Title: The Way It Was
Author: Alvin Fuhrman
Publisher: Alvin Fuhrman
ISBN: 979-8819555255
Pages: 388
Genre: Parenting & Relationships / Memoirs
Reviewed by: Jack Chambers
Hollywood Book Reviews
Sometimes to move forward, we must first look ahead. The past is a great teacher to us, if we only are willing to learn from it. That doesn’t just apply to the big historical moments either, but the more every day, living life kind-of-moments as well. For many, those learning moments stem from our parents, and the lives they lived which were so vastly different from our own. Not all lessons may apply when it comes to matters of the future, including technology and society standards. Yet there are core elements of the past we can always learn from past generations, from love and marriage to parenthood, and even loss.
In author Alvin Fuhrman’s The Way It Was, the author shares the story of his life and that of his family. In this non-fiction memoir, the author explores the beginning of their lives, from growing up on family farms and the days in which he courted his future wife Ellen Grace, to being drafted into the military and working for the phone company. Through a personal retelling of the life they built together, the author hopes to preserve the memories and experiences they shared together; from the love their found in one another to the losses they endured, and everything in between.
The author did a really terrific job of crafting a memoir which felt unique and in-depth. The first thing I noticed was the way in which the author organized this memoir. Rather than following a traditional, linear storytelling format, the author was able to separate the memories he shared into categories, from family and travel to experiences during war and the jobs he worked in the telephone company. The interspersed moments or passages in which Ellen Grace added her own voice and memories complimented Alvin’s voice and writing style so perfectly, and the imagery of each chapter helped elevate the readers’ understanding of the life that both Alvin and Ellen Grace lived.
This is the perfect read for those who enjoy non-fiction books, especially those who enjoy memoirs about everyday people who represent the hard work and life which people built for themselves throughout the years. The almost vignette style of each chapter really drew me in, and the range of different topics the author’s chapters referenced, from the daily life of working on a farm milking cows or picking corn, to living through WWII or the Great Earthquake, made the book flow smoothly and kept me invested.
Memorable, honest, and thought-provoking, author Alvin Fuhrman’s The Way It Was is a must-read memoir. The range of topics and emotions the author’s life touched upon in this book will help keep the readers invested, and the rich detail in which the author went into each chapter allows the readers to truly visualize the extensive life the author and his family lived. The raw and painful experiences balanced out thanks to the endearing and heartfelt experiences shared with one another as well, and readers will definitely be able to identify with or engage with this story on multiple levels.