Fiction based on the fact of the race riots of 1930 in Sherman TX.

"Betty Pelley Smith's ''Harvest of Tears'' tells a tragic story in a compelling fashion. Betty Smith has written about these times and these events by examining and accurately portraying the people, rich and poor, who lived them. It is an emotionally rich and fascinating piece of work.--Shelton Williams, Professor of Political Science/International Studies, Austin College and author of Washed in the Blood

Jaye Pelley (Apr 05, 2018 - 5 of 5 stars) it was amazing: My aunt wrote this book about where we grew up, Sherman, TX. I’m very proud of her work!--Goodread review

Betty Pelley Smith was born on March 24, 1924 in Sherman, Texas. She graduated High School and Draughons Business College in Dallas, Texas. During World War II, she married Jack Gordon Smith from Cincinnati, Ohio who was stationed with the Tenth Army Corps in Sherman. While Jack was in the military, they lived in a number of states and in Paris, France. Returning to the U.S. in 1966 after 22 years in the military, they moved to Gardena, CA. In 1988 after the death of her husband, she returned to Sherman, the Pelley family home.

Betty writes, "I was 5 years oil when I saw the Sherman courthouse burn and saw a body hanging from a tree. In my 5-year-old mind, I remember thinking, I thought he was black. All I see is white, as only white bones were hanging there. I was haunted all my life by this sight. I could not understand how anyone could do such a horrible thing. I promised myself someday to write about it.

I kept that promise and, in 1971, I began to write this book. I finished it in two and a half years, before my 50th birthday It was a form of therapy." "Even now, 75 years later, I am so emotional about this that I shake as I write.