Ozark Saints: Honoring People of the Ozarks through Stories and Imagination

Ozark Saints describes people, a dog, and values from real and imagined tales that influenced Howard Cavner as he lived in the limestone hills and valleys of the Ozarks. Cavner is proud of his Ozark roots and the moniker, Hillbilly. When he was in graduate school, a fellow student would introduce him to a new student, noting that a hillbilly's legs were often not the same length due to standing all his life on the side of uneven hills in the Ozarks. Little did the new student realize that it was a rehearsed act with Howard already standing there leaning imperceptibly to one side with the opposite leg dangling loose in the air. The Ozark Saints described in these pages would enjoy the joke. The hillbillies in Howard's life were keen observers of life and generous in times of need. Meet these grand people in the stories of Ozark Saints. You may know them or want to be one of them. You will laugh, tear up, and be inspired.