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Goodbye Emily
Three baby boomers relive their 1969 trip to Woodstock. One final roadtrip. One last chance to say Goodbye Emily.
They met at Woodstock, and the love lasted a lifetime. Then she was gone, and so was his college teaching job. Heartbroken but determined, he calls on his two best friends to help him return to the place it all began.The professor and his Woodstock buddy need the third tripper from back in the day, now in a nursing home with early stage Alzheimer’s. When the home refuses to allow their friend to come along, the professor and the vet bust him out, attracting the attention of the cops and the media, fascinating the public. The roadtrip turns into a flight from “the man” and not even the professor’s defense attorney daughter can help. In a psychedelic van, the trio dodges cops and prosecutors. Against all odds, they close in on their destination, where thousands of supporters and cops await them. Goodbye Emily is the irreverantly funny story about a journey of self-discovery for a man who thought he’d left all important journeys in life behind.
They met at Woodstock, and the love lasted a lifetime. Then she was gone, and so was his college teaching job. Heartbroken but determined, he calls on his two best friends to help him return to the place it all began.The professor and his Woodstock buddy need the third tripper from back in the day, now in a nursing home with early stage Alzheimer’s. When the home refuses to allow their friend to come along, the professor and the vet bust him out, attracting the attention of the cops and the media, fascinating the public. The roadtrip turns into a flight from “the man” and not even the professor’s defense attorney daughter can help. In a psychedelic van, the trio dodges cops and prosecutors. Against all odds, they close in on their destination, where thousands of supporters and cops await them. Goodbye Emily is the irreverantly funny story about a journey of self-discovery for a man who thought he’d left all important journeys in life behind.
- GenresFictionHumorContemporary
270 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2012
2 people are currently reading
152 people want to read
About the author
Michael Murphy
14 books134 followersWhether you prefer to turn pages or tap screens,, Sundown is available in hard copy, paperback and ebook. Order Sundown now!. https://tinyurl.com/uy9vn4mc
My journey as a historical fiction writer has taken me from Woodstock in Goodbye Emily to the bright lights and dark alleys of 1930's in my Jake and Laura series, and now to Wyoming in 1871. Sundown is coming.
Sundown, Wyoming 1871. In the heart of the untamed West, where legends are forged and secrets run deep…
A young lawyer, Wyatt McCrea seems to have it all, a flourishing career and a beautiful fiancée, the wealthy daughter of his powerful boss. His idyllic life shatters when he learns his estranged brother Travis has been arrested for murder in the mysterious town of Sundown, Wyoming.
Leaving everything behind, Wyatt embarks on a dangerous journey into a world of corruption, desire and shocking secrets.
In Sundown, Wyatt quickly learns a law book alone won’t be enough as he untangles a web of deceit and whispers of stolen Confederate gold.
The stakes quickly escalate as he faces off against a legendary judge, an ambitious prosecutor and a corrupt mayor.
With time running out, Wyatt is aided by a captivating newswoman devoted to the truth—but she harbors secrets of her own.
With Travis’s fate hanging in the balance, Wyatt risks everything to expose the truth and bring justice to a lawless frontier. In a tense courtroom showdown, Wyatt uncovers revelations that alter everything he thought he knew about his brother.
Sundown is a gripping Western legal thriller about unbreakable bonds in a town where the line between truth and fiction blurs like a fading sunset.
FACEBOOK AUTHOR PAGE
http://www.facebook.com/#!/mmurfy86
FACEBOOK PAGE: https://www.facebook.com/mmurfy86/
My journey as a historical fiction writer has taken me from Woodstock in Goodbye Emily to the bright lights and dark alleys of 1930's in my Jake and Laura series, and now to Wyoming in 1871. Sundown is coming.
Sundown, Wyoming 1871. In the heart of the untamed West, where legends are forged and secrets run deep…
A young lawyer, Wyatt McCrea seems to have it all, a flourishing career and a beautiful fiancée, the wealthy daughter of his powerful boss. His idyllic life shatters when he learns his estranged brother Travis has been arrested for murder in the mysterious town of Sundown, Wyoming.
Leaving everything behind, Wyatt embarks on a dangerous journey into a world of corruption, desire and shocking secrets.
In Sundown, Wyatt quickly learns a law book alone won’t be enough as he untangles a web of deceit and whispers of stolen Confederate gold.
The stakes quickly escalate as he faces off against a legendary judge, an ambitious prosecutor and a corrupt mayor.
With time running out, Wyatt is aided by a captivating newswoman devoted to the truth—but she harbors secrets of her own.
With Travis’s fate hanging in the balance, Wyatt risks everything to expose the truth and bring justice to a lawless frontier. In a tense courtroom showdown, Wyatt uncovers revelations that alter everything he thought he knew about his brother.
Sundown is a gripping Western legal thriller about unbreakable bonds in a town where the line between truth and fiction blurs like a fading sunset.
FACEBOOK AUTHOR PAGE
http://www.facebook.com/#!/mmurfy86
FACEBOOK PAGE: https://www.facebook.com/mmurfy86/
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews
February 20, 2013
Oh my ... I had no idea what I was in for when I started reading this book. Wonderfully engaging, heart-warming, entertaining and soooooo very good that it had me taking a walk down memory lane with the story's flashbacks to the sixties and Woodstock. (And no, I wasn't a member of the Woodstock Nation, but I can safely claim that my Woodstock album has more grooves and scratch marks than any other album I've owned!)
Honestly, I don't think I've ever read a book where I connected with that many issues personally, all those themes from the heart-breaking loss of a loved one, to coming to terms with all the challenges, both physical and emotional, of growing old, of renewing your purpose in life and living, of reconnecting with old friends and family, of discovering who you really are. As I read, I felt myself riding that emotional rollercoaster, crying, laughing, feeling like my heart would break as I empathized with Sparky, Josh, and Buck and their journey through life, back to the place where it all seems to have started for them.
I thoroughly enjoyed it, highly recommend it. And if you choose to read Goodby Emily, I hope you find it as much of a fullfilling experience as I did. Thank you, Michael Murphy!
Kathryn Long
Author of Mysteries
Honestly, I don't think I've ever read a book where I connected with that many issues personally, all those themes from the heart-breaking loss of a loved one, to coming to terms with all the challenges, both physical and emotional, of growing old, of renewing your purpose in life and living, of reconnecting with old friends and family, of discovering who you really are. As I read, I felt myself riding that emotional rollercoaster, crying, laughing, feeling like my heart would break as I empathized with Sparky, Josh, and Buck and their journey through life, back to the place where it all seems to have started for them.
I thoroughly enjoyed it, highly recommend it. And if you choose to read Goodby Emily, I hope you find it as much of a fullfilling experience as I did. Thank you, Michael Murphy!
Kathryn Long
Author of Mysteries
April 10, 2013
Goodbye Emily is not about what we lose in life, it's about what we gain. It is a positive, life-affirming novel that wins you over quickly with its humanity and charms you with its vivid characters.
It's no secret what Goodbye Emily is about. The author tells you up front what to expect, "Three baby boomers relive their trip to Woodstock in '69. One final road trip. One last chance to say Goodbye Emily." But what that means is that Mr. Murphy doesn't have the element of surprise to rely on. You know what's going to happen before you read it! That's what makes his accomplishment as a writer so extraordinary.
From the very beginning you feel like you're joining old friends on a new adventure. Sparky, Buck and Josh aren't characters you have to be introduced to - you already know them. But it was Emily I really fell in love with, just like everybody else. She was my best friend in high school, my pal in college and the woman I wished lived next door to me. It made all the sense in the world that Sparky had such a hard time saying goodbye.
This is an extremely sweet book, full of love. With Mr. Murphy's easy way of storytelling, he takes the reader by the hand and asks you to join the journey. And, believe me, you'll be glad you did. Don't miss out on this experience. Read Goodbye Emily!
It's no secret what Goodbye Emily is about. The author tells you up front what to expect, "Three baby boomers relive their trip to Woodstock in '69. One final road trip. One last chance to say Goodbye Emily." But what that means is that Mr. Murphy doesn't have the element of surprise to rely on. You know what's going to happen before you read it! That's what makes his accomplishment as a writer so extraordinary.
