October 2023 MBR The Biography Shelf

The Biography Shelf

Loyalty First
David A. Foy
Casemate Publishers
www.casematepublishers.com
9781636243498, $37.95, HC, 288pp

https://www.amazon.com/Loyalty-First-Willoughby-MacArthurs-Intelligence/dp/1636243495

Synopsis: Major General Charles A. Willoughby served as Douglas MacArthur's stalwart chief intelligence officer (G-2) for over a decade, throughout World War II and the Korean War. "Loyalty First: The Life and Times of Charles A. Willoughby, MacArthur's Chief Intelligence Officer" by David A. Foy is the first full biography that specifically examines Willoughby's shadowy origins in his native Germany, his curious arrival in the United States, and his military service in World War I, as well as his work during the interwar years as a junior diplomat, budding historian, and neophyte intelligence officer. His chance encounter with MacArthur in the mid-1930s would prove to be the genesis of a near-symbiotic relationship between the two, with significant consequences for both.

Throughout his life, Willoughby identified with strong, authoritarian leaders, notably Franco, and (especially) MacArthur. As a biographer, David Foy also assesses Willoughby's performance as a professional intelligence officer both in World War II and Korea, where he is often vilified for his inaccurate assessments of enemy strength and most likely courses of action, as well as his sycophantic relationship with his commander. Willoughby is most often criticized for his failing to foresee the entry of Chinese forces into the Korean War and its impact upon the US Army and the prosecution of the war. Following MacArthur's removal by President Truman in 1951, Willoughby retired and spent the rest of his days engaged in right-wing political activity and in staunchly defending his much-maligned boss.

The legacy he left is one filled with lingering and important questions about loyalty to superiors, in civilian as well as military environments, how far that loyalty should extend, and walking the tightrope involved in telling truth to power.

Critique: Although a fascinating biography in its own right, "Loyalty First: The Life and Times of Charles A. Willoughby, MacArthur's Chief Intelligence Officer" seems particularly timely and relevant given the new revelations about how the current command structure of the U.S. Military was able (and had to) to resist the unlawful and deadly dangerous attempts of Donald Trump to unconstitutionally use the military as his own personal instrument for insuring the continuation of his power and authority as a President and Commander-in-Chief before and after an insurrection. The question is now, as it was back then, of the necessity and limitations of loyalty in an American military chain of command. While highly recommended for personal, professional, community, War College, and academic library American Military Biography/History collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Loyalty First: The Life and Times of Charles A. Willoughby, MacArthur's Chief Intelligence Officer" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $17.49).

Editorial Note: Dr. David Foy received his Ph.D. in Modern European History from the University of Arkansas, where he also was selected for Phi Beta Kappa. He has more than three decades' experience as a professional historian and intelligence officer, having worked as a college faculty member, an active-duty and civilian member of the US Army, a defence contractor, and an intelligence officer for several agencies within the US Intelligence Community. He is also the author of For You the War is Over: American POWs in Nazi Germany During World War II, a history of the tenure of a Director of National Intelligence.

Passionate Mothers, Powerful Sons
Charlotte Gray
Simon and Schuster
www.simonandschuster.com
Blackstone Audiobooks
https://www.blackstonelibrary.com
9781668031971, $29.99, HC, 432pp

https://www.amazon.com/Passionate-Mothers-Powerful-Sons-Churchill/dp/1668031973

Synopsis: Born into upper-class America in the same year, 1854, Sara Delano (later to become the mother of Franklin Delano Roosevelt) and Jennie Jerome (later to become the mother of Winston Churchill) refused to settle into predictable, sheltered lives as little-known wives to prominent men. Instead, both women concentrated much of their energies on enabling their sons to reach the epicenter of political power on two continents.

In the mid-19th century, the British Empire was at its height, France's Second Empire flourished, and the industrial vigor of the United States of America was catapulting the republic towards the Gilded Age. Sara and Jennie, raised with privilege but subject to the constraints of women's roles at the time, learned how to take control of their destinies -- Sara in the prosperous Hudson Valley, and Jennie in the glittering world of Imperial London.

