of the United States, was on billboards all over America, encouraging us to light up and enjoy life. All that changed on January 11, 1964. United States Surgeon General, Luther Terry, made the bold announcement that tobacco could be dangerous to your health. Not only was it an astounding statement, It began the demise and destruction of a culture and a way of life that will never exist in America again. "Once Upon a Time When Tobacco Was Good" tells this heartwarming story in a way that lets you live it just as you were there. The story's author, Kent Mills, grew up during this era in South Central Virginia in what is still known as the heart of tobacco country. His winters were for schooling in the area's only city, while all his summers were spent on his uncle's tobacco farm where he lived from June until October. Mr. Mills' humorous and streetwise writing style was developed from a mix of city boy/country boy living. His self-described "PUNCH LINE" poetry can be found in several books including "Poet's Domain", published by Patricia Adler of Hampton Rhoads Publishing,