From the very beginning you feel like you're joining old friends on a new adventure. Sparky, Buck and Josh aren't characters you have to be introduced to - you already know them. But it was Emily I really fell in love with, just like everybody else. She was my best friend in high school, my pal in college and the woman I wished lived next door to me. It made all the sense in the world that Sparky had such a hard time saying goodbye.
This is an extremely sweet book, full of love. With Mr. Murphy's easy way of storytelling, he takes the reader by the hand and asks you to join the journey. And, believe me, you'll be glad you did. Don't miss out on this experience. Read Goodbye Emily!
December 11, 2015
I read seventy pages the first night, and the remaining two hundred the second night, because I could not put this book down. The author, Michael Murphy, suggested I might like it because I'm passionate about finding good fiction featuring older people. Goodbye, Emily was so enjoyable I am pleased to feature it on my blog's Midlife Fiction page.
Walter "Sparky" Ellington is a recently fired English professor who's dying of a broken heart. His beloved Emily, who he met at Woodstock, passed away two years ago and he can't get over her. He is becoming a recluse and his health is deteriorating as he drowns his sorrows in Jim Beam. At sixty, he awaits death.
However, a whole ensemble of compelling characters work to prevent that from happening. Drugs, sex, and rock `n roll are all a part of the story. Sparky's ultimate quest - to spread Emily's ashes at Yasgur's farm with two childhood friends, one with PTSD from `Nam and one with Alzheimers' - turns into a riotous car chase in a psychedelic van, eluding state troopers and an overzealous DA, while his attorney daughter struggles to keep the old man out of prison...I can't say more, because I don't want to spoil it. But this is a great story, replete with vignettes from that grand concert and musical references that I hadn't thought of for years and now can't get out of my head, like Arlo Guthrie and "Comin' into Los AngelEEZ..."
I loved the humanity of the characters. The men were kind to each other, in spite of the usual manly snorting, pawing, and joshing. I felt they demonstrated a depth of personality that only becomes a possibility after a long and rich life - rich in the sense of joy as well as anguish. I chuckled along, and in places I cried, and I finished the book with sad/happy tears running down my face - happy to have enjoyed the memories and sad for the days gone by.
Walter "Sparky" Ellington is a recently fired English professor who's dying of a broken heart. His beloved Emily, who he met at Woodstock, passed away two years ago and he can't get over her. He is becoming a recluse and his health is deteriorating as he drowns his sorrows in Jim Beam. At sixty, he awaits death.
However, a whole ensemble of compelling characters work to prevent that from happening. Drugs, sex, and rock `n roll are all a part of the story. Sparky's ultimate quest - to spread Emily's ashes at Yasgur's farm with two childhood friends, one with PTSD from `Nam and one with Alzheimers' - turns into a riotous car chase in a psychedelic van, eluding state troopers and an overzealous DA, while his attorney daughter struggles to keep the old man out of prison...I can't say more, because I don't want to spoil it. But this is a great story, replete with vignettes from that grand concert and musical references that I hadn't thought of for years and now can't get out of my head, like Arlo Guthrie and "Comin' into Los AngelEEZ..."
I loved the humanity of the characters. The men were kind to each other, in spite of the usual manly snorting, pawing, and joshing. I felt they demonstrated a depth of personality that only becomes a possibility after a long and rich life - rich in the sense of joy as well as anguish. I chuckled along, and in places I cried, and I finished the book with sad/happy tears running down my face - happy to have enjoyed the memories and sad for the days gone by.
December 28, 2012
Michael Murphy's Goodbye Emily is an homage to friendship and the Woodstock Nation. Part road trip, part buddy book, all interesting, Goodbye Emily takes the reader back in time when Sparky, the main character, decides to fulfill a promise he made to his wife and two male friends to return to Max Yasgur's farm outside Bethel, NY, where the Woodstock concert took place.
Sparky met Emily at Woodstock and married her. Dead two years from cancer when the book opens, Sparky has yet to deal with his grief. He keeps Emily's ashes in an urn on the coffee table.
Sparky has lost touch with the other boys from Woodstock. He wonders why his former best friend Buck, another of the Woodstock boys, skipped his wife's funeral. He learns that the third member of the trio, Josh, suffers from Alzheimer's and lives in assisted living. They visit Josh and sing some songs from the time when they were a garage band, the Buck Naked Band. Josh, who is non-verbal, begins singing along with them. Sparky thinks that if he can reach Josh through music he can bring a semblance of quality of life back to his friend.
One thing leads to another. Before Sparky realizes what he is doing, Buck has repainted Emily's van as a peace mobile, Sparky and Buck have kidnapped Josh from his residence, and the trio is on the run from the law. All they want to do is return to Woodstock and scatter Emily's ashes.
Mayhem ensues. A quick read guaranteed to leave the reader feeling nostalgic for a time that now only lives in memory.
Sparky met Emily at Woodstock and married her. Dead two years from cancer when the book opens, Sparky has yet to deal with his grief. He keeps Emily's ashes in an urn on the coffee table.
Sparky has lost touch with the other boys from Woodstock. He wonders why his former best friend Buck, another of the Woodstock boys, skipped his wife's funeral. He learns that the third member of the trio, Josh, suffers from Alzheimer's and lives in assisted living. They visit Josh and sing some songs from the time when they were a garage band, the Buck Naked Band. Josh, who is non-verbal, begins singing along with them. Sparky thinks that if he can reach Josh through music he can bring a semblance of quality of life back to his friend.
One thing leads to another. Before Sparky realizes what he is doing, Buck has repainted Emily's van as a peace mobile, Sparky and Buck have kidnapped Josh from his residence, and the trio is on the run from the law. All they want to do is return to Woodstock and scatter Emily's ashes.
Mayhem ensues. A quick read guaranteed to leave the reader feeling nostalgic for a time that now only lives in memory.
December 3, 2012
Broken heart syndrome is a real disease and Sparky's life is on the line. Grieving over the loss of his beloved Emily has weakened his heart and ruined his relationships with his friends and daughter. Adding to his life stressors is his forced retirement from Milton College where he was an adored professor. Unable to focus on anything but the downward spiral of life, he self medicates with booze. After seeing his doctor, he realizes he needs to make big changes unless he wants Sparky's spark to die out forever. He makes a list and on that list is his health, his lost friendships and his career. Sparky must find a way to deal with his loss and repair his relationships or his heart will never mend.
Two things keep Sparky alive for now. His faithful golden retriever, Lady and his memories with Emily at Woodstock, relived nightly in his dreams. And when he's awake, the shrine to Emily where her ashes sit in an urn reminds him daily of his loss. Taking the doctor's advice and the pleadings of his daughter, Cloe, Sparky forces himself to work on his lost friendships. First on the list is his good buddy, Buck, a Vietnam vet, and drummer of their hippie band, The Buck Naked Band. Buck and Sparky cook up a plan to bust the third member of their band, Josh out of a nursing home for Alzheimer's patients. After visiting Josh, they both know that a road trip to Bethel, the home of Woodstock Nation is the only thing that will bring him happiness, along with lots of nostalgic music and other hippie type activities that make me wish I was born before 1970.
It's a race to Bethel for three old hippies, one hitchhiker, a loyal dog, a lot of sweet smelling smoke and the hippest tunes from the 60's, while the Feds and a hungry D.A. chase after them. Sparky promised them all that they'd return to Woodstock one day and this is his last chance. Emily's urn is buckled down and along for the ride in what turns out to be a road trip full of adventure, love, laughter, fun, superstar appearances and heart-felt healing. Goodbye Emily will leave you cheering, laughing and crying until the very end. A heart wrenching read that makes you think about what's most important in your life. I wept at the end but it was a good cry, a cry that made me sigh and go tiptoe into the living room where I had to kiss and hug my husband and my three kids just one more time before going to bed. And then I had to go to You Tube so I could watch Woodstock Live. ~ Alisha Paige, Best Selling Author at Amazon and Barnes and Noble
Two things keep Sparky alive for now. His faithful golden retriever, Lady and his memories with Emily at Woodstock, relived nightly in his dreams. And when he's awake, the shrine to Emily where her ashes sit in an urn reminds him daily of his loss. Taking the doctor's advice and the pleadings of his daughter, Cloe, Sparky forces himself to work on his lost friendships. First on the list is his good buddy, Buck, a Vietnam vet, and drummer of their hippie band, The Buck Naked Band. Buck and Sparky cook up a plan to bust the third member of their band, Josh out of a nursing home for Alzheimer's patients. After visiting Josh, they both know that a road trip to Bethel, the home of Woodstock Nation is the only thing that will bring him happiness, along with lots of nostalgic music and other hippie type activities that make me wish I was born before 1970.
