Engaging Life - Dolive, Henry Clarke

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Résumé :
Engaging Life: Memoirs of a Charming, Willful Southern Woman of the 20th Century chronicles the true story of the life of Marcellite, a mischievous, sophisticated, and thoroughly Southern woman with great depth of character. Highly social and fun-loving, Marcellite-cousin, once removed, of author Dr. Henry Dolive and granddaughter of A Touch of Glory! protagonist, William Louis Dolive- immersed herself with people and their activities everywhere she went. Like its prequel, which takes place two generations prior during Reconstruction, Engaging Life is packed with three-dimensional characters full of vim and vigor and humorous action. Engaging Life highlights various stages of Marcellite's life, from her childhood until her death at 102, including three marriages, although she only counted two. Her life was shaped by the fascinating history of her time: World War I, living in southern cities, the Roaring Twenties, the Great Depression, and, in her second, 34-year military marriage, World War II, post-war Germany, the Korean Conflict, Huntsville and the space race, caring for her mother on the historic family grove, another marriage and extensive travel-both domestic and overseas. Although she had no biological children of her own, Marcellite was a cherished mother and grandmother to her descendants by marriage.

Biographie:
Henry Dolive has an abiding interest in family history and the lives of relatives with depth of character. His cousin, Marcellite Dolive Pearce Baker, was one such relative. Dr. Dolive was well-equipped to write Marcellite's memoirs due to her participation and the collaboration of others close to her. Also, his academic background in American Studies, Political Science, and Philosophy; career academic and governmental writing and publication; and being a 5th generation Southerner, attuned him to the cultural, generational, and political changes reflected in Engaging Life and its companion book, A Touch of Glory!, the latter a prequel taking place two generations prior during Reconstruction. The characters in Engaging Life are alive and thre -dimensional, full of vim and vigor, and the action is often humorous.Henry participates in a well-published writer's critique group and enjoys drafting children's stories and reading children's literature to second graders at an inner-city school. His last publication was entitled Racoon Wars, set in his large roof garden. He lives in the woods with his musician wife, a border collie, and a golden retriever. Heating their house with wood stoves, he chainsaws and splits firewood. He enjoys photography, hiking, biking, kayaking, singing, and pickleball - and has a college-student daughter and an attorney son.