Author Spotlight and Giveaway!!!

Hi Everyone,

Today’s review is for a poignant memoir. The author was kind enough to answer a few questions for us and she is offering one lucky commentor a paperback copy of her book!!!

Happy Reading,

~Ariesgrl

Lost Without a River

About:

Lost Without the River is an elegantly wrought memoir of resilience, courage, and reinvention. A portrait of nature at its most beautiful and demanding, it is the story of a girl whose family struggled against Depression-era hardship and personal tragedy to carve out a small farm in rural South Dakota. The youngest of seven, Barbara wrestles against the expectations of her family, the strictures of the church, and the limits imposed by a male-dominated culture. Eager for adventure, she leaves the farm―first for the Peace Corps and ultimately for the unknown environs of Manhattan’s Upper East Side―but she never truly escapes. Lost Without the River demonstrates the emotional power that even the smallest place can exert, and the gravitational pull that calls a person back home.

My Review:

Barbara was born in a large, Catholic, farming family in South Dakota. She always dreamed of seeing the world, so she joined the Peace Corps. Despite traveling the world and settling down in New York, she still felt a strong connection with her childhood landscape.

Told through various childhood memories, and adult reflections, the author transports readers to the family farm. The hardships the parents and children faced, during the post-Depression times, are balanced with the beautiful spotlights on nature. Family bonds are put to the test, as she conquers her dreams. Readers will be left with hope and a better understanding of rural life.

About the Author:

Barbara Hoffbeck Scoblic began her writing career as a reporter for The Argus Leader in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. She now lives and writes in New York City. (Photo by Nina Subin.)

Interview:

Hello Barbara, thanks for joining us today. Can you tell readers a little bit about yourself?
I was raised on a small farm in the lake country of northeastern South Dakota. Woods surrounded our house and a river ran through our property. There were seven children in our family. Dorothy, my eldest sister, never walked and was confined to a crib her entire life. I was the youngest. I loved wandering in the woods and along the river, but I knew from a very young age that I would leave that area for adventures far beyond that special place.

What inspired you to write this memoir?
A disparaging comment a niece made about my father in the mid-eighties. I realized that she had no concept of what my parents (her grandparents) had endured during the concurrent years of the Depression and the Great Drought during the1930s. I’d always enjoyed hearing stories about my ancestors. A few relatives and neighbors of my grandparent’s generation were still living at that time. I began to ask them questions in an attempt to capture their memories.

Much later I watched several television documentaries about the Dust Bowl era. The films focused on the states of Oklahoma, Kansas and northern Texas, but there was no mention of South Dakota, where my parents had farmed. I wanted readers to understand the difficulties that the people of the northern High Plain states had endured during those terrible years—families, such as mine, who stayed in place and somehow, with grit and ingenuity, managed to eke out a living.

Which authors do you enjoy reading in your spare time?
During the last year I’ve especially enjoyed reading:
Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng
Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
Feeding the Dragon by Sharon Washington
The Latehomecomer by Kao Kalia Yang
Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jesmyn Ward

Each of these authors has the remarkable ability to capture in words a sense of place and a distinctive way of life.

I’m a latecomer to audio recordings. I especially enjoy listening when the author narrates her own book. Pure bliss.

Do you have any future books in the work?
Yes. As I traveled to countries in Europe, the Middle East and Southeast Asia–over more than 50 years–I purchased handicrafts that were integral to the region. I treasure these artifacts even though their monetary worth is small. I plan to write about them and, in so doing, continue my story where Lost Without the River ends.

Where can readers follow on online?
Visit me on my website barbarascoblic.com, or, like my page at facebook.com/BarbaraScoblicAuthor for weekly updates!

Giveaway Time:

For your chance to win a paperback copy of Lost Without a River, tell me what part of nature, from your childhood, do you cherish most? For me, I always loved winter. The one blizzard and wintertime sleigh-rides, snowball fights, hot cocoa, etc. But the cool nature part, were the batch of trees with the hidden trail to the park. Leave a comment between now and Sunday, May 19th, at 12noon. (Giveaway is open to US residents only.) Winner will be chosen via random.org and announced Monday morning! Good luck to all!