It's a race to Bethel for three old hippies, one hitchhiker, a loyal dog, a lot of sweet smelling smoke and the hippest tunes from the 60's, while the Feds and a hungry D.A. chase after them. Sparky promised them all that they'd return to Woodstock one day and this is his last chance. Emily's urn is buckled down and along for the ride in what turns out to be a road trip full of adventure, love, laughter, fun, superstar appearances and heart-felt healing. Goodbye Emily will leave you cheering, laughing and crying until the very end. A heart wrenching read that makes you think about what's most important in your life. I wept at the end but it was a good cry, a cry that made me sigh and go tiptoe into the living room where I had to kiss and hug my husband and my three kids just one more time before going to bed. And then I had to go to You Tube so I could watch Woodstock Live. ~ Alisha Paige, Best Selling Author at Amazon and Barnes and Noble
January 17, 2013
Who else missed Woodstock and regretted it? Three baby boomers relive their 1969 trip to Woodstock. One final road trip. One last chance to say Goodbye Emily.
Walt and Emily met at Woodstock, and the love lasted a lifetime. Then she was gone, cancer took her away. Within a short time so was his college teaching job. Heartbroken and lost Walt is on a dangerous path between depression and broken heart syndrome. Being determined, he reunites with his two best friends to help him return to the place where love bloomed. This was a very endearing love story. It was about life lessons. The cast of characters included Walt and Emily's daughter Cloe , a lawyer his best friend Josh who was diagnosed with Alzheimer's and Buck who is now owner of an auto body shop. After going to the Emergency Room and having Cloe swoon over the Doctor there, he finally realizes that the thoughts of puffy clouds and smiley faces won't heal him. When Walt then decides on a road trip to place Emily's ashes where the love bloomed.
There is much more to this novel than just going to Woodstock and remembering the past. When Cloe pushes him to get out and stop smoking and drinking he resists all attempts. He is content to be miserable. He just wants to be unhappy while he drinks and smokes. Actually he is shocked that everyone expects him to move on after Emily dies.
The professor Walt, Josh and Buck head to Bethel. There are many musical references that are perfectly placed. You will learn a lot about Alzheimer’s. When Walt meets his hated neighbor's Daughter Megan he sort of feels romance. Megan's daughter Heather introduces them and then Heather stats to play guitar with Walt and Buck to see if music is the key to get into Josh's head. The day Josh had a lucid moment was when the plan to head to Woodstock was born.
Goodbye Emily is the about a journey of self-discovery for a man who thought he’d left all important journeys in life behind him. It was VERY well written and sometimes you feel a little guilty about laughing when the premise is about death, but it worked!
Walt and Emily met at Woodstock, and the love lasted a lifetime. Then she was gone, cancer took her away. Within a short time so was his college teaching job. Heartbroken and lost Walt is on a dangerous path between depression and broken heart syndrome. Being determined, he reunites with his two best friends to help him return to the place where love bloomed. This was a very endearing love story. It was about life lessons. The cast of characters included Walt and Emily's daughter Cloe , a lawyer his best friend Josh who was diagnosed with Alzheimer's and Buck who is now owner of an auto body shop. After going to the Emergency Room and having Cloe swoon over the Doctor there, he finally realizes that the thoughts of puffy clouds and smiley faces won't heal him. When Walt then decides on a road trip to place Emily's ashes where the love bloomed.
There is much more to this novel than just going to Woodstock and remembering the past. When Cloe pushes him to get out and stop smoking and drinking he resists all attempts. He is content to be miserable. He just wants to be unhappy while he drinks and smokes. Actually he is shocked that everyone expects him to move on after Emily dies.
The professor Walt, Josh and Buck head to Bethel. There are many musical references that are perfectly placed. You will learn a lot about Alzheimer’s. When Walt meets his hated neighbor's Daughter Megan he sort of feels romance. Megan's daughter Heather introduces them and then Heather stats to play guitar with Walt and Buck to see if music is the key to get into Josh's head. The day Josh had a lucid moment was when the plan to head to Woodstock was born.
Goodbye Emily is the about a journey of self-discovery for a man who thought he’d left all important journeys in life behind him. It was VERY well written and sometimes you feel a little guilty about laughing when the premise is about death, but it worked!
March 7, 2013
Technically I was born a year too soon to be called a Baby Boomer. I was not part of the Woodstock generation; I grew up on Motown. I'll trade Purple Haze for Purple Rain, my children's generation. Because I appreciate whatever music defines a generation, I loved this book.
As a BoomerLit novel it delves into the struggles of Professor Walter ("Sparky") Ellington, after the death of his wife, Emily, and the subsequent loss of his job. He suffers from depression, alcoholism and his doctor fears he will die from a broken heart if he doesn't address the major stressors in his life. He has lost touch with his best friends, thinking Buck has let him down, and is unable to deal with Josh's descent into Alzheimer's.
Music is important for the ties that connect us through family, friends, sickness, death, and all of life's changes. I enjoyed the adventures of Sparky, Buck, and Josh as told through Sparky's dreams, and the roadtrip they promised each other back to Woodstock, even though it took until they were senior citizens to get there, reuniting their "Buck Naked Band," from high school. "We might be old, but we could still rock."
I give it four stars.
As a BoomerLit novel it delves into the struggles of Professor Walter ("Sparky") Ellington, after the death of his wife, Emily, and the subsequent loss of his job. He suffers from depression, alcoholism and his doctor fears he will die from a broken heart if he doesn't address the major stressors in his life. He has lost touch with his best friends, thinking Buck has let him down, and is unable to deal with Josh's descent into Alzheimer's.
Music is important for the ties that connect us through family, friends, sickness, death, and all of life's changes. I enjoyed the adventures of Sparky, Buck, and Josh as told through Sparky's dreams, and the roadtrip they promised each other back to Woodstock, even though it took until they were senior citizens to get there, reuniting their "Buck Naked Band," from high school. "We might be old, but we could still rock."
I give it four stars.
March 25, 2013
I loved “Goodbye Emily”! I tore through Michael Murphy’s novel in a day and a half. I couldn’t wait to learn how it all turned out.
“Goodbye Emily” tells the story of Walter “Sparky” Ellington, who is suffering from broken heart syndrome (an actual ailment) after losing his wife and his job. Sparky reconnects with his longtime friends, Buck and Josh, and asks them to take one last road trip with him. The trip becomes a journey of self-discovery and healing as the trio returns to Woodstock to scatter Emily’s ashes in the place where she and Sparky met. But because Sparky and Buck take Josh out of assisted living without permission—he suffers from early-stage Alzheimer’s—the trip also turns into a flight from “the man.”
I loved the book the first time through. The tie-dye cover with its puffy lettering evokes the Sixties perfectly. The narrative begins as Sparky, the retired professor, gets into a bar fight with a younger and much larger opponent. I gasped out loud at his predicament, and I was hooked. I found the dialogue snappy, authentic, and amusing. The plot developments—a romantic involvement between Sparky’s daughter and his new doctor, an ambitious prosecutor using Josh’s “kidnapping” as media fodder—seemed dramatic and maybe a little too neat, but not illogical. I agree with others who say this book would make a terrific movie.
Since the book was the February/March reading selection in our Boomer Lit group on Goodreads, I made the mistake of reading some other comments before I formulated my own. One reviewer was decidedly unimpressed. I reread “Goodbye Emily” and although I found that reader’s points to be valid, I loved the book just as much the second time.
“Goodbye Emily” meets the definition of Boomer Lit, with its characters meeting and solving challenges as they make their transition to “the third stage of life.” Just as we broke with the patterns of our parents, our generation is destined to put a new face on old age. Although Josh won’t be able to accomplish this due to his Alzheimer’s, Sparky and Buck are well on their way by the end of the book.
