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Reviews My River Chronicles: Rediscovering America on the Hudson Praise for MY RIVER CHRONICLES: Rediscovering America on the Hudson By Jessica DuLong (Free Press; September 8, 2009)
– Kirkus, starred review "In rich and captivating prose, Jessica DuLong kindly invites the rest of us on the journey of her lifetime: from a dot-com job to the fabled waters of the Hudson River, where she became a fireboat engineer. This is an unusual and fascinating book." – Jon Meacham, author of American Lion: Andrew Jackson in the White House and Franklin and Winston: An Intimate Portrait of an Epic Friendship "Jessica DuLong is a lucky woman. She stumbled into an obscure world– the overheated engine room of an old fireboat– and discovered that she belonged there. Readers are lucky, too, because she has managed to translate her love affair with the water into a finely written and fascinating story about a lost American way of life." – Stefan Fatsis, author of Word Freak and A Few Seconds of Panic "If you've ever wondered what we're missing by sitting at computers in cubicles all day, follow Jessica DuLong when she loses her desk job and embarks on this unlikely but fantastic voyage. Deeply original, riveting to read, and soul-bearingly honest, My River Chronicles is a surprisingly infectious romance about a young woman falling in love with a muscle-y old boat. As DuLong learns to navigate her way through a man's world of tools and engines, and across the swirling currents of a temperamental river, her book also becomes a love letter to a nation. In tune with the challenges of our times, DuLong reminds us of the skills and dedication that built America, and inspires us to renew ourselves once again." – Trevor Corson, author of The Secret Life of Lobsters and The Story of Sushi "In a world where we are growing increasingly disconnected from anything real, what a delight to enter the engine room with Jessica DuLong, a real person doing a real thing in a real place. This is the kind of river trip that memoirs were developed for in the first place." – Douglas Rushkoff, author of Life, Inc. "When Jessica DuLong describes her work in the engine room of the John J. Harvey, you can practically feel the throb of the boat's mighty diesels. This is someone who has paid some dues, and it shows in the details. Her view through a narrow portal at the water line opens into a bigger picture of the Hudson River, the economy of New York, and the dignity of work– the kind of work that is genuinely useful. My River Chronicles is an account of what made this country thrive, and might yet again: men and women who aren't content to stand around with their hands in their pockets. The book reeks of penetrating oil, which may be just what is needed to get our economy, and our culture, moving again." – Matthew B. Crawford, author of Shop Class as Soulcraft: An Inquiry into the Value of Work "Whether you know the Hudson intimately, or have yet to make her fine acquaintance, Jessica DuLong's soulful narrative will make you crave a journey on the river. The author's vivid portrayals of her fireboat's inner workings are rendered with such precise tenderness, that as reader I sat mesmerized by descriptions of motors and magnetism. My River Chronicles is a heartfelt ode to the increasingly lost art of expert craftsmanship and understanding the beauty of the mechanical world around us." – Gwendolyn Bounds, author of Little Chapel on the River: A Pub, a Town and the Search for What Matters Most "Jessica DuLong has captured the essential energy, grace, and beauty of the Hudson. Through her travels she discovers the place of the river and valley in America's past and present, as well as the essence of her own life. DuLong's is a personal journey that resonates with all of us." – Tom Lewis, author of The Hudson: A History "DuLong shifts back and forth in time and place, using river sites to recount history in just the right amount of depth before pulling back to the larger, very engaging and fresh narrative of her own life and river experiences. The camaraderie and fellowship of people who love boats give this book palpable warmth. DuLong is a good writer, a good researcher, a good observer, and a good engineer." – Frances F. Dunwell, river conservationist and author of The Hudson: America's River | | ||||
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Eric Weisler
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