Yet their personalities and choices were dramatically different. A vivacious extrovert, Jennie married Lord Randolph Churchill, a rising politician and scion of a noble British family. Her deft social and political maneuverings helped not only her mercurial husband but, once she was widowed, her ambitious son, Winston. By contrast, deeply conventional Sara Delano married a man as old as her father. But once widowed, she made Franklin, her only child, the focus of her existence. Thanks in large part to her financial support and to her guidance, Franklin acquired the skills he needed to become a successful politician.

Set against one hundred years of history, "Passionate Mothers, Powerful Sons: The Lives of Jennie Jerome Churchill and Sara Delano Roosevelt" is a study in loyalty and resilience in which historian and biographer Charlotte Gray argues that Jennie and Sara are too often presented as lesser figures in the backdrop of history rather than as two remarkable individuals who were key in shaping the characters of the sons who adored them and in preparing them for leadership on the world stage.

Impeccably researched and filled with intriguing social insights, "Passionate Mothers, Powerful Sons: The Lives of Jennie Jerome Churchill and Sara Delano Roosevelt" breathes new life into our understanding of Sara and Jennie while offering a fascinating and fulsome portrait of how leaders are not just born but made.

Critique: Fascinating, informative, detailed, documented, extraordinary, and insightful, "Passionate Mothers, Powerful Sons: The Lives of Jennie Jerome Churchill and Sara Delano Roosevelt" is a compelling and exceptionally well written biography of two of the two most influential mothers of two of the most influential men of their time. While also available for personal reading lists in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99) and as a complete and unabridged audio book (Blackstone Audio, 9781797167510, $49.99, CD), "Passionate Mothers, Powerful Sons" is especially recommended for person, professional, community, college and university library Biography collections and supplemental Women In History curriculum studies lists.

Editorial Note: Charlotte Gray (www.CharlotteGray.ca) is one of Canada's best-known writers and the author of twelve acclaimed books of literary nonfiction, including The Promise of Canada. Her bestseller The Massey Murder: A Maid, Her Master, and the Trial That Shocked a Country won the Toronto Book Award, the Heritage Toronto Book Award, the Canadian Authors Association Lela Common Award for Canadian History, and the Arthur Ellis Award for Best Nonfiction Crime Book. An adjunct research professor in the department of history at Carleton University, Charlotte has received numerous awards, including the Pierre Berton Award for distinguished achievement in popularizing Canadian history. She is a Member of the Order of Canada and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada.

Cougars on the Cliff
Maurice Hornocker, author
David Johnson, author
The Lyons Press
www.lyonspress.com
c/o The Globe Pequot Press
www.globepequot.com
9781493073290, $29.95, HC, 328pp

https://www.amazon.com/Cougars-Cliff-Pioneering-Understand-Mythical/dp/149307329X

Synopsis: Maurice Hornocker is recognized worldwide as the first scientist to unravel the secrets of America's most enigmatic predator -- the mountain lion. A story of redemption, "Cougars on the Cliff: One Man's Pioneering Quest to Understand the Mythical Mountain Lion" (written with the assistance of David Johnson) is a memoir about the never-before-told adventures, challenges, and controversies surrounding Hornocker's groundbreaking study of cougars in the remote reaches of the Idaho Primitive Area.

North America's biggest cat was once killed for bounty dollars, slaughtered with impunity and driven toward extinction. But today's cat of intrigue, despite our lingering fears and misconceptions, has returned to much of its native range in the western United States and gained respect as a predator integral and necessary to wild ecosystems. This turnaround was triggered by one man: Maurice Hornocker. Cougars on the Cliff recounts the early years of his research (1964-1973) when he tracked lions following a dog's nose and footprints in the snow - before telemetry was available.

Hornocker was first to learn that mountain lions living in stable populations limit their own numbers through territoriality and a concept he called "mutual avoidance." This insight flew in the face of long-held beliefs that cougars were prolific and wanton killers that needed to be controlled as vermin. Thanks to Hornocker's work, today cougars can be found throughout the West and have even started to reclaim their place in New England.

Critique: Of particular appeal to readers with an interest in the biology of mountain lions, the environmental issues with respect to their habitats, and the biographies of naturalists, "Cougars on the Cliff: One Man's Pioneering Quest to Understand the Mythical Mountain Lion" is an inherently fascinating, impressively informative, expertly organized, and thoroughly 'reader friendly' in presentation. While especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community, college, and university library Contemporary American Biography/Memoir collections and curriculum Wildlife Biology curriculums, it should be noted that "Cougars on the Cliff: One Man's Pioneering Quest to Understand the Mythical Mountain Lion" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $21.49).