I believe “Goodbye Emily” took a strong hold on my emotions because Michael Murphy uses some of the same themes I use as a boomer author. We both have written of homecomings and reconnecting with friends. We’ve both had a character explain, “It was the Sixties,” which needs no further elaboration for those who lived through the time. These are themes that resonate with millions of readers from our generation.
“Goodbye Emily” contains some editing errors, most distressing to me the misspelling of names of some notable musicians. But this is something easily corrected in a future printing. I became so emotionally involved with this book that I rate it five stars despite this minor annoyance.
“Goodbye Emily” tells the story of Walter “Sparky” Ellington, who is suffering from broken heart syndrome (an actual ailment) after losing his wife and his job. Sparky reconnects with his longtime friends, Buck and Josh, and asks them to take one last road trip with him. The trip becomes a journey of self-discovery and healing as the trio returns to Woodstock to scatter Emily’s ashes in the place where she and Sparky met. But because Sparky and Buck take Josh out of assisted living without permission—he suffers from early-stage Alzheimer’s—the trip also turns into a flight from “the man.”
I loved the book the first time through. The tie-dye cover with its puffy lettering evokes the Sixties perfectly. The narrative begins as Sparky, the retired professor, gets into a bar fight with a younger and much larger opponent. I gasped out loud at his predicament, and I was hooked. I found the dialogue snappy, authentic, and amusing. The plot developments—a romantic involvement between Sparky’s daughter and his new doctor, an ambitious prosecutor using Josh’s “kidnapping” as media fodder—seemed dramatic and maybe a little too neat, but not illogical. I agree with others who say this book would make a terrific movie.
Since the book was the February/March reading selection in our Boomer Lit group on Goodreads, I made the mistake of reading some other comments before I formulated my own. One reviewer was decidedly unimpressed. I reread “Goodbye Emily” and although I found that reader’s points to be valid, I loved the book just as much the second time.
“Goodbye Emily” meets the definition of Boomer Lit, with its characters meeting and solving challenges as they make their transition to “the third stage of life.” Just as we broke with the patterns of our parents, our generation is destined to put a new face on old age. Although Josh won’t be able to accomplish this due to his Alzheimer’s, Sparky and Buck are well on their way by the end of the book.
I believe “Goodbye Emily” took a strong hold on my emotions because Michael Murphy uses some of the same themes I use as a boomer author. We both have written of homecomings and reconnecting with friends. We’ve both had a character explain, “It was the Sixties,” which needs no further elaboration for those who lived through the time. These are themes that resonate with millions of readers from our generation.
“Goodbye Emily” contains some editing errors, most distressing to me the misspelling of names of some notable musicians. But this is something easily corrected in a future printing. I became so emotionally involved with this book that I rate it five stars despite this minor annoyance.
February 23, 2013
Goodbye Emily is 100% Boomer Lit. What could be more a symbol of our generation than Woodstock, which is where Walter aka Sparky met his wife, Emily. He was there at the festival with his two good friends from high school, Buck and Josh, and together the three of them formed The Buck Naked Band. The references to music are priceless, and made me want to find some of those sixties rock songs again and download them. What a great time it was, and this novel recaptures all of that. The author is a boomer himself so I'm sure he remembers it well.
Fast forward forty years, and Emily has been gone, dead from cancer, for two years. Sparky is not coping well, and practicing unhealthy behaviors. A particularly unfortunate barroom brawl lands him in the ER where he is treated by a doctor, who convinces Sparky it's time to make some serious changes. That's when he reconnects with his friends, who have health issues of their own, and they plan to spring Josh from his Assisted Living Alzheimer's Unit and go back to Woodstock.
The trip back is not an easy one, but fraught with car chases, mishaps, and near-death experiences. As I was reading this book, I realized what a great movie this would be. The characters are doing something basically good, but there are those who don't agree and the struggle becomes one of the correct thing to do versus the right thing to do. This is a well-told story, and the emotions of Sparky so real, and raw, that I found myself pretty choked up during a lot of it.
The characters were quirky but believable, even if some were slightly exaggerated. It didn't matter, it's fiction and it's a great story. It's a good lesson, too, that sometimes we need to do what we promised each other we'd do, even if it isn't necessarily easy. Ultimately it's the story of Sparky's letting go, of saying goodbye to Emily. The ending paragraph is perfect. A good ending is not always hard to achieve, but Mr. Murphy has done it. Highly recommended Boomer Lit.
Fast forward forty years, and Emily has been gone, dead from cancer, for two years. Sparky is not coping well, and practicing unhealthy behaviors. A particularly unfortunate barroom brawl lands him in the ER where he is treated by a doctor, who convinces Sparky it's time to make some serious changes. That's when he reconnects with his friends, who have health issues of their own, and they plan to spring Josh from his Assisted Living Alzheimer's Unit and go back to Woodstock.
The trip back is not an easy one, but fraught with car chases, mishaps, and near-death experiences. As I was reading this book, I realized what a great movie this would be. The characters are doing something basically good, but there are those who don't agree and the struggle becomes one of the correct thing to do versus the right thing to do. This is a well-told story, and the emotions of Sparky so real, and raw, that I found myself pretty choked up during a lot of it.
The characters were quirky but believable, even if some were slightly exaggerated. It didn't matter, it's fiction and it's a great story. It's a good lesson, too, that sometimes we need to do what we promised each other we'd do, even if it isn't necessarily easy. Ultimately it's the story of Sparky's letting go, of saying goodbye to Emily. The ending paragraph is perfect. A good ending is not always hard to achieve, but Mr. Murphy has done it. Highly recommended Boomer Lit.
June 4, 2013
I am a member of the Woodstock Nation, and I remember what it was like to be a hippie back then. I was curious about how a contemporary author would handle that time. I haven't read anything yet that has even begun to capture the magic, the bitter-sweet magic, of the Nation and the times. I've tried to describe it myself to younger folk, and I ended up choking - words failed me. I have found that the best way to describe the time is just to play some music: Baez and Dylan, Arlo and Gracie, the Dead, The Band, Hendrix, and Crosby, Stills, and Young.
I don't think Michael Murphy really captured the magic of the Woodstock Nation either. His novel's flashbacks to three friends (Sparky, Buck and Josh) who went together to the Woodstock festival, and how Emily and Sparky fell in love, are just that - a road trip to a magnificent and muddy concert, plus a love story that developed there between Sparky and Emily. No, the magic of the Nation isn't really captured in those flashbacks.
But what Murphy has done very well indeed, though, is write a compelling contemporary story about the magic of the Nation as it plays out 40 years later. The three friends make a road trip again to Woodstock, but this time it's a spiritual journey in which they deal with their demons together - aging, lost jobs, lost loves, the horror of war, and descent into dementia. They have each others' backs. They learn to let go, to move on, and most of all, to love each other as true friends. Maybe that's what the Woodstock Nation was really about...love.
_Goodbye Emily_ is a very good read.
I don't think Michael Murphy really captured the magic of the Woodstock Nation either. His novel's flashbacks to three friends (Sparky, Buck and Josh) who went together to the Woodstock festival, and how Emily and Sparky fell in love, are just that - a road trip to a magnificent and muddy concert, plus a love story that developed there between Sparky and Emily. No, the magic of the Nation isn't really captured in those flashbacks.
But what Murphy has done very well indeed, though, is write a compelling contemporary story about the magic of the Nation as it plays out 40 years later. The three friends make a road trip again to Woodstock, but this time it's a spiritual journey in which they deal with their demons together - aging, lost jobs, lost loves, the horror of war, and descent into dementia. They have each others' backs. They learn to let go, to move on, and most of all, to love each other as true friends. Maybe that's what the Woodstock Nation was really about...love.
_Goodbye Emily_ is a very good read.
March 10, 2013
Michael and I met on Goodreads and he asked me if I would read and review his new book, Goodbye Emily. He was kind enough to send me a gift copy. I am grateful that I committed to read his book because I could easily have missed something wonderful. The first scene in Goodbye Emily, that takes place in a bar and introduces the reader to the main character, Sparky, was a turnoff for me. I did not particularly like Sparky and thought I might be in for a 'macho man' tale. Almost magically, just a few pages on, the endearing charm and self effacing honesty of Sparky emerged and I was hooked for the remainder of the book. I actually had to postpone finishing the last few pages because I was sitting in a public place and didn't want to be seen with tears steaming down my face!
