Lewis Richard Luchs

Children of the Manse Lewis Richard Luchs

This sequel to Children of the Manse follows the development of the four adopted children-Lewis, Mark, Michael and Janey-through the identity crisis of adolescence to adulthood and beyond. Halfway through their adolescence, the children's clergyman father accepts an offer to become the chief minister of the United Church in the "atomic city" of Los Alamos, New Mexico. The children welcome the more permissive environment in the Southwest and enjoy a high school in which half of the students are Hispanics. It is in New Mexico that the author's lifelong interest in human cultures was born. While they no longer face immediate physical and psychological threats, adolescence and the formation of the children's identities create new challenges. As their adoptive mother put it, when turning down a national award that would involve being away from home for weeks at a time, "My children are now teenagers and need me more than ever." The origin of the author's interest in an international career as an American diplomat is described in the chapter entitled "Guatemalan Summer." As in the first volume of Children of the Manse, the adoptive father supplies the embarrassing moments and humorous stories. This true story is based on interviews, journals, family letters, and the author's memories.