What The Hell Was I Thinking by Emma Feix Alberts

by Emma Feix Alberts

The year is 1957. Stuck between pos-WWII blues and the social revolution of the 60s. Emma can no longer wait for that special guy to carry her off into the sunset. Escaping the bonds of her neurotic childhood leads her into the Navy. There, like a modern day Alice, she steps into a world of bizarre characters. On a military flight to California, engine trouble forces the plane to maneuver for a crash landing. As the nightmare worsens, Emma relives the drama that has been her from the tears and thrills of growing up in Philadelphia to the incredible tragic-comedy of military adventures. Emma swears that if she survives the crashing plane; life will be different, she will live with a new spirit, take new paths. But the last propeller just stopped spinning....

Paperback

First published March 24, 2013

About the author

Born and raised in a blue collar neighborhood in Philadelphia.Started writing poetry at age seven. I was never a good student in school unless the subject interested me. So therefore I can quote Shakespeare but can't do simple math. I've never understood sports and as a child was never invited to play on any team. I even flunked gym. Somehow I managed to go to college at the age of 30 to become a social worker. This was my calling until I discovered there is no monetary reward in social work. i found the glitzy world of the casino and became a blackjack dealer. 18 years of making a decent wage at a most demeaning industry made me rethink my options. I went back to poetry and got published at age 63. I also wrote two novels. If I never make a penny writing I will go to my reward a satisfied person.

Reviews

[Whistler's Mom · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is alternately hilarious and heart-breaking, but it's ALWAYS a tribute to survival and eventual triumph.

Young women today hardly imagine that there was a time when a "girl" was little more than a piece of property who belonged first to her parents and then to her husband. Independence was a rare commodity for females in the 1950's, but WWII had created one option - the military. Although women in the armed services were subject to harassment and discrimination and still limited to a few subordinate positions, it WAS a way to get away from home without getting married.

This author was "raised" by two screwed-up people who shouldn't have been allowed to own a dog. They didn't, but they did have three children, of whom Emma was the oldest. The fact that she survived her childhood with her sanity intact is admirable. The fact that she's able to mine so much humor from a tragic situation is miraculous.

It's ironic, but typical, that this grown-up daughter of an abusive father chose to emulate him by joining the Navy. It was the only thing she ever did that won his approval. At least he didn't tell her that it would "make a man out of her," although that may have been what he was hoping. As bizarre as her experiences in the military were, it DID get her away from home and opened her eyes to new opportunities. And it gave her the confidence she needed to begin to reach her potential.

This woman has written a painfully honest, frequently profane story of a rough life. I'm not sure it belongs in the "Humor" category, although she IS funny. She writes so well and is such an unusual character that I hope she will continue the her story in a follow-up book. I would love to know what happened to her after she married and left the Navy.

[Susan Rosen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great read! Emma Feix Alberts had me laughing and entertained through the entire book. Growing up in Philadelphia and signing up for boot camp Emma gives a fascinating insight into how her life changed and quickly as a woman in the service before it was commonplace. I highly recommend her work!

[Darla · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not what I expected. I learned a lot about how things used to be long ago. The author made even bad situations seem a bit funny. I had to read until the end!