Farther Off from Heaven

William Humphrey’s acclaimed memoir is a richly detailed portrait of small-town Texas and a poignant account of the tragedy that shaped the author’s life At three o’clock in the morning on July 5, 1937, William Humphrey awoke to his mother’s urgent cry: “Get dressed as quick as you can! Your daddy has been hurt.” Rushing to the doctor’s office, mother and son arrived to find Clarence Humphrey battered beyond recognition: his chest crushed, his face bruised black and caked with blood, his teeth s