Madelon Sprengnether

Great River Road: Memoir and Memory Madelon Sprengnether

Literary Nonfiction. A memoir that takes the reader on a metaphorical journey of traumatic events cast in a psychological trajectory that begins with questions of death and ends in emotional consolation. Guided by a symbolic map of meaning, Sprengnether relays compelling memories of family, friends, and dramatic historical events.

In this sequel to Crying at the Movies Sprengnether confronts the moment of recognition when 'solidly middle aged' moves forward to the uncharted territory of aging and mortality. Wise, intimate, profound, we travel with her along the Great River Road as she charts her spiritual autobiography. Through the lens of her daughter's wedding, her visit to Tintern Abbey, and her long journey to the place where her father died, we are priveleged to share in her reflections both spiritual and quotidian.--Sybil Houlding, faculty, Western New England Institute for Psychoanalysis