Editorial Note #1: Maurice Hornocker (https://www.cougarsonthecliff.com) is a wildlife biologist best known for advancing our knowledge of the elusive mountain lion's behavior and ecology. During his fifty-five years of research in Idaho, New Mexico, and Yellowstone National Park, he published numerous scientific papers about cougars and edited books that include "Cougar: Ecology & Conservation," "Yellowstone Cougars" (which was the recipient of a 2020 The Wildlife Society Publication Award), and "Desert Puma" (which was the recipient of the 2002 The Wildlife Society Book of the Year Award). His writing, research, and mountain lion photographs have appeared in publications such as National Geographic, Smithsonian, and National Wildlife magazine. He and his colleagues have also conducted pioneering research on other big cat species throughout the world including Siberian tigers, jaguars, leopards, ocelots, lynx, and bobcats. Hornocker and his wife, Leslie, live in Bellevue, Idaho, with their bird dogs, dressage horses, and a domestic cat named Redd.

Editorial Note #2: David Johnson (https://muckrack.com/david-johnson-2) is a retired roving regional reporter-columnist for the Lewiston Tribune in Lewiston, Idaho. He holds bachelor's degrees in wildlife management from the University of Minnesota and journalism from the University of Idaho. Johnson lives with is wife, Linda Weiford, in Moscow, Idaho.

Playin' Possum: My Memories of George Jones
Nancy Jones, author
Ken Abraham, author
Forefront Books
https://www.forefrontbooks.com
c/o Simon and Schuster (distribution)
https://www.simonandschuster.com
9781637632222, $29.00, HC, 304pp

https://www.amazon.com/Playin-Possum-Memories-George-Jones/dp/1637632223

Synopsis: Ask anyone who knows country music, George Jones was one of the most popular performers in that genre.

Millions of people know the name of the iconic country music artist, George Jones, but very few of them know that behind the man and his golden voice was Nancy Jones, a strong, feisty woman who not only saved his life from cocaine addiction, alcoholism, and other abusive and self-destructive behaviors, but who was also instrumental in saving his soul.

Legends, half-truths, and downright lies abound about the iconic singer, but what secrets do people not know about him? What was it like to live with him through the darkest shadows and in the brightest of lights?

Married for more than thirty years to who was arguably the greatest country music singer who ever lived, Nancy Jones knew George Jones better than anyone else on earth -- the good George and the bad George, the horrendous, and the hilarious. George and Nancy married March 4, 1983, and with her help and encouragement, he quit his wild and wicked ways - for a while. Nancy soon learned, however, that the demons held a strong grip on the man she loved, and they were not about to release him without a fight. But Nancy Jones is a tenacious fighter, and most people who knew "the Possum," credit Nancy with saving his life and rebuilding his career.

For the first time, in her memoir, "Playin' Possum", Nancy Jones (with the assistance of Ken Abraham) reveals the true "insider" perspectives and little known poignant and as well as humorous stories about the country music icon -- his battles with cocaine, alcohol, abusive behavior toward her and others, his battles with himself, and most of all, his battles against the demons that sought to control him and ultimately destroy him.

Nancy knew there was a good man inside George Jones, and she felt strongly that God had given her the assignment to help him, even if he hurt her. She refused to give up on Jones. Although Tammy Wynette sang "Stand By Your Man," it was actually Nancy Jones who stood by George for more than thirty years, and helped bring him to the Light. Together, they brought joy and light to millions of people.

Critique: Fascinating, informative, candid, detailed, exceptional, "Playin' Possum: My Memories of George Jones" is a 'must read' choice for the legions of George Jones fans. With a stellar and unreserved recommendation as a high level pick for community and academic library American Biography/Memoir and Country Music History Collections, it should also be noted that "Playin' Possum" is also readily available for personal reading lists in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99).

Editorial Note #1: One of the most revered and respected women in the country music community, Nancy Jones has proven her business skills as well as her personal integrity and perseverance in managing George Jones's career and his intellectual properties. Winner of the Country Music Association's prestigious Source Award in 2016, for "Women Behind the Music," Nancy genuinely loves interacting with people.

