Tom Brand Writes New Book

The Missouri author who brought readers Welts on Your Butt a Calf Could Suck has more stories to tell.

In his latest book, You Have To Leave If You Want To Come Back, Tom Brand shares 58 personal essays filled with humor, memorable people, family traditions. and the experiences that take on new meaning with the passage of time.

Readers of the Sheridan Express may already know Brand through his weekly column, A Little Bit Like Home, which shares reflections on family, small-town life, humor, and the experiences that connect generations.

The title comes from a familiar saying Brand's father used whenever his grandchildren were reluctant to leave Grandma and Grandpa's house after a visit. When they said they wanted to come back, Grandpa would remind them, "Well… you have to leave if you want to come back."

What began as a simple way to make goodbyes easier eventually took on a much deeper meaning.

"If my first book was about growing up, this one is more about understanding what it meant," Brand writes in the book's preface.

Growing up on a family farm near Hopkins, Missouri, provided plenty of material for Brand's storytelling. But his experiences have carried him well beyond the gravel roads of his childhood. The new collection takes readers from hayfields and school playgrounds to Major League Baseball stadiums, the White House, and encounters with some familiar personalities. Along the way are stories about the people whose influence often became apparent only years later.

Some stories are humorous, others reflective, and several offer unexpected lessons about kindness, friendship, family and faith.

"Most of us don't realize we're collecting stories while we're living them," Brand said. "It's only later that a small moment, a familiar voice, or something somebody said takes on a different meaning. I hope readers find a little of their own story in these pages."

Many of the stories grew from Brand's newspaper columns, including his syndicated weekly column, A Little Bit Like Home. Some have been expanded for the book, offering additional details and reflections.

Brand spent nearly two decades as a farm broadcaster with the Brownfield Network, KMA and KFEQ before serving as executive director of the National Association of Farm Broadcasting. He currently serves as director of the St. Joseph Community Alliance.

Published by Richardson & Company Press, You Have To Leave If You Want To Come Back is available through www.RichardsonPress.com and Amazon.