When Your Hand is in the Lion's Mouth is a narrative non-fiction told in forty-two stories that is a father-daughter memoir. The foundational paternal love, wisdom and life lessons shared can father us all, and at 96 years young, he keeps inspiring and teaching us with his foundational practical wisdom. The simplicity and complexity of the life into which he was born informed the wisdom and worldliness he would gain. Born as the second youngest of nineteen children in a rural northwest Louisiana farming community, the lion of the Jim Crow South loomed large and oppressively in the 1920's. But, Green Whitaker had the beautiful gift of a family devoted to each other to guide him through. Each anecdote highlights a nugget of Green's advice about how to navigate life's challenges with confidence, courage, and love, spoken in words that are succinct, amusing, and often moving. It gives us a glimpse into the life and earned wisdom of a distinguished black father named Green, and how he shares his useful life gems with his children, his community, and especially his youngest daughter, Nita. Full of historical tidbits, the stories share sage advice, memories, and homespun counsel.