What will stay with me long after I have forgotten the intricacies of the story line and the names of the characters, will be the artful way in which the author portrayed the evolution of EMPATHY in the main character. I loved reading Goodbye Emily and believing in the transforming possibility of growing older with courage, grace and humility.
What will stay with me long after I have forgotten the intricacies of the story line and the names of the characters, will be the artful way in which the author portrayed the evolution of EMPATHY in the main character. I loved reading Goodbye Emily and believing in the transforming possibility of growing older with courage, grace and humility.
February 27, 2013
Before you begin reading Goodbye Emily, set aside some time because you won't want to stop. It's a wonderful story of coming to terms with loss, and of embracing the blessings of the past without letting them limit the future. It's funny and heartwarming, irreverent, and yet respectful of relationships and people. The characters were very real to me, and I admit, I needed a tissue by the end.
I'm a baby boomer, but I was only eight when Woodstock happened, so it's only a legend to me. I enjoyed experiencing the music and the atmosphere, the mud and the craziness, and most of all the love through Sparky's eyes as he remembered his first meeting with his beloved Emily. The root of Sparky's current despair is there in his past, but the cure grows from there too - he just needs the courage to face it. I highly recommend this book.
I'm a baby boomer, but I was only eight when Woodstock happened, so it's only a legend to me. I enjoyed experiencing the music and the atmosphere, the mud and the craziness, and most of all the love through Sparky's eyes as he remembered his first meeting with his beloved Emily. The root of Sparky's current despair is there in his past, but the cure grows from there too - he just needs the courage to face it. I highly recommend this book.
December 14, 2012
Goodbye Emily is one of the best books I've read in a long time. Sparky, a Baby Boomer and the main character, comes to life in Michael Murphy's pages as he struggles to come to terms with his circumstances. I couldn't put the book down. This isn't just a 1960s flashback or a rehash of the Woodstock experience--it's a tale of friendship, love, and healing that will appeal to all ages. I read the book in one day.
February 6, 2013
Havent read a book this good in a long time. I was a tad young at the age of 16 to travel from Washington State to Woodstock, but its about the only thing I missed from that time period and this book took me back. A terrific read that would make a great movie!
January 2, 2013
Goodbye Emily
Michael Murphy
Three young men created their own history in 1969 when they decided to attend a monumental and historical event called Woodstock. The memories precious, the songs, music and experiences a once in a lifetime occurrence where so many gathered to sings, search and hope for peace and enlighten the word to the many social, environmental and political causes of the times. Creative and freedom of expression has often been stifled but this event was so remarkable so amazing that those that attended would never forget what they saw and experienced. Meet Sparky, Buck and Josh, three close friends yet somehow strangers now who will take you back in time along with author Michael Murphy to a time when smoking joints, marijuana, drinking, living free and just enjoying life was more than just a pastime it was a way of life. Goodbye Emily is a novel that reminds us of how precious friendships are and how going back in time, remembering someone that was dear to us will help us deal with the life we forgot we still have in the present.
There is much more to this novel than just going to Woodstock and remembering the past. It is about a woman named Emily that meant more than the world to a Professor named Walt, his feelings of loss, despair and sadness associated with losing a spouse and not really knowing or having a real direction to move on. With a daughter that cares for him, encourages him to get out and do more than just smoke, drink and waste away his life, Walt needs to reassess not only his health which is in dire need or repair, his diet, his mental attitude but his personal goals in life. A trip to the doctor or ER proved to be quite enlightening and the end result made him realize he needed to make some changes or it might cost him his life. Deciding to make that list of life’s stresses suggested by the doctor, he decides to see an old friend, settle their differences and find out the answer to one question that has been bothering him for too long. When one friendship was renewed another would remain unsettled until two old friends decide to find out what happened to the third member team or in this case their band. Josh is the third friend and like my mom he was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, which brings along with it a death sentence to the patient. Slowly and methodically this illness wears away at the brain if its intended victim showing absolutely no mercy. But, when family and friends like Buck and Walt come to see Josh at the assisted living where he now lives, it does make a difference and the sight of familiar faces, although they might not always recognize you does make a difference. Walt and Buck find different meaning in seeing Josh and what Walt realizes opens his own eyes to what he must do for himself.
Woodstock Music and Art Fair was amazing and for those that saw the billboards they were titled: “An Aquarian Exposition: 3 Days of Peace and Music,” from August 15-18, 1969. Imagine the crowds, the scents in the air, and the music of the Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell and many more. So, what would happen if these three friends decided to do it all over again? But, first the author takes us back to when Emily and Walt meet and allows the reader to experience their time at Woodstock, their romance and their life together. Then a special teenage girl comes into his life wanting to jam or play guitar with him and things change for Walt. Added in the job that he loved so much and was fired from has been reoffered to him again with many more responsibilities and salary. Just what he will do still remains to be seen.
Heather is a special teen and her mom; Meagan seems to have the right personality to deal with Walt. Living next door to someone does not make you their friend when you isolate yourself from the world and much more. As Walt has exactly 24 hours to show his daughter that he can fend for himself, eat properly hoping she will take the job she was offered and not worry about him. So, off to try the treadmill and his first effort at exercising as the author takes the reader back in time to Woodstock and Emily once again. The music, the artists, the drugs, the smoking and the love all embraced them both.
Three steps ahead yet one immovable as Walt, Buck and Heather manage to rekindle some of Josh’s memories with their music. Dealing with Alzheimer’s I know it has no cure but long memories can often come to light and for a short time the person just might have a great memory from their past. Not withstanding what the doctor at the facility said and not wanting to give up Walt decides to convince Buck to revisit Woodstock and find a way to bring Josh too. Just how they are going to pull this off you just won’t believe and will he convince his daughter that he has changed his ways, get rid of the bourbon first.
Reliving a special experience with Emily, the knowledge that she might be involved with someone else, the altercation with her friend Crystal and the hope of a future together as the present comes back into focus. Then, the memories, the shrine in his home and finally coming face to face with some realities as he finally agrees to take Emily’s ashes off the mantle and scatter them in Bethel at the site of the festival where it all began.
Taking Josh for an outing and trying to help him remember proved great for him but not for both Sparky and Buck as Josh’s mother refused to understand the good in their intentions. The end result was more than just a confrontation and Walt/Sparky would not give up. Everyone needs to feel useful, productive and treated as if they understand and not the way she was treating Josh. So, how will they get him out to join them on their road trip? What will the final outcome be? As we relive Josh’s past, his dealings with drugs, acid and his journey back to the present where his neighbor’s condition begins to mirror his own. Then learning more about Emily, the note she left and his initial disappointment. The author flashes back to the past in his dreams and then often when he reflects in the present doing it in such a way making the events in the past and the present blend so evenly together and easy to follow. As once again we hear Emily’s voice when Walt refuses to give up and goes in search of finding her. Meeting her family and learning why she left and did not wait for his return endears her even more to him as we hear his voice in the present with his scheme to kidnap Josh and take him along with Cloe and Buck to Woodstock and finally say Goodbye to Emily but not before we find out what happens when they break Josh out, get help from someone within the facility and the group in a van that is definitely right up there with those from the 60’s takes a road trip that no one including the reader will ever forget. But, not everything is cut and dry or even black and white when Buck and Walt get Josh into the van the police on their tail, an APB out for their arrest if they do not return Josh to the home within two hours what happens will definitely bring more than just smiles to your face and help you understanding the true meaning of friendship. But sometimes those that appear to be your friends are not and the final result was not what he expected. Accused of kidnapping and arrested Sparky just wanted to do something for Josh and the end result of his efforts have yet to be decided but the trip in itself is really quite comical, fun and the Buck Naked Band: Can you hear the music of the sixties? Can you hear them play?
An ending that will bring tears to your eyes and a smile on your face as Sparky, Buck, Cloe, Lady, Josh and even more make their way one more time to relive those special three days. What happens and if they really succeed? What will the final note be in Josh’s life? A farewell so fitting you won’t believe the ending. Goodbye Emily: Peace Out !
Fran Lewis: Reviewer : Five Golden Songs from the 60’s and One Gold Peace Sign.
