In Barefoot, Broke, and Brilliant, George Carter reaches back into his childhood in Big Vein and Pocahontas, Virginia, coal mining towns in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Born June 1, 1931, his life is affected by the Great Depression and the grinding poverty wrought as the Nation struggles with economic forces and political activities. The relative isolation of the mountain hamlets lends a layer of protection to the residents whose activities center around the deadly coal mines. Barefoot, Broke, and Brilliant is a humorous look at daily life as well as stories of fear, compassion, and love. His inner thoughts and feelings paint a portrait of a child that develops into a young man who is unprepared for the world he ventures into by joining the USAF. He admits that he never left the train on the way to basic training in San Antonio because he was afraid he couldn't find his way back. His life footsteps become what Joseph Campbell calls "a hero's journey." Author Bernard Selling says, "George is the only student I have who imagines and writes about his own birth." Travel along with George from Big Vein to Honolulu.