Editorial Note #2: Ken Abraham (https://www.tyndale.com/authors/ken-abraham/2) is a professional writer with world-class credentials. Two of his recent projects include "Payne Stewart" which he co-authored with Stewart's widow, Tracey; and "Zinger", the autobiography of golfer Paul Azinger.

We Lived In Danger
Victor Hepburn Small, author
Joanne Small, editor
Independently Published
9798987227107, $17.99, HC, 138pp

https://www.amazon.com/We-Lived-Danger-Rifleman-Canadians/dp/B0CD4WKBN3

Synopsis: "We Lived In Danger: From True Prairie Boy to Royal Regina Rifleman: A Western Canadian's WWII Memoir" is a deeply personal and inherently fascinating story about Victor (Vic) Hepburn Small, a small-town Canadian boy from Saskatchewan. In his exceptional memoir he unveils a rare and fascinating slice-of-life vignette of the World War II era. Vic's formative years in Big Sky country, and his love affair for prairie culture, was to prepare him for an extraordinary life event: to serve his country during WWII.

Vic enlisted in 1942 at age 18, "to fight the Germans. Every living body did the same thing."

Published by his wife after his passing in 2021, this memoir is not only a labor of love it is also a remarkably unique anthology. Vic's transcribed, word-for-word, "Blue Bombers" leave letters are both gripping and eloquent. They reveal, with endearing intimacy and authenticity, vivid details of his experience as a young man at Sandhurst Royal Military College and serving in the European Theatre from 1943 to 1945.

Not unlike many Canadian soldiers, Vic kept his film camera strapped to his side all the way from military training in Alberta and British Columbia, then across the pond on Cunard Line's Queen Mary to Great Britain, Holland, and Germany. He left behind an emblematic photo collection for his memoir, delicately captioned by hand, and lovingly preserved in his family for over 75 years.

Vic's story is truly a tribute to the undeniable resolve of his generation, a rare, historic fingerprint of an analytical, light-hearted, yet curious young Canadian man extending his view of the world around him, and finally, an insight into the heart-breaking reality for soldiers of war back then, and the few WWII veterans left today.

Critique: Deftly edited by Joanna Small and published posthumously, "We Lived In Danger: From True Prairie Boy to Royal Regina Rifleman: A Western Canadian's WWII Memoir" is a impressively compelling, exceptionally informative, and truly memorable contribution to our expanding body of WWII Histories, Biographies, and Memoirs. While especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community, college, and university library collections, it should be noted for students, academia, military history buffs, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "We Lived In Danger: From True Prairie Boy to Royal Regina Rifleman: A Western Canadian's WWII Memoir" is also available in a paperback edition (9798987227114, $15.80) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).

Editorial Note: A proud, but humble man, Victor Hepburn Small had a keen sense of humor and extremely kind nature. Born on May 28th, 1924, he was a true Saskatchewan prairie boy. "Vic" became Lieutenant Small, a Canadian WWII Veteran who served with the Royal Regina Rifles and the Calgary Highlanders in Europe during the years 1943 to 1946.

Prior to his service, Vic was raised by a loving and resourceful family as they endured the hardships wrought by the Great Depression of the 1930's. Still, Vic became a King Scout, was an avid amateur photographer, and passionate lover of the prairie skies, chokecherry berries and jam, blue cowbell blossoms and the Western Red Lilly, mixed farming, and the Qu'Appelle Valley.

Following his service as an infantryman and flamethrower, Vic returned to North America to earn doctorates in Optometry and Experimental Psychology and made Bethesda Maryland his home. As years passed, he was known as a beloved husband, father, stepfather, grandfather, great-grandfather, and uncle. Vic lived until a month before his 97th birthday, and left behind a story that, in his words, "Is a story worth telling."

Shoulder: A Memoir
Moya Hession-Aiken
Elboro Press
https://www.elboropress.com
9781737927471, $17.95, PB, 282pp

https://www.amazon.com/Shoulder-memoir-Moya-Hession-Aiken/dp/1737927470

Synopsis: Growing up a headstrong Irish Catholic girl in a notoriously tough housing estate in Northern England, Moya Hession-Aiken had just one goal -- to live a rich creative life in America.

"Shoulder: A Memoir" tells the story of the riotous and hilarious path from Moya's boisterous but warm family back home to her education in London and her escape to New York in the 1980s where she finds everything she's looking for-exciting jobs in the fashion industry and later at MTV -- but where she also meets the man of her dreams, only to lose him to cancer following the birth of their son.

