Life in rural 1930s Riverton, Alabama was no easy task, especially for a World War I veteran's widow with seven sons. When Ray Hays and his twin brother witness their father's burial, they learn at the tender age of four the reality of life: death. But with their strong-willed mother, Mama Hays, and their other brothers, they also learn that the bonds of family can overcome any adversity, even the tiresome load of work in cotton-picking season. Then, in 1951, twins Ray and Roy make a decision that will forever change their lives. Soon, they're on the frontlines of Korea, using the bonds of brotherhood--that of blood and of the fraternity of soldiers--to fight for survival and freedom. Then, Ray is hit with the blast of shrapnel, leaving his face marred and his body within inches of death. After months of hospitalization and a long journey around the world, he must face life in Alabama as a man forever changed by the brutalities of war. When he returns to his mother's home in Cherokee, the town and everyone in it appears the same, but things aren't as they seem. Humbled by the scars of war, this casualty must learn the true meaning of life, love, and home. "The Long Journey Home" is a memoir not to be forgotten.