Michael Murphy
Three young men created their own history in 1969 when they decided to attend a monumental and historical event called Woodstock. The memories precious, the songs, music and experiences a once in a lifetime occurrence where so many gathered to sings, search and hope for peace and enlighten the word to the many social, environmental and political causes of the times. Creative and freedom of expression has often been stifled but this event was so remarkable so amazing that those that attended would never forget what they saw and experienced. Meet Sparky, Buck and Josh, three close friends yet somehow strangers now who will take you back in time along with author Michael Murphy to a time when smoking joints, marijuana, drinking, living free and just enjoying life was more than just a pastime it was a way of life. Goodbye Emily is a novel that reminds us of how precious friendships are and how going back in time, remembering someone that was dear to us will help us deal with the life we forgot we still have in the present.
There is much more to this novel than just going to Woodstock and remembering the past. It is about a woman named Emily that meant more than the world to a Professor named Walt, his feelings of loss, despair and sadness associated with losing a spouse and not really knowing or having a real direction to move on. With a daughter that cares for him, encourages him to get out and do more than just smoke, drink and waste away his life, Walt needs to reassess not only his health which is in dire need or repair, his diet, his mental attitude but his personal goals in life. A trip to the doctor or ER proved to be quite enlightening and the end result made him realize he needed to make some changes or it might cost him his life. Deciding to make that list of life’s stresses suggested by the doctor, he decides to see an old friend, settle their differences and find out the answer to one question that has been bothering him for too long. When one friendship was renewed another would remain unsettled until two old friends decide to find out what happened to the third member team or in this case their band. Josh is the third friend and like my mom he was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, which brings along with it a death sentence to the patient. Slowly and methodically this illness wears away at the brain if its intended victim showing absolutely no mercy. But, when family and friends like Buck and Walt come to see Josh at the assisted living where he now lives, it does make a difference and the sight of familiar faces, although they might not always recognize you does make a difference. Walt and Buck find different meaning in seeing Josh and what Walt realizes opens his own eyes to what he must do for himself.
Woodstock Music and Art Fair was amazing and for those that saw the billboards they were titled: “An Aquarian Exposition: 3 Days of Peace and Music,” from August 15-18, 1969. Imagine the crowds, the scents in the air, and the music of the Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell and many more. So, what would happen if these three friends decided to do it all over again? But, first the author takes us back to when Emily and Walt meet and allows the reader to experience their time at Woodstock, their romance and their life together. Then a special teenage girl comes into his life wanting to jam or play guitar with him and things change for Walt. Added in the job that he loved so much and was fired from has been reoffered to him again with many more responsibilities and salary. Just what he will do still remains to be seen.
Heather is a special teen and her mom; Meagan seems to have the right personality to deal with Walt. Living next door to someone does not make you their friend when you isolate yourself from the world and much more. As Walt has exactly 24 hours to show his daughter that he can fend for himself, eat properly hoping she will take the job she was offered and not worry about him. So, off to try the treadmill and his first effort at exercising as the author takes the reader back in time to Woodstock and Emily once again. The music, the artists, the drugs, the smoking and the love all embraced them both.
Three steps ahead yet one immovable as Walt, Buck and Heather manage to rekindle some of Josh’s memories with their music. Dealing with Alzheimer’s I know it has no cure but long memories can often come to light and for a short time the person just might have a great memory from their past. Not withstanding what the doctor at the facility said and not wanting to give up Walt decides to convince Buck to revisit Woodstock and find a way to bring Josh too. Just how they are going to pull this off you just won’t believe and will he convince his daughter that he has changed his ways, get rid of the bourbon first.
Reliving a special experience with Emily, the knowledge that she might be involved with someone else, the altercation with her friend Crystal and the hope of a future together as the present comes back into focus. Then, the memories, the shrine in his home and finally coming face to face with some realities as he finally agrees to take Emily’s ashes off the mantle and scatter them in Bethel at the site of the festival where it all began.
Taking Josh for an outing and trying to help him remember proved great for him but not for both Sparky and Buck as Josh’s mother refused to understand the good in their intentions. The end result was more than just a confrontation and Walt/Sparky would not give up. Everyone needs to feel useful, productive and treated as if they understand and not the way she was treating Josh. So, how will they get him out to join them on their road trip? What will the final outcome be? As we relive Josh’s past, his dealings with drugs, acid and his journey back to the present where his neighbor’s condition begins to mirror his own. Then learning more about Emily, the note she left and his initial disappointment. The author flashes back to the past in his dreams and then often when he reflects in the present doing it in such a way making the events in the past and the present blend so evenly together and easy to follow. As once again we hear Emily’s voice when Walt refuses to give up and goes in search of finding her. Meeting her family and learning why she left and did not wait for his return endears her even more to him as we hear his voice in the present with his scheme to kidnap Josh and take him along with Cloe and Buck to Woodstock and finally say Goodbye to Emily but not before we find out what happens when they break Josh out, get help from someone within the facility and the group in a van that is definitely right up there with those from the 60’s takes a road trip that no one including the reader will ever forget. But, not everything is cut and dry or even black and white when Buck and Walt get Josh into the van the police on their tail, an APB out for their arrest if they do not return Josh to the home within two hours what happens will definitely bring more than just smiles to your face and help you understanding the true meaning of friendship. But sometimes those that appear to be your friends are not and the final result was not what he expected. Accused of kidnapping and arrested Sparky just wanted to do something for Josh and the end result of his efforts have yet to be decided but the trip in itself is really quite comical, fun and the Buck Naked Band: Can you hear the music of the sixties? Can you hear them play?
An ending that will bring tears to your eyes and a smile on your face as Sparky, Buck, Cloe, Lady, Josh and even more make their way one more time to relive those special three days. What happens and if they really succeed? What will the final note be in Josh’s life? A farewell so fitting you won’t believe the ending. Goodbye Emily: Peace Out !
Fran Lewis: Reviewer : Five Golden Songs from the 60’s and One Gold Peace Sign.
March 5, 2013
I saw the Woodstock movie when I was a kid, but I've never been to Woodstock and long ago grew weary of hearing about how it was such a defining moment for our generation. So I was not particularly excited to read a story about revisiting Woodstock. But I started reading and immediately got swept up in the story of this professor and the love he felt for his deceased wife, who he'd met at Woodstock in 1969. I thought, ok... this will be a touching love story, not just some hippie reiteration about a muddy rock concert. So I read on.
When the future professor initially meets the love of his life in 1969, he's lusting over a California beach bunny type and ignoring her hippie-looking friend. In a nicely written twist, but one I pretty much saw coming, the hippie chick turns out to be THE Emily. So far I was really liking this story.
However, from that point the story digresses from touching love story to a wacky hybrid of One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest meets Thelma & Louise. The story switches between present tense and flashback/dreams of 1969 in a sometimes jarring manner, but once you figure out that every time the good professor goes to sleep he's transported back to 1969 it begins to take on a predictable rhythm. The professor and his dog - though cliches themselves somewhat - are likable enough characters, but the rest of the cast are mostly cartoon-like cliche figures that we've all seen before: the ponytailed Harley riding Nam vet with a drug problem and flashbacks of the war, a middle-aged waitress/single mom with huge breasts (who, for some reason that is never explained, is immediately lusting over the professor she just met and throwing herself sexually at him - even the professor can't understand why she keeps throwing herself at him), the teen daughter of the waitress who thinks the whole Woodstock thing is totally groovy and just happens to know all of the songs played at that legendary concert held more than a quarter century before she was even born, a strikingly handsome doctor who takes such personal interest in his patients as to almost make Marcus Welby seem a disinterested quack by comparison (example - the handsome doctor is on a date at a fancy French restaurant, but gets a phone call and leaves to personally rush to the home of a patient suffering from low blood sugar ... let me know where I might find a doctor like that), the lady-lawyer in drab business attire too busy with her career to find love, the stern nurse Ratchet-type who presides over the Alzheimer ward of a hospital, and there's even an evil prosecutor named Culpepper with a Snidely Whiplash mustache - right out of Saturday morning cartoon shows.
