Tags
author, bereavement, book review, death, grieving, Idaho, life, memorial, river sports, tribute, white water kayaking
“This was the first morning of the rest of my life without David.”
I am humbled by the accomplishment of friend and first-time author, Rae Ann Norell. Her newly published book, Broke Hungry & Happy; The Life of Dangerous Dave Norell, stands as a tribute to her son and to her own tenacity. As a member of her writers’ group, Boise Word Spinners, I enjoyed the privilege and thrill of listening to and observing this story come to life during our bi-monthly meetings.
The first two thirds of the book paints the portrait of a boy on his voyage toward manhood. We learn what makes this young man tick—his uncommon drive for excellence in a sport and a lifestyle understood by only a handful of people. In heartbreaking retrospect, it seems that Dangerous Dave Norell operated from some internal life clock that pushed him to explore, entertain, and exceed expectation—a lifetime’s worth of adventure and passion squeezed into a heartbreaking 24-year blip. David’s first-person account in this section of the book utilizes extensive name and creek dropping, meant to honor and acknowledge not just his own accomplishments, but the deep friendships that he nurtured during his brief life. River rats will relate to this section, visualizing the waves, holes, drops, and slides that quicken the blood of whitewater kayakers, rafters, and canoers around the world.
Adults and parents, in particular, will relate to the last third of the book. This section, told through the eyes, voice, and heart of the author—David’s mother—speaks of the indescribable shock and horror of losing your child. The loss of a child transcends all life’s losses. There is no way to prepare for such a loss. Recovery is an infinitely slow process that will never be entirely realized. The best we may hope for is to stitch together the outer wounds, to stave the loss of blood, to keep putting one foot in front of the other, living one day after the last.
Rae Ann’s dedication to the completion of this project was part of her healing process. She has created a tribute to her son that will outlast her own memories and inspire others who are seeking respite from loss or searching for meaning within their own lives.
Rangewriter 
What can I say? I love this blog/post and I really appreciate it as well. Thank you, Linda!
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My pleasure! Hey, you need to get BHH added to the list of “New books by Idahoans, or about Idaho” on the Idaho Writer’s Update.:-)
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I thought I had, at least on Idaho e books– I saw it there once. I’ll look into it.
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Any mother who has the strength and tenacity to put together such a unique book deserves to be published. You bet!
Your write-up works – it’s a book that truly interests me for a number of reasons. One is that I have done some grief recovery facilitating and the other is the partnership approach to telling David’s story.
Thanks for featuring this book, Linda. There…no more RW. I’m confident I know your name. 😀
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Thank you, souldipper. One of my volunteer activities is that of co-facilitator to the Valley’s The Compassionate Friends, a bereavement group for parents who have lost a child, and grandparents, and also (older) siblings who have lost a siblings. The group helped me to survive those early months, and w hen I started giving back, it further helped my healing.
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Thanks for sharing this beautiful post. It’s inspiring. 🙂
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Thanks, Nandini. Glad you enjoyed it.
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This takes my breath away. A big hug to Rae Ann. And a warm thanks to you, Linda, for letting us know about this.
I wish my parents are someday able to do something like this and get some sort of a ‘closure’ (for the lack of a better word).
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Thank you Priya. Although it is something a parent will never forget, they can be happy again. There will always be that sadness in their core. I find the best thing to help heal is to keep the loved one’s memory alive, say their name, talk about (happy memories) of the person in family get togethers. Keep his/her photos around. By saying their name we keep their memory alive. People who didn’t know the person very well can ask “Tell me about your child (husband, mother, whomever). I facilitate the local support group The Compassionate Friends, which is also national, and if there are unresolved grief issues even years later, it’s never too late to join a group like this. It is run by lay people for people who have lost a child, grandchlld, or sibling. (the loss of the child can be when that “child” is an adult).
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Priya, perhaps you could help your parents do something like this? It is, as you can imagine, a huge undertaking and one that may mine very tender areas of the heart. But also, I think Rae Ann learned many good things about her son along the way. She said she was afraid she would forget him, after this project, there is no way she will forget one tiny detail of her son.
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What an interesting book/story! I need to add it to my list and I’m glad she decided to write the book.
I can think of a good amount of people who have amazing stories to tell but never tell them…such a shame, but anyways…the book sounds great 🙂
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Thanks Nate. It was a way to honor my son and help keep his memory alive. I enjoyed the writing process and learned a lot about my son!
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What an amazing act of courage, love, and dedication to healing Rae Ann. Congratulations and bravo. I think I can see, at least a little, where David got his intrepid nature from. I’m looking forward to reading the book.
You did a beautiful job with this write up Linda. Y’know, I checked out the Amazon page that you linked to and read the four reviews of the book that are there so far. I don’t know if you’ve posted reviews on Amazon before, but this post would work as a beautiful review for the book if you wanted to add it. Or you could post a shortened version then link back to your blog for anyone who wanted to read the whole thing. Good reviews on Amazon can help with book sales. (I just learned that last week in the marketing section of the publishing class I’m taking. 🙂 Just thinking out loud.)
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Thanks, really good point, Dia. I’ll do that.
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Thank you Dia. Yes the marketing part is difficult, and I’ve taken some workshops. I had an interview on KTVB last week, and am giving a presentation Tues night, I’ve had 2 book signings, and one other presentation. I’ll be ready to hit local magazines and newspapers soon, and libraries. Plus I have my own website (link below). I do appreciate more reviews on amazon, and also Barnes and Noble as its available for Nook (and kindle). BTW I saw the very nice article about you in the Statesman a few weeks ago. Good job!
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I read an excerpt of this book on the website (as linked from here). I loved how David said that he didn’t mind living in his car; he was happy doing what he truly loves. How many people can live contentedly while pursuing one’s passion?
Is this in Barnes and Noble? It would be easier for me to acquire a copy if it is. 🙂
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Thank you Nel. I love that chapter that you quoted from. The book is available at Hastings locally and in Nampa (not sure if it’s at each store but I think so ). And it’s Barnes and Noble only has it on their website for Nooks, or amazon for Kindles. It’s also available on my website,www.therevolution.cc I appreciate your kind comments.
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I’m sorry Nel that I didn’t notice at first that you aren’t living in the area locally. If there is a Barnes and Noble near you, you should be able to get a real copy of the book by giving them the ISBN number and they can order it for you. The ISBN is 978-193640880-1. I hope this works for you. Thank you.:)
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So inspiring! You make me want to work harder! 🙂
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It has been really inspiring to watch Rae Ann plug away at this book, often fighting frustration, anxiety, and impatience. (To say nothing of the grief that I know lurks behind each page, but which she doesn’t allow to deter her.)
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Linda, I know that you intended this post to be solely a tribute to Rae Ann’s book. But in the process, you’ve written another beautiful piece yourself. This sentence, especially, snagged my heart: “The best we may hope for is to stitch together the outer wounds, to stave the loss of blood, to keep putting one foot in front of the other, living one day after the last.” What a perfect response to those whose well-meaning advice consists of something like, “it’s time to get on with your life.”
Rae Ann, congratulations on this accomplishment. I know how difficult it must have been to get these words down. I’m going to look for the book on Amazon.
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Thank you so much. Linda is truly a talented writer and helped me a lot with the book, both in our writing group, and individually. She also is a trooper in helping me spread the word about the book!
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Thanks, Charles. You say the nicest things. Your support and encouragement keep me motivated.
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BTW, on Amazon it is only available for Kindle I believe,Barnes and Noble for Nooks, and my website for hard copy. Thanks!
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