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Blogs by Gail Joseph Owen
Published Author to Visit 3/3/2008 3:49:15 PM
by Anne Crowe Class Alabama has long been recognized for producing stellar authors for the literary world. Now comes another showing capability of joining that talented group of Alabama authors.
This newly published author is Gail Joseph Owen. her book is titled Tara and the Place of Irish Kings. This book is a memoir based on the word for word journals and other creative writings of Tara Sharon Owen, daughter of the author. This young daughter heard at a very young age, in a very brutal manner, that she was born with a life threatening non-curable disease. Still, she lived her life with raw courage disdaining to think of herself as anywise other than normal.
She earned a degree from the University of Montevallo. She faced life as a challenge to be met and stood tall in the face of adversity that would have caused a lesser person to despair. While this book will tug at your heartstrings, you cannot pass it off as just another tear jerker. It is poignant, but not maudlin. This book contains many of the elements that make good books great. First among these is the courage she carried with he through all of her trials, without neglecting laughter, humor, and a zest for life as evidenced by the way she lived her own life.
One trait that will endear Tara Owen to all Southern people is her love of the land. In writing of her Grandfather's farm, she describes the beauty of mountain ranges and sunsets as seen from the porch of his farm house and the beauty of Yellow Leaf Creek's clear water flowing across his land. She paints such brilliant word pictures they make you see clearly from her eyes.
Another trait to be respected is her love of family generationally loving them as they are without embellishing them to appear otherwise. She was especially close to her grandfather and describes her joy in riding with him in his old pick-up truck. The title of the book gives recognition of her Irish heritage.
Tara Owen packed a lot of living into her young life. She even fell in love, but I won't go there. you must read the book.
This is how Tara summarized her approach to life in the beginning of her book: "Well, I've learned to treasure life and be patient with my body. I've learned to treasure the people that I've been fortunate enough to have as part of my life. I never know when my time will be up." Astonishing courage needed to deal with that issue on a daily basis. Tara and the Place of Irish Kings is a testament to a mother and her daughter, their courage, love, hope, faith, and acceptance of what is to be will be.
This is a true book about a Southern girl living life with style and grace and the full knowledge that death could be eminent, and the mother who watched as the clock of life ticked inexorably for the daughter she adored.
