In a neighborhood jammed with look-alike clapboard houses in a South Carolina Cotton mill village, author William Hale grew up as an inquisitive boy who climbed trees, played sandlot baseball, and learned his greatest life lessons from unexpected places. Amid the darkness of the Great Depression, Hale was never without food, love, or a little bit of sparkle from Azzie, a washwoman with a broad smile, big voice, and never-ending encouragement for little Hale. With humor, sensitivity, and candor, Hale delves deeply into the delicate fabric of life as he details experiences derived from a distinctive coming-of-age journey full of fun, challenges, and timeless messages. As he learned to love ?winnie? soup, whiled away the hours on the porch swing, and discovered that time is the greatest healer of all, Hale details how he grew from boy into man and realized the impact of his choices that eventually led him in a different direction. The Village and Beyond offers one man's poignant reflections on life as he revels in the powerful world of the human spirit and discovers that he will never be without questions.