An hour before daylight

In this poignant memoir, Jimmy Carter recounts his boyhood in Plains, Georgia, during the Great Depression, detailing the rhythms of farm life, sharecropping economy, family dynamics, and the complex racial segregation of the South.

He shares stories of his brilliant farmer father, strong-willed nurse mother, siblings, and black friends and workers who shaped his early years, highlighting values of hard work, resilience, and community amid poverty and social divides.

Carter evokes a simpler yet heartbreaking era that influenced his character and future presidency.