Memoir Book Reviews

A tender memoir covering events that will surprise the reader as much as they did the author, The Ordeal: A Journey from Misfortunes, Illness and Betrayal to Truth by Josephine Walden inspects the reliability of memory and reveals the bitter pull of greed.

Josie Walden was a nurse and psychiatric nurse-counselor whose mysterious, debilitating illnesses often rendered her incapable of doing her job, On top of that, she also experienced unanticipated natural disasters that drained her finances. It was during these years that she and her older sister, Julie, were faced with their parents’ declining health, eventual deaths, and the […]

In ’53 on 35th: A “Silent Boomer’s” Recollections, J. Conran Meyer endearingly recalls a bygone time before technology and social media replaced a child’s reliance on fantasy and invention for fun and entertainment.

1953 was a seminal year for Meyer – at ages 8 and 9, he was powered and defined by his imagination, and that of his 35th Avenue neighborhood gang, including his younger brother, Nick, and his best friend, Billy. With folksy humor, elaborate tales, and obvious affection, Meyer recreates growing up in Sacramento, CA in great detail, complimenting the narration of his childhood experiences with commentary and […]