Kindle Price:	$2.99
Sold by:	Amazon.com Services LLC

Read with our free app

You've subscribed to ! We will preorder your items within 24 hours of when they become available. When new books are released, we'll charge your default payment method for the lowest price available during the pre-order period.

Update your device or payment method, cancel individual pre-orders or your subscription at
Your Memberships & Subscriptions

There was an error. We were unable to process your subscription due to an error. Please refresh and try again.

Follow the author

Joe A. Moreland

+ Follow

More books from this author

A Place to Lay My Head Kindle Edition

by Joe A. Moreland (Author) Format: Kindle Edition

4.9 20 ratings

See all formats and editions

A poignant reflection of my childhood days as my brothers and I faced the rigors of life on the fringes of society in the Coast Range of Western Oregon in the 1940s and 50s. It was a different time and different place where drinking water was carried from the nearest creek, warmth came from a wood stove, the toilet was out the back door and down a narrow path, light for evening chores and reading came from kerosene lamps and lanterns, and a battery powered radio was a luxury that we couldn't always afford. With the spartan living conditions came freedoms forgotten in today's culture...children had an entire forest for a playground; if the creek wasn't deep enough for swimming, a dam solved the problem; bicycles without chain guards or fenders gave us unlimited mobility; and no one worried where we aimed our slingshots and BB guns. Oldsters will recall those care-free days...youngsters will be aghast that we survived our risky behavior...and our grandchildren will be envious of how we lived and played.

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0070CQA28
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Lulu.com (January 20, 2012)
Publication date ‏ : ‎ January 20, 2012
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 3005 KB
Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
Print length ‏ : ‎ 430 pages

Best Sellers Rank: #2,243,219 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #31,147 in Memoirs (Kindle Store)
- #105,700 in Memoirs (Books)

Customer Reviews:
4.9 20 ratings

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.

Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Videos

Help others learn more about this product by uploading a video!

Upload your video

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.

Joe A. Moreland

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.

Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Born in Hermiston, Oregon in 1943, Joe A. Moreland spent most of his childhood years living in and around the Coast Range of Western Oregon. He attended Oregon State University and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Physics in 1965. After graduating, he was employed as a hydrologist with the U.S. Geological Survey. He conducted groundwater investigations in California and Idaho and served as a supervisory hydrologist in Idaho and Montana. In 1995, he was selected to serve as the Chief of the Ground Water Research Project in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates—a cooperative program between the U.S. Geological Survey and the National Drilling Company of Abu Dhabi. He retired in 1999 and moved to Orange, California with his wife Kay.

For the last 12 years, Joe has devoted his free time to civic enterprises including serving as an enumerator for the Census Bureau for the 2000 and 2010 censuses, volunteering as a poll worker in 17 local, state, and federal elections, serving on the 2003-2004 Orange County Grand Jury, and serving as the President of the Grand Jurors Association of Orange County in 2010-2011.

Although the author published more than 35 scientific and technical reports during his career, this book is his first serious attempt at Creative Nonfiction writing. He has 4 children, 2 step-children, and 10 grandchildren who he hopes will enjoy the tales he tells of his brothers and him living on the rough fringes of society where electricity and running water were conveniences not available to those who lived at the end of the road in the late 1940s and 1950s.

Customer reviews

4.9 out of 5

20 global ratings

3 star

0%

2 star

0%

1 star

0%

How customer reviews and ratings work

Sort reviews by

Top reviews from the United States

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.

S. L. Klein

A Good Read

Reviewed in the United States on October 18, 2012

Verified Purchase

While reading Joe Moreland's wonderful biography. A Place to Lay my Head, I was constantly reminded of Mark Twain's Tom Sawyer. This is a book of childhood memories filled with delightful, mischievous, and sometimes harrowing adventures. But it is more than that. It is the story of a boy who grew up in the middle of the twentieth century without, for much of his young life, electricity, a refrigerator or TV set or even an indoor bathroom. This is a boy who lived in abandoned houses and barns and eventually in a makeshift shanty house whose core was an old second-hand bus situated at a dump site. He watched his father struggle to earn a living, got used to pulling up stakes and moving after his father had been on a job sometimes for only a day. Much milder poverty today in this country has been cited as a reason for drug abuse and violence. For Joe it stimulated wholesome resilience, resourcefulness, and flexibility, and a sense of joy at times that is palpable. Like the boys Tom Sawyer got to paint his fence, I found myself feeling envious of Joe's extended stay at the garbage dump in particular, where his father became caretaker. What I envied most and wanted most to emulate was the incredible hands-on experience he got. Because they had so little, he had to learn so much from his resourceful father: how to rebuild a car motor, how to install a modest electrical system, how to string lights and get reception from the TV set that eventually found a place in their makeshift house at the dump, how to milk cows, how to grow food, how to shoot a rifle, and, ultimately, how to build a real home of their own (which came later). Just as the constant moves had tested his resilience, the garbage dump home tested Joe's resourcefulness and playfulness. Amidst the garbage he got inspiration too - from the loads of cover less books and magazines regularly dumped at the site. The dump site home also offered a chance for stability and continuity at school - the state was required to provide bus transportation from the dump (as a stable place of residence) to the school. And Joe took up that opportunity with alacrity soon revealing a propensity for science and math which I have no doubt grew out of his curiosity about the world around him and his hands-on experiences. What makes this story so compelling to me then is how this boy turned what many would have considered a life of unrelenting poverty and misery into one of vitality, adventure, and ultimately triumph.

