“Reflections on Life’s Illusions….isn’t your run of the mill memoir….it’s a thoughtful and imaginative reflection ….like having coffee with a wise friend….learning to see through the stories we tell ourselves, without dismissing them.” — BookTrib.com
The Book
“[An] introspective memoir reflecting on the power of stories amid sociocultural upheaval….Painted with rich, evocative details….. a compelling glimpse into what it means to be alive” – Booklife Review/Publishers Weekly
Dive into the pool of memory with Jane Gallagher as she searches for a path through today’s cultural controversies, uncovering their roots in the explosive era of her youth between 1954 and 1975. Exploring the impact on her growing psyche of the vast array of cultural extremes that swirled around children in the baby boom era, she weaves a tapestry of stories that includes McCarthyism’s anti-communist paranoia, the Vietnam War, Watergate and systemic racism beside the birth of second wave feminism, the civil rights movement, the environmental movement and more, weaving in the voices of leading intellectuals beside her own. Colorful stories of personal experience are woven in counterpoint to associated social commentary, including a search for personal identity, meaningful relationships and a rewarding career. Personal and cultural perspectives intertwine in reflections on the character of the times she’s lived through, including grief following a quick succession of political assassinations and the impact of the birth of rock ’n’ roll and the hippie movement beside the atrocities of Jim Crow racism. Culminating in the repercussions of a life-changing hike through the mountains of Peru, a focus on the outer journey throughout the book is coupled with reflections on the corresponding inner journey to reconnect with wonder, joy and awe.
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About the Author
Jane Gallagher was born at the height of the baby boom. Her teenage years unfolded in the ’60s and ’70s as rock and roll set the tensions of the times to music and the Anti-Vietnam War, Civil Rights, Environmental and Women’s movements took off. Her fascination with the interdependence of political, cultural and natural systems gave rise to an activist career. A mother of two and grandmother of three, she holds a BA in Political Science and International Relations from Carleton College and an MA in Urban and Environmental Policy from Tufts University.
About the Author
Jane Gallagher was born at the height of the baby boom. Her teenage years unfolded in the ’60s and ’70s as rock and roll set the tensions of the times to music and the Anti-Vietnam War, Civil Rights, Environmental and Women’s movements took off. Her fascination with the interdependence of political, cultural and natural systems gave rise to an activist career. A mother of two and grandmother of three, she holds a BA in Political Science and International Relations from Carleton College and an MA in Urban and Environmental Policy from Tufts University.
Contact
Please direct all inquiries to:
Reflections on Life’s Illusions
P.O. Box 131
38 North Main Street
Waterbury, VT 05676