The Nam vet and the professor help a buddy escape from the hospital (a la Cuckoo's Nest) and they begin a road trip back to Woodstock (a la Thelma & Louise). As the story progresses it becomes more and more dopey. The trio elude the inept police and develop a following of supporters rooting for them ( a la every Disney movie I've ever seen). A woman named Crystal who slept with one of the road trippers at Woodstock 44 years ago is reunited with him and, of course, not only instantly recognizes him as the teenage boy she knew for a brief few hours a lifetime ago, but is so turned on sexually all over again that they have sex within minutes of meeting up again after all those years. (Sure, that sort of thing happens every day, right?) Numerous wise alec lines are dispersed throughout the story. Each time I read one I involuntarily heard a drum roll/cymbal crash emphasizing the punch line like some old Vaudeville act. Most of these are delivered by the professor - like when the doctor says to him, "To prevent further stress you'll have to address what brought you here." And the professor replies, "My BMW?" Cue the drum/cymbal.
Also, there are many inconsistencies throughout this book. For example, the story takes place in the present, yet both the professor and his daughter/lawyer each have answering machines with "blinking lights" straight out of the 1980s and both use flip phones, not the smart phones of today. Here's just one example - Chapter 14 the professor calls his daughter's cell phone and leaves a message -- the author writes, "I snapped my phone shut before she could pick up"-- how can she pick up in the middle of his message unless she was monitoring calls using a land-line & old fashioned answering machine?
Then there's the overuse of certain expressions. For example - "he used one hand to make a jack-off motion" is used more than once ... and once would have been MORE than enough.
On the plus side, the book is an easy, fast read with a few parts that I found to be very well written. And I liked the dog. Over all, though, I cannot recommend this book, which I found through the boomer lit thread here. The mere fact that it's a story about Woodstock and aging hippies is simply not enough to carry the day ... not even for a baby boomer.
When the future professor initially meets the love of his life in 1969, he's lusting over a California beach bunny type and ignoring her hippie-looking friend. In a nicely written twist, but one I pretty much saw coming, the hippie chick turns out to be THE Emily. So far I was really liking this story.
However, from that point the story digresses from touching love story to a wacky hybrid of One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest meets Thelma & Louise. The story switches between present tense and flashback/dreams of 1969 in a sometimes jarring manner, but once you figure out that every time the good professor goes to sleep he's transported back to 1969 it begins to take on a predictable rhythm. The professor and his dog - though cliches themselves somewhat - are likable enough characters, but the rest of the cast are mostly cartoon-like cliche figures that we've all seen before: the ponytailed Harley riding Nam vet with a drug problem and flashbacks of the war, a middle-aged waitress/single mom with huge breasts (who, for some reason that is never explained, is immediately lusting over the professor she just met and throwing herself sexually at him - even the professor can't understand why she keeps throwing herself at him), the teen daughter of the waitress who thinks the whole Woodstock thing is totally groovy and just happens to know all of the songs played at that legendary concert held more than a quarter century before she was even born, a strikingly handsome doctor who takes such personal interest in his patients as to almost make Marcus Welby seem a disinterested quack by comparison (example - the handsome doctor is on a date at a fancy French restaurant, but gets a phone call and leaves to personally rush to the home of a patient suffering from low blood sugar ... let me know where I might find a doctor like that), the lady-lawyer in drab business attire too busy with her career to find love, the stern nurse Ratchet-type who presides over the Alzheimer ward of a hospital, and there's even an evil prosecutor named Culpepper with a Snidely Whiplash mustache - right out of Saturday morning cartoon shows.
The Nam vet and the professor help a buddy escape from the hospital (a la Cuckoo's Nest) and they begin a road trip back to Woodstock (a la Thelma & Louise). As the story progresses it becomes more and more dopey. The trio elude the inept police and develop a following of supporters rooting for them ( a la every Disney movie I've ever seen). A woman named Crystal who slept with one of the road trippers at Woodstock 44 years ago is reunited with him and, of course, not only instantly recognizes him as the teenage boy she knew for a brief few hours a lifetime ago, but is so turned on sexually all over again that they have sex within minutes of meeting up again after all those years. (Sure, that sort of thing happens every day, right?) Numerous wise alec lines are dispersed throughout the story. Each time I read one I involuntarily heard a drum roll/cymbal crash emphasizing the punch line like some old Vaudeville act. Most of these are delivered by the professor - like when the doctor says to him, "To prevent further stress you'll have to address what brought you here." And the professor replies, "My BMW?" Cue the drum/cymbal.
Also, there are many inconsistencies throughout this book. For example, the story takes place in the present, yet both the professor and his daughter/lawyer each have answering machines with "blinking lights" straight out of the 1980s and both use flip phones, not the smart phones of today. Here's just one example - Chapter 14 the professor calls his daughter's cell phone and leaves a message -- the author writes, "I snapped my phone shut before she could pick up"-- how can she pick up in the middle of his message unless she was monitoring calls using a land-line & old fashioned answering machine?
Then there's the overuse of certain expressions. For example - "he used one hand to make a jack-off motion" is used more than once ... and once would have been MORE than enough.
On the plus side, the book is an easy, fast read with a few parts that I found to be very well written. And I liked the dog. Over all, though, I cannot recommend this book, which I found through the boomer lit thread here. The mere fact that it's a story about Woodstock and aging hippies is simply not enough to carry the day ... not even for a baby boomer.
April 19, 2013
Goodbye Emily is a fun, exciting story – part love story, part buddy story – reviving memories of days gone by.
What I liked about this book:
1. The cover. Loved it. Perfect cover for this story.
2. A terrific title.
3. The look of the numbering on each chapter. A nice detail, consistent with the whole 60s feel.
4. I enjoyed the way we discover that the "wrong girl" he meets at Woodstock is actually Emily. Nicely written.
5. The way the author wrote about the professor's feelings for his beloved wife actually brought a lump to my throat a couple of times
6. The casual, easy style of the writing. By the end of Chapter Two I was telling my wife, "Wow! This is a great book! The best story I've read in a long, long while."
7. The main character and his dog. As I began reading about the BMW driving/guitar playing Professor Ellington and his smiling Golden Retriever, I glanced down at my own Golden lying on the floor at my feet smiling lovingly up at me, then out the window at my car in the driveway, and finally to the acoustic guitar leaning against the wall in my home office, and began feeling an immediate affinity with the professor ... especially knowing that I, too, used to play in a Rock band once upon a time.
8. The sixties references and Woodstock descriptions ... very nostalgic.
9. The very final paragraph, which I thought was perfection ... absolute perfect ending for the story.
What I did not like about this book:
1. Good writing, but bad editing. This book should have been professionally edited before publishing. It really detracted from the writing. From what I understand, this is not this author's first novel and one would assume that by the eighth book he'd be on top of such things.
2. The five musical notes that kept occurring within chapters. At first I thought, "Gee, what a nice Woodstocky way to transition from present tense to flashbacks of 1969. Very clever." So, each time I saw the notes I expected a transition from or to 1969. Problem is, those notes just appear randomly, not signifying anything. Sometimes the notes were followed by a 1969 flashback, sometimes they were not.
3. Sometimes I found the dialogue confusing, in the sense that I was not always certain who was doing the speaking.
4. Typos can be found in even best-sellers, but this book had too many typos.
5. A musician would know that the preferred word that is short for microphone is mic, not mike.
6. The song lyrics quoted throughout the story were a nice way to get the reader in touch with the vibe going on ... but I hope the author had permission to use them, otherwise could be copyright problems. Seriously.
7. Finally, and this might be a tad hyper-critical, but why did so many people throughout this story keep referring to Professor Ellington, at age 60, as an “old man.” For example: Chapter 10, a red Camaro speeds by, the driver flips off the professor and yells, "watch where you're going old man!" Later in the same chapter, a neighbor, who is actually much older than the Professor, calls him "Old Man Ellington." This old man name calling is repeated many times throughout the story, conjuring up the image of a weathered, stooped, elderly person. I realize some people at age 60 actually do look that way. Yet, the Professor Ellington character is clearly not portrayed as feeble or particularly old-looking. Indeed, the guy is a chick-magnet to a good-looking, forty-something woman who's throwing herself at him, and he is virile enough to get into not one but two barroom fights – certainly no brawler would choose to have a fistfight with a guy who looks like an "old man." This just seemed inconsistent to me.
