The author, Evangelist Leona W. Smith, is a lifelong resident of Louisiana and has been residing in New Orleans for over 30 years. She was born in Lafayette in the heart of Cajun country and reared in the small town of Lecompte in Central Louisiana. She graduated from Carter C. Raymond High School with honors and holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from Grambling State University, where she graduated Magna Cum Laude. Leona is a lover of people and began her work in ministry at a young age. As a minister, she has been active in her home church, missionary work and in the care of the elderly. She has always been interested in history and storytelling. Thus, after 5 years of… intricate research and interviews, she brings you the story of her ancestors ndash; from Africa to the shores of Louisiana and beyond.