MWSA Book Review

River of Memories – An Appalachian Boyhood

Author:  David Lee Thompson

Publisher:  iUniverse

Reviewer: Bill McDonald – President of the MWSA

There once was actually a time and a place that the author David Thompson talks about; but I used to think that it was only in our collective dreams from the old movies of the 1950’s.  He captures a part of Americana that is forever lost and is no more.  He takes us through his early life leading up to his tour in Vietnam much like a river flowing through our heart.  It is a well written account of not just what it was like but how it felt to be a young boy of the “Baby Boom Generation” in West Virginia.

This book is not about war or its aftermath but about the human spirit and the values that make us and define who we are.  This is a treasure of unique experiences and feelings.  It is a pleasure and a joy to read.

MWSA's 2004 Gold Medal Award for Non-Fiction Personal Memoirs