Growing up in Arkansas during the 1950s, Judge Olly Neal didn't care much for high school. One day during his senior year, he cut class and wandered into the library, where he stumbled on a book written by African-American author Frank Yerby. In a recording for the national oral-history archive StoryCorps, Neal shared with his daughter the impact this book has had on his life.

Hear the recording below and read NPR anchor Michele Norris' essay on discovering her own family's history.