You may take for granted that you can read these words. But many people cannot, and that’s what this book is about. Tens of millions of Americans today lack the skills to complete a job application, read a recipe, find their way on a street map, calculate a restaurant bill or follow a favorite passage of scripture. Throughout history, people have shared personal experiences through stories. This is a book of 30 such stories from the front lines of the literacy movement in Alabama. In their own words, these people recount in very personal terms their motivations and dreams along the spectrum of learning and teaching. All profits from the sale of this book are donated to the Literacy Council of West Alabama and the Literacy Council in Birmingham.