From Library Journal

First novelist Morris, a Mississippi pastor-turned-psychologist who also writes poetry and short stories, tells a poignant tale of a young man's search for identity.This beautifully upbeat and enduring novel is recommended for all ages, especially in areas with large Hispanic populations.

From Publishers Weekly

A truly memorable literary journey. combining a strong plot with first-rate characters and some elegiac writing about the link between families, the land and its history. Morris's obvious talent shines through from start to finish.

From Raleigh News Observer

Not long ago I heard a literary critic claim that there are only two stories-a stranger comes to town or a young person leaves home. Joe Edd Morris' terrific first novel, "Land Where My Fathers Died," fits neatly into the second category.Morris knows Mexico well, and his descriptions of the landscape and the small towns that dot Jo Shelby's way have the ring of hard-earned observation. Morris, a former Methodist minister, writes with a clear lyricism. Aware of language and what it can bring to a story, he seems equally cognizant of what it can subtract from a story. Here is a simple but completely eloquent description of Jo Shelby's thoughts at the end of the book: "He thought of where he was and how far he'd come and of his chances and what he had to lose and what he had to gain and weighed both sides of the equation and decided there were times in a man's life where simple arithmetic broke down and nothing was more than something but there was no book that ever taught that." I doubt that many writers could say it better."