Lila Marie Pennington Ryals, a lifelong resident of Fairhope, recently published her first and only book, What Would Mama Do?: Growing Up An “Almost” Orphan in Fairhope. The book is a memoir of her life growing up in Fairhope, Alabama, and how she and her younger brother managed to survive after their mother passed away in 1941, just days before Lila’s ninth birthday. Her father was not able to care for them, so they were left to fend for themselves. They had to learn how to feed themselves, manage their own health care, get through school, and provide for their safety. Despite the challenges they faced, Lila and her brother were able to persevere with the help of their love for their mother, God, and each other. The book is a touching account of their struggles during the war years in Fairhope and will leave you both in tears and in awe of their resilience and love for one another.
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