Socrates famously said, “The unexamined life is not worth living.” Debbie Russell’s first book, “Crossing Fifty-One: Not Quite a Memoir”, demonstrates that she has examined her life and has discovered that her life has been worth living and more importantly for her readers, worth writing about.
Author Talk
Russell and her book were featured at the Big Lake Public Library on Mon., Feb. 10 for Author Talk, an event that allows readers to connect with authors and their works.
Librarian Hilary Dawson, who works at both the Big Lake and Becker Great River Regional Libraries explained, “It offers the author a platform to reach new readers and promote their work while giving those in attendance an insider’s perspective on the creative process, inspirations, and research behind the authors work.”
Crossing Fifty-One
That is exactly what Russell did. That same easy, introspective, and always inquiring voice that brings each page of “Crossing Fifty-one” to life, was ever present for the hour she spent talking about her debut not quite a memoir and answering questions from attendees. She even brought the infamous folder that collected the 82 letters of her grandfather and family. The letters vividly describe the family’s thoughts and reactions to the time when her grandfather suddenly chose to admit himself to a narcotics farm in Fort Worth, TX. His stay lasted for five months between Dec. 1951 and April 1952. The letters show a back-and-forth discussion about how that decision completely upended the lives of his family.
Her grandfather was 51 when he went to Fort Worth. Russell was 51 when she decided to research her family history. That research eventually became “Crossing Fifty-one”. It also brought her closer to her dad. He comes alive in the letters he wrote his dad, giving details about his life as a 23-year-old attending Boston University while his family continued to live in San Diego. Russell’s research also revealed something her father never told her about himself. While trying to find a newspaper obituary for her grandfather, Russell discovered that her beloved father had an unfortunate run-in with the law when he was a young man in 1947.
All those stories are brought out from the folder in her book. It’s as if you’re there with her as she pulls out each letter and reads them aloud. Russel confessed that the letters and her research could have been a book all by itself, but she made the decision to be more introspective and shared how the experience affected her, how it helped her discover who she was, and how it prepared her for the impending death of her father.
Crossing Fifty-one is about grief, family dynamics, and the choices we make in life. It’s also about healing and finding the things that truly bring us joy. Russell herself admitted, “At the end of the day, this book is an homage to my dad.”
More Information about Russell
Crossing Fifty-One: Not Quite a Memoir is available on Amazon in all formats, including the recent release of the Audiobook version. It is also available on Russell’s website, Debbie-Russell.com, where you can learn more about the author, read more of her writings in “Debbie’s Blog”, and follow her on social media.
