The Hard and the Beautiful

Life in a Family of Seventeen Children

In The Hard and the Beautiful: Life in a Family of Seventeen Children, Roger Hines offers an unforgettable portrait of growing up in rural Mississippi where poverty was endured with dignity and family was life’s anchor. Roger Hines offers an unforgettable portrait of growing up in rural Mississippi, where poverty was endured with dignity and family was life’s anchor, in The Hard and the Beautiful: Life in a Family of Seventeen Children. As the sixteenth of seventeen children, Hines brings readers into a world shaped by laughter, labor, and faith, spanning the Great Depression, World War II, and the civil rights era. Both tender and unflinching, this memoir celebrates the strength of parents, the resilience of children, and the enduring beauty that can be found in hardship.

Praise for The Hard and the Beautiful

“After reading Roger Hines’ book, I feel as though I have just met his entire family: Paul and Pete, Pupi, Tressie, Carlton, Durwood, and all the rest including his momma and daddy. ­The Hard and the Beautiful is beautifully written.”

— Dick Yarbrough, Georgia Syndicated Columnist and Six-Time Winner
Best Column by the Georgia Press Association

“The Hard and the Beautiful is delightful reading! It truly depicts the trials, tribulations, and wonderful blessings in the life of a young man growing up as one of seventeen children on a tenant farm in rural Mississippi. Great detail is given to the ‘haves’ and “have-nots’ which contributed to that young man’s lifelong value system. ­That detail vividly brings to life the people as well as the historical events that shaped the bright future of Roger Hines and paved the way to a life well lived.”

— Nancy Chambers, Mayor, Forest, Mississippi