AN APPALACHIAN JOURNEY — A REVIEW

Vashti Lee Daniels was born in the late 1800s into a close knit family comprised of several generations, including a great-grandmother who had a strong influence on young Vashti. That influence helped define the young woman, who was fifteen at the beginning of the story, and who had renamed herself “Bessie” quite early on in her life. I could definitely relate to renaming oneself, as I had done the same.

As the eldest child in the family, much of the housekeeping and child minding fell to her. But her close bond with her Papa, the town constable, who seemingly admired the gumption that set her apart from the others, helped nurture the side of her that would flourish as the years passed.

Whistling Woman (Appalachian Journey) is a nonfiction story based on the great-aunt of the authors, and the setting of Hot Springs, North Carolina, in the Appalachian Mountains, was researched thoroughly by them. Additionally, both heard many of the tales about Great Aunt Bessie from their father, whose storytelling abilities were certainly passed down to his daughters.

I was enchanted by the idea of a “whistling woman,” and early in the tale, the reader discovers the meaning of the term and will find it quite apt in describing the independent-thinking Bessie. Narrated in Bessie’s first person voice, the reader soon connects completely with her thoughts, feelings, wishes and dreams.

What astounding event early in the story sets the tone and spotlights the personalities of the characters? How does the event seem to herald sad happenings that will unfold throughout that year? And what unexpected occurrence will drive a wedge between Bessie and her father?

I loved the language that seemingly transported me to that time and place. I recognized certain phrases and sayings that my own paternal grandparents used quite frequently, and, as a result, felt even more connected to the characters. I wanted to know a lot more of Bessie’s story, so I’m hoping for a sequel. Five stars.

A NOSTALGIC JOURNEY — REVIEW

Reading Carol Burnett’s memoir This Time Together: Laughter and Reflection felt like a walk down memory lane for me. I was around for those days when her show was a regular feature on TV. The hour-long presentations would not be on the network lineups these days.

But in her book, her self-deprecating humor came through on every page, from the simplest anecdote to her spin on her life and its moments. Short chapters and great photos made the story a quick yet fun read.

Not only does she describe some earlier childhood “defining moments,” like feeling a connection to Jimmy Stewart when she first saw him in the movies, to the actual meetings of the greats over the years, but she imbues the pages with her gratitude and reflections about the opportunities and successes she enjoyed.

The people she met and knew came to life just as the characters she portrayed in her variety shows resonated with those in her audiences.

One of the most vivid realizations that I took from this book was how magical the Golden Age of television once was, and how much everything has changed. Not that we don’t have a much bigger selection of shows to watch, with cable TV, etc., but the kinds of shows on the networks do not have that same magic to them. At least not in my opinion.

Near the end, Ms. Burnett shares personal stories and reflections, like her chin enhancement surgery, her divorce from Joe Hamilton, her new marriage…and finally, the sadness of the death of her oldest daughter Carrie.

Her story made me smile, laugh, and shed some tears. I won’t forget the story…or her. Five stars.

A COURAGEOUS INTERIOR JOURNEY — A REVIEW

Meredith Baxter’s memoir, Untied: A Memoir of Family, Fame, and Floundering, burrows into her childhood moments and what it was like growing up the daughter of an actress; then we discover her feelings of loss and abandonment when she believed herself to be simply an afterthought in the lives of her parents. The story gives the reader a peek into her life before celebrity; and then takes us on the journey to that particular destination.

What we’ve known about this actor is the life we’ve only imagined, based on her performances and what we might have read in celebrity magazines. From her star-studded celebrity and her partnership with costar David Birney (from Bridget Loves Bernie), we see an entirely different kind of life behind the scenes. Behind the televised moments, we learn about Meredith’s feeling of having “no voice” in the marriage; we learn about the emotional and sometimes physical abuse; and about the overwhelming feeling of always being “wrong.” From there, we discover the role alcohol played in her life; the symptom of her “thinking” problems that would continue for years afterwards, until finally she reached a point in recovery where she could examine how her thinking, her choices, and her belief systems had controlled her life. An interesting point she makes, which she gleaned from a sponsor, is that, in looking at a particularly “painful” relationship or individual, she must consider that the person is “not the wound, but is the sword in the wound.”

Rediscovering who she was and forming a new and separate identity without a man in her life led to another unexpected pathway—her choice to accept and embrace her lesbian lifestyle and the compatible partner she now has. This decision came after much thought and examination. Previous relationships had been based on the familiar, playing out the more damaging aspects of familial relationships. In the latter portion of the book, she states: “Then I had to think about most of the previous relationships I’d settled for, where I’d been so lonely, lying to myself, pretending I wasn’t hurt, trying not to feel, not being able to share, not showing up….”

Like many memoirs I’ve enjoyed, this one gave me a lot to think about. Why we choose our paths in life and what emotional triggers govern us. How our own childhood experiences color everything we do, but also how we sometimes go in opposite directions, thinking we are taking control of our lives—and yet how we’re still reacting to those previous experiences. Developing insight into our behavior sometimes takes a lifetime, and the mistakes we make can also be the lessons we learn for the future…if we are courageous enough.

Five stars…definitely!