4 people found this helpful

Helpful

john l.

An entertaining reality show in book form

Reviewed in the United States on December 19, 2013

Verified Purchase

"A Place to Lay My Head" by Joe Moreland is a very entertaining story of how kids try to make the best of whatever situations they are thrust into. It is an uplifting series of anecdotes played out by a cast of hardy and innovative characters in a seemingly fictional, yet, very real setting. While the adventures are often comical and heartwarming, the bigger story is thought-provoking by putting our own lifestyles into perspective. Reading how families can not only survive, but thrive, while coping with the ongoing challenges of poverty in a rural setting can't help but provoke reflection on our modern excesses of materialism. With easy-to-read short chapters and a well-deserved happy ending, this book can be enjoyed by anyone interested in a light-hearted tale of overcoming poverty in the search for a better life.

2 people found this helpful

Helpful

Jackson C. Jones

What Life Was Like Back Then

Reviewed in the United States on April 20, 2016

Verified Purchase

Joe Moreland was three or four grades behind me at Mapleton High School. His stories and descriptions about living in/near Mapleton brought
back fond memories. Reminded me of how much we have today compared with what was available to us back then. I enjoyed the book very
much and have told many of my high school class mates about it.

2 people found this helpful

Helpful

Megan

I would recommend the book

Reviewed in the United States on December 8, 2016

Verified Purchase

I enjoyed the book I love back good story I'm friends with some of the authors family thank you for recommending the book

Helpful

Debbie Davis

Heartwarming story of tougher times

Reviewed in the United States on April 20, 2014

Verified Purchase

Joe Moreland story was very entertaining and hard to put down. My husband had actually ordered the book but passed away before he finished it. I started it while on an airplane and was pleasantly surprised how entertained it kept me. He told the story so perfectly, I found myself feeling like I present along his journey's. Thank you for an amazing story of hardships and triumph!

One person found this helpful

Helpful

KayR

Factual but Entertaining

Reviewed in the United States on February 27, 2013

Verified Purchase

Joe Moreland was able to write a tough story in a light hearted format. He kept the story factual but very entertaining. A wonderful story of a unique family living through some very tough times. It gives a new perspective on the differences of family life and teaches us that ALL families, ALL people are precious and should be honored, loved and respected for who they are; not for what they have.

4 people found this helpful

Helpful

Hiner

If you ever worked for or with Joe then this is a MUST read!

Reviewed in the United States on May 22, 2023

Joe Moreland's "A Place to Lay My Head" is a touching memoir of a man's search for identity and belonging. Born into poverty and a dysfunctional family, Moreland grows up with a sense of shame and insecurity that haunts him throughout his life. He turns to drugs, and other self-destructive behaviors to escape his pain and find meaning but ends up more lost and lonely than ever. The turning point in Moreland's life comes when he discovers his Native American heritage, which leads him on a spiritual and cultural journey of self-discovery. As he reconnects with his ancestors' traditions, language, and rituals, he gains a deeper understanding of his own history and purpose. He also finds love and redemption through his relationship with his wife and children, who show him the value of family, community, and forgiveness Joe's writing is simple yet heartfelt, conveying his emotions and experiences with honesty, clarity, and insight. He vividly portrays the landscapes and people of the Pacific Northwest, from the rugged beauty of the mountains and forests to the resilience and wisdom of the Native American elders. He also exposes the injustice and discrimination that Native Americans have faced and continue to face, shedding light on a neglected and often misunderstood part of American history. Overall, "A Place to Lay My Head" is a poignant and inspiring memoir that illuminates the human condition and the power of culture and connection to heal and transform. It is a book that will resonate with anyone who has struggled with identity, purpose, or belonging and seek a way to find their place in the world.

Reviewed in the United States on January 10, 2014

Verified Purchase

Great story of simpler times. I could envision the places and people. Fun reading knowing that it was a true story.