Sallie Hicks
Because of a congenital eye condition, Sallie Hicks learned at an early age that she could not do many of the things girls her age took for granted, like team sports and seeing the blackboard in a classroom. Instead, she decided at an early age to “go down roads that were open to her.” Enabled by remarkable storytelling gifts, for decades she has kept alive the memory of her forebears, and she has preserved the family stories that she helped create as the wife of prominent real estate developer and homebuilder George T. Hicks and mother of five daughters and one son. When asked to describe her life’s work, she says that being a wife and mother to her family was “the point of the whole thing.” Now in this book made from a series of interviews, she passes on a treasury of family stories and, along with it, her unforgettable personality and inspiring attitude towards life. Sallie lives in Nashville, Tennessee, with her dog Murphy in a home she shares with her daughter Susan. From the sitting area of her bedroom, she rejoices in the steady flow of new stories about her growing number of great-grandchildren.
Joseph N. Davis
Joseph N. Davis grew up listening to memories recounted by elderly family storytellers from Tennessee and Mississippi while those around him said, “Somebody should write these stories down!” After organizing and editing his father’s memoirs, he launched Talking Tree Tales in 2015 and began helping other people tell their stories. A graduate of the University of the South, Joseph taught English at Webb School of Knoxville before attending Nashotah House Theological Seminary and being ordained to the Episcopal priesthood. He currently serves as vicar of Grace Episcopal Church in Spring Hill, Tennessee. Reading, playing tennis, and early American music are among his favorite activities. He and his wife Cindy have two grown sons and live in Nashville with their dog Bo. As a friend of Sallie’s son George since fourth grade, Joseph considers it an honor to have worked with Sallie Hicks to preserve her memories and reflections. A Year of Thanksgivings is his first published book.