"Shoulder: A Memoir" is Moya's deeply personal story about the thrill of taking chances and the unbearable pain of loss, as well as a profound meditation on what it takes to survive and what it means to care for others.

Critique: Impressively candid, remarkably detailed, and inherently fascinating, "Shoulder: A Memoir" is the kind of life story that is as interesting and emotionally involving as it is ultimately inspiring and memorable. Simply stated, "Shoulder: A Memoir" is a highly recommended pick for personal reading lists and community library Contemporary Biography/Memoir collections.

Editorial Note: Moya Hession-Aiken (https://www.shoulderbymoyaaiken.com) studied art at Manchester Polytechnic (now Manchester University) and the Central School of Art and Design (now Central St. Martins), graduating with a first class honors degree in textile design before moving to New York to work in the garment industry. However, before too long she was working for MTV earning an Emmy Award for her work as a paintbox artist. At MTV she met her future husband, producer Bill Aiken. They had a son, Liam, in 1990, a few years before Bill's tragic death. She currently resides in Connecticut and pursues her work as a fine artist, exhibiting frequently.

Blissful Thinking
L. L. Kirchner
Motina Books
https://www.facebook.com/motinabooks
9798887840161, $26.99, HC, 312pp

https://www.amazon.com/Blissful-Thinking-Overcoming-Wellness-Revolution/dp/B0C5YMKBSQ

Synopsis: "Blissful Thinking: A Memoir of Overcoming the Wellness Revolution" is the personal story of L. L. Kirchner's search for nirvana -- a search that took her from university halls in the Persian Gulf to the streets of Manhattan to a sex cult in India.

Between her family's gym and the years she'd spent in substance abuse recovery, Kirchner felt versed in physical and spiritual wellness. But when her husband demanded a divorce over the phone, she feared a return to her addictions.

Forced to confront the fact that her painful family dynamics remained unresolved, the author embarked on a spiritual journey to regain her trust in the universe. She tried yoga, meditation, chanting - all the things meant to cultivate bliss. Each brought some relief, but it wasn't until she visited a psychic that she knew her life had changed.

In a memoir that's both rapturous and page-turning, Kirchner captures the terrors and joys of searching for radical honesty - and a second date.

Critique: A combination of personal memoir and Persian Gulf travelogue, "Blissful Thinking: A Memoir of Overcoming the Wellness Revolution" is a life story that is as candid and fascinating as it is compelling and honest. With it's theme of 'Never give up, especially not on yourself.', "Blissful Thinking" is a truly memorable read -- one that will linger in the mind and memory of the reader long after the book itself has been finished and set back upon the shelf. While highly recommended for community library Contemporary American Biography collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Blissful Thinking" is also available in a paperback edition (9798887840154, $16.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $8.99).

Editorial Note: L L Kirchner (www.LLKirchner.com) is an award-winning screenwriter and the author of American Lady Creature, named one of Bustle's "11 Books to Battle the Blues," and is currently writing a follow-up memoir, Blissful Thinking: A Memoir of Overcoming the Wellness Revolution. Once simultaneously the religion editor for and LGBTQIA+ paper, dating columnist for an alt newsweekly, and bridal editor for a society rag, Kirchner holds a journalism degree from Ohio State. Her writing can be found in The Washington Post, GEN, DAME Magazine, and The New York Times.

Midnight Water: A Psychedelic Memoir
Katherine MacLean
Green Writers Press
https://greenwriterspress.com
9788986532470, $19.95, PB, 330pp

https://www.amazon.com/Midnight-Water-Katherine-MacLean-PhD/dp/8986532476

Synopsis: With the publication of "Midnight Water: A Psychedelic Memoir", Katherine MacLean (who is a groundbreaking scientist who led the way in psychedelic research) shares her deeply personal story of grief and redemption.

In Dr. MacLean's first year on the faculty at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, her path takes an unexpected detour following the death of her younger sister from cancer. After leaving her faculty job, MacLean travels the world bringing medical and humanitarian aid to remote Himalayan villages and creating sanctuary spaces for psychedelic support -- until she settles on an organic farm.

While birthing and raising her two children, leading workshops, psychedelic retreats, and training to become an MDMA therapist, MacLean's traumatic past and the loss of her sister continue to haunt her. When her father is dying, MacLean realizes that she must dive straight into the heart of her own labyrinth in order to forgive him.

