Discover the Stories of a Young Farm Boy Wanting to Share His Life Experiences Now at the Age of 80 Years.
In this first book, join Robert Phillips as he shares his heartfelt memoir, ‘Big Boys Don’t Cry’.
Experience the trials and triumphs of rural life and the unwavering bond of family love.
A Journey of Dreams and Family Love
A young boy’s dream of becoming a cowboy meets the realities of farm life and the ever-strong bond of family love. This is a Mid-Century Memoir where real life clashes with the young boy’s dream but after persistence he gets his horse and goes on a cattle drive.

About the Book
I recount stories from my early years growing up on a one-hundred-and-sixty-acre farm located in the beautiful Flint Hills of Kansas. My parents were tenant farmers who accepted all the uncertainties this arrangement carried with it. The events and activities of the rural community in midcentury America provide the backdrop of a simpler time when a young boy could be entertained by his dogs, cats, bottle calf, and eventually, his own horse.
My family included four sisters, but only two lived at home with me as the elder two were already married. Since my sisters were all more than nine years older than I, the age disparity contributed to my being dramatically spoiled and teased. I hope the love my family had for each other comes through with every word written.
The title of my book is derived from what my mother always told me “Big boys don’t cry.” That was a difficult thing to learn for a young boy who was just at the age where it was easy to have tears well up in my eyes and feel like crying, especially when encountering some of life’s most tragic moments. Still, like other young boys of that era, growing up strong and tough like my father was always the goal.
Even with hardships, my main focus was to become a cowboy and to have my own horse. The family is everything when surviving on a little farm where it meant producing most of our own food and making a large portion of our clothes.
In 1951, we were confronted with the terrors of what was considered the worst flood ever to take place in Kansas. To see all of our crops destroyed meant no feed for livestock which then had to be sold. With no animals and no products to sell, that also meant no way to make an income. Like many other farmers devastated by losses from the flood the future looked extremely bleak.
Then another blow was dealt we received an eviction notice from the landlord with only sixty days to relocate. But the disaster didn’t stop there as my memories from long ago impart.
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robertwphillips1944@gmail.com