"Midnight Water" is not only a personal story of psychedelic healing but also offers an inspired vision for a psychedelic future that positions women and family caregivers at the center of home-based healing, from birth through death.

Critique: Exceptional, inherently fascinating, impressively insightful, candidly informative, and exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "Midnight Water: A Psychedelic Memoir" will have a very special appeal to readers with an interest in psychedelic medical research and is especially recommended for personal, professional, community, and academic library Contemporary Biography/Memoir collections. It should be noted that "Midnight Water" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $8.99).

Editorial Note: Katherine MacLean (https://www.katherinemaclean.org) holds a PhD and is a Research Scientist with expertise in studying the effects of mindfulness meditation and psychedelics on cognitive performance, emotional well-being, spirituality, and brain function. As a postdoctoral research fellow and faculty member at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, she conducted clinical trials of psilocybin, the primary chemical found in "magic mushrooms," and other psychedelic compounds. Her groundbreaking research on psilocybin suggests that psychedelic medicines can enhance openness to new experiences and promote mental health.

Parish the Thought Too
John Ruane
Roswell Press
B0C9BJR9Y4, $7.95 ebook

https://www.amazon.com/Parish-Thought-Too-Untold-Stories-ebook/dp/B0C9BJR9Y4

Parish the Thought Too: The Lost & Untold Stories continues the coming-of-age tales begun in John Ruane's memoir Parish the Thought. It follows his life in Chicago in the 1960s and the pivot points that affected not only his growth, but his community and neighborhood as a whole.

From snowstorms and even a tornado that struck the city to the ice cream truck's neighborhood attraction, high school dances, and cultivating friendships, Ruane's memoir carries readers through sports, family interactions, and the flavor and feel of years which are gone, but not forgotten thanks to this memoir's personal reflections: "I had promised my dad I would be safe, so I made sure that as I crawled onto and across the snow- and ice-filled roof with a forty-mile-an-hour wind whipping against me, I did it very safely. Then, this brilliant ten-year-old stood and walked to the edge of the roof, looking down at that beautiful drift. Wow, I thought. I'll bet every kid in the neighborhood would love to be in my position, standing on the edge of their snow-covered roof, ready to jump forty feet down into the snow."

The "you are here" feel can't be beat. Ruane carries readers into the sights, smells, and thoughts of the times, neatly recreating an atmosphere where athletics took center stage and brought together families and players in a team effort. Blue-collar experiences in Chicago come to life in a play-by-play series of memories that are supplemented by black and white photos.

From absorbing hockey skills in high school and translating them to college-bound efforts to jobs that tapped sports experiences, Ruane's story melds the personal with bigger-picture thinking about career, life, and managing new encounters in different aspects of life: "The pretty wild child took my hand and walked me out on the floor... She was energetic and a very good dancer. I really didn't belong on the same floor with her. She had dance moves which probably would have received an "R" rating back then. The adult chaperones started to send concerned looks in our direction."

Libraries and readers new to Ruane's story as well as fans of his prior book will find Parish the Thought Too: The Lost & Untold Stories an excellent slice-of-life memoir that brings the 1960s and student sports efforts to vivid life.

The Finer Things Club
Lauren Erickson
Muse Literary
https://museliterary.com
9781958714966, $24.99 Hardcover/$14.99 Paper/$4.99 ebook

https://www.amazon.com/Finer-Things-Club-Yellowstone-Housekeeping/dp/1958714968

The Finer Things Club: The Summertime Chronicles of a Yellowstone Housekeeping Employee is a memoir about self-discovery during two seasons of work in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming. It outlines a journey that led the 20-year-old author to reconsider her future and the values she held in her life.

This is a survey of wilderness influence that is akin to Thoreau in some ways as Lauren Erickson observes the nuances of nature, learns to journal her true feelings sans the overlay of civilization's influences and expectations, then shares these insights with others.

Her two seasons of work in Yellowstone are the main highlight, so this book departs from the usual nature chronicle by including many interpersonal encounters and inspections that Erickson honed while working with the staff at Yellowstone National Park.

At times, the tone of inspection and revelation are almost poetic: "I could feel my heart sigh - I didn't realize it had been holding its breath. Finally being able to speak like a poet, like a writer, to another person held so much meaning for me. The only connections I ever felt were to the words in the pages of my books, spoken by brilliant authors, who knew what it meant to look at life up close and ask the deeper questions: What do you really want to say? What did that experience really mean for you? Who do you really want to say those things to?"

From encounters with grizzlies and tourists to co-workers and shared experiences, Erickson moves through this world and revised life with insights and growth experiences that come from the duality of a manmade venture set within the boundless opportunities of a national park. Under her hand, the politics, psychology, and processes of maintaining a park for tourists and nature alike come to life as vividly as the relationships she cultivates both outside and within herself.

Erickson is at her finest when revealing the deeper questions and answers that come from taking risks and navigating new territory without getting lost. Libraries and readers seeking powerfully written memoirs about summer work in general and the processes of working in a national park in particular (an attractive option for many young adults) will find The Finer Things Club exposes the nitty-gritty of what can be experienced during temporary summer employment, and what happens when a young adult decides to walk out of a comfort zone and into a new environment.

I Love You More... To Suzanne, From Mark
Mark Mallardi
https://suzanneandmark.com
Atmosphere Press
www.atmospherepress.com
9781639888917, $24.99

https://www.amazon.com/Love-You-More-Suzanne-Mark/dp/1639888918

At first, I Love You More... To Suzanne, From Mark seems yet another memoir about a couple battling cancer and their emotional and medical realizations in the face of the disease. Look further to understand that this memoir is something more than a personal journey, documenting the failures of the United States cancer care system from a perspective few couples can claim - both Mark and his wife were diagnosed with Stage 4 cancer just a few months apart. One might anticipate that such an event would lead to shared experiences, but here it also leads to increased perception about the real approaches and limitations of traditional cancer treatment options as the couple learns that alternative (and viable) cancer treatment options had been systematically repressed in the U.S. They journeyed outside the country in pursuit of better alternatives. This is their story of that process of diagnosis, options, realizations, and sordid realities, and it will bring information, understanding, and likely not a few surprises to those who believed the U.S. offered state-of-the-art cancer treatments.

As much as medical and research information is included, I Love You More... To Suzanne, From Mark is not meant to be a definitive guide of advice to other cancer patients, but a chronicle of two journeys and the individual decisions and discoveries that stemmed from them. Chapters embrace pilgrimages to Mexico City and other environs, incorporating spiritual reflections into the experiences to bring these worlds and the two observers to life. The candid tone Mark Mallardi employs also informs readers how difficult decisions and pursuits were made, and the mindset alternations that needed to take place in order for him to do so. From how alternative cancer treatments are marginalized and suppressed in this country to how Mark and Suzanne relied on faith, love, and determination to uncover these alternative pathways, I Love You More... To Suzanne, From Mark introduces a spirited and thought-provoking discussion of cancer politics and science that will lead readers from all walks of life to reconsider the focuses and priorities of the U.S. medical system itself.

Libraries and readers seeking a memoir that tackles bigger-picture thinking will find I Love You More... To Suzanne, From Mark holds much food for thought, discussion, and understanding that goes beyond individual experience and builds a platform for pursuing different options and better understanding treatment logic and illogic. It should be in any library collection strong in cancer issues and U.S. medical system pursuits.

EDITOR'S NOTE:

The Midwest Book Review is an organization of volunteers committed to promoting literacy, library usage, and small press publishing. We accept no funds from authors or publishers. Full permission is given to post any of these reviews on thematically appropriate websites, newsgroups, listserves, internet discussion groups, organizational newsletters, or to interested individuals. Please give the Midwest Book Review a credit line when doing so.

The Midwest Book Review publishes the monthly book review magazines "California Bookwatch", "Internet Bookwatch", "Children's Bookwatch", "MBR Bookwatch", "Reviewer's Bookwatch", and "Small Press Bookwatch". All are available for free on the Midwest Book Review website at www (dot) midwestbookreview (dot) com

Anyone wanting to submit books for review consideration can send them to:

James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief
Midwest Book Review
278 Orchard Drive
Oregon, WI 53575-1129

To submit reviews of any fiction or non-fiction books, email them to Frugalmuse (at) aol (dot) com (Be sure to include the book title, author, publisher, publisher address, publisher website/phone number, 13-digit ISBN number, and list price).

James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief
Midwest Book Review