As you can see, my list has more Likes than Dislikes and, over all, I enjoyed this story quite a lot ... in fact, I loved parts of it.
What I liked about this book:
1. The cover. Loved it. Perfect cover for this story.
2. A terrific title.
3. The look of the numbering on each chapter. A nice detail, consistent with the whole 60s feel.
4. I enjoyed the way we discover that the "wrong girl" he meets at Woodstock is actually Emily. Nicely written.
5. The way the author wrote about the professor's feelings for his beloved wife actually brought a lump to my throat a couple of times
6. The casual, easy style of the writing. By the end of Chapter Two I was telling my wife, "Wow! This is a great book! The best story I've read in a long, long while."
7. The main character and his dog. As I began reading about the BMW driving/guitar playing Professor Ellington and his smiling Golden Retriever, I glanced down at my own Golden lying on the floor at my feet smiling lovingly up at me, then out the window at my car in the driveway, and finally to the acoustic guitar leaning against the wall in my home office, and began feeling an immediate affinity with the professor ... especially knowing that I, too, used to play in a Rock band once upon a time.
8. The sixties references and Woodstock descriptions ... very nostalgic.
9. The very final paragraph, which I thought was perfection ... absolute perfect ending for the story.
What I did not like about this book:
1. Good writing, but bad editing. This book should have been professionally edited before publishing. It really detracted from the writing. From what I understand, this is not this author's first novel and one would assume that by the eighth book he'd be on top of such things.
2. The five musical notes that kept occurring within chapters. At first I thought, "Gee, what a nice Woodstocky way to transition from present tense to flashbacks of 1969. Very clever." So, each time I saw the notes I expected a transition from or to 1969. Problem is, those notes just appear randomly, not signifying anything. Sometimes the notes were followed by a 1969 flashback, sometimes they were not.
3. Sometimes I found the dialogue confusing, in the sense that I was not always certain who was doing the speaking.
4. Typos can be found in even best-sellers, but this book had too many typos.
5. A musician would know that the preferred word that is short for microphone is mic, not mike.
6. The song lyrics quoted throughout the story were a nice way to get the reader in touch with the vibe going on ... but I hope the author had permission to use them, otherwise could be copyright problems. Seriously.
7. Finally, and this might be a tad hyper-critical, but why did so many people throughout this story keep referring to Professor Ellington, at age 60, as an “old man.” For example: Chapter 10, a red Camaro speeds by, the driver flips off the professor and yells, "watch where you're going old man!" Later in the same chapter, a neighbor, who is actually much older than the Professor, calls him "Old Man Ellington." This old man name calling is repeated many times throughout the story, conjuring up the image of a weathered, stooped, elderly person. I realize some people at age 60 actually do look that way. Yet, the Professor Ellington character is clearly not portrayed as feeble or particularly old-looking. Indeed, the guy is a chick-magnet to a good-looking, forty-something woman who's throwing herself at him, and he is virile enough to get into not one but two barroom fights – certainly no brawler would choose to have a fistfight with a guy who looks like an "old man." This just seemed inconsistent to me.
As you can see, my list has more Likes than Dislikes and, over all, I enjoyed this story quite a lot ... in fact, I loved parts of it.
September 18, 2013
Goodbye Emily by Michael Murphy is a 2012 copyright. John Koehler is the publisher.
Sparky, Josh, and Buck just graduated from high school. They know deep down that their lives are about to take them in separate directions. So, before college, and the war, and marriage and life in general makes them grow up and take on adult responsibilities, they head off to Woodstock.
It's just the guys and they are on a road trip. It was a time that ended up bonding them for life. Sparky meets Emily, a seventeen year old farm girl while at Woodstock and knows that she is the one.
Sure enough the two marry and spend thirty five years together and have a daughter, Cloe. Then Emily gets cancer.
It's been two years since Emily's death. Sparky still has her urn and has yet to scatter her ashes and tell her goodbye. His was eased out of his job as a college professor because of cutbacks, and now he is experiencing chest pains.
One such episode lands him in a hospital where the doctor explains to Cloe that her father has broken heart syndrome. He must deal with his sadness, stress, and start changing his eating- and drinking habits, as well get some exercise.
Cloe is a lawyer and works long hours, but she still manages to check up on her dad and scold him if need be.
Meanwhile, Sparky meets his grumpy next door neighbor's granddaughter and discovers the girl has a musical talent and likes to "jam" with Sparky. He also gets an introduction to the girl's mother. A little flirtation comes about as a result.
Sparky is also having vivid dreams of how he and Emily met at Woodstock. This was a way for the reader to get to know Emily and how she and Sparky were just meant to be.
In an attempt to deal with his grief, Sparky looks up Buck. He is mad at Buck for not attending Emily's funeral. During the visit he learns Buck has had a pretty hard life since the war and also learns that Josh has Alzheimer's. Josh is in a assisted care facility with only his deeply religious elderly mother to visit him.
The long and the short of the story is that Buck and Sparky decide to bust Josh out of his facility and take off to Woodstock again after forty years. Sparky has decided this would be the perfect place to scatter Emily's ashes and to finally say goodbye to her. The hitch is that Josh's mother has power of attorney and she does not want Josh to leave the facility. So, basically Buck and Sparky will be kidnapping Josh. But, they think they are doing the right thing by their friend.
Naturally, these crazy characters embark on one wild adventure trying to make it to Woodstock before the cops catch up to them.
There are real poignant moments that had me swallowing back tears, and some hilarious, laugh out loud moments as well. This is the story of true love, friendship, family, grief, healing, and making the most of what life gives you.
Sparky's journey brought together old friends and they made a lot of new ones along the way as well. Sparky and Cloe also grow closer as Sparky finally realizes he has been wrapped up in his own grief and left Cloe to deal with the loss of her mother on her own.
This was the best feel good story I've read in a long time. I can't believe this one was free in the kindle store. Many people of a certain age can really identify with Sparky, Josh, and Buck. But, you don't have to be a boomer to enjoy the book. It's just good story telling. I recommend this one to everyone, no matter what your preferred genre is. We all need these types of stories from time to time. Highly recommend!
Sparky, Josh, and Buck just graduated from high school. They know deep down that their lives are about to take them in separate directions. So, before college, and the war, and marriage and life in general makes them grow up and take on adult responsibilities, they head off to Woodstock.
It's just the guys and they are on a road trip. It was a time that ended up bonding them for life. Sparky meets Emily, a seventeen year old farm girl while at Woodstock and knows that she is the one.
Sure enough the two marry and spend thirty five years together and have a daughter, Cloe. Then Emily gets cancer.
It's been two years since Emily's death. Sparky still has her urn and has yet to scatter her ashes and tell her goodbye. His was eased out of his job as a college professor because of cutbacks, and now he is experiencing chest pains.
One such episode lands him in a hospital where the doctor explains to Cloe that her father has broken heart syndrome. He must deal with his sadness, stress, and start changing his eating- and drinking habits, as well get some exercise.
Cloe is a lawyer and works long hours, but she still manages to check up on her dad and scold him if need be.
Meanwhile, Sparky meets his grumpy next door neighbor's granddaughter and discovers the girl has a musical talent and likes to "jam" with Sparky. He also gets an introduction to the girl's mother. A little flirtation comes about as a result.
Sparky is also having vivid dreams of how he and Emily met at Woodstock. This was a way for the reader to get to know Emily and how she and Sparky were just meant to be.
In an attempt to deal with his grief, Sparky looks up Buck. He is mad at Buck for not attending Emily's funeral. During the visit he learns Buck has had a pretty hard life since the war and also learns that Josh has Alzheimer's. Josh is in a assisted care facility with only his deeply religious elderly mother to visit him.
The long and the short of the story is that Buck and Sparky decide to bust Josh out of his facility and take off to Woodstock again after forty years. Sparky has decided this would be the perfect place to scatter Emily's ashes and to finally say goodbye to her. The hitch is that Josh's mother has power of attorney and she does not want Josh to leave the facility. So, basically Buck and Sparky will be kidnapping Josh. But, they think they are doing the right thing by their friend.
Naturally, these crazy characters embark on one wild adventure trying to make it to Woodstock before the cops catch up to them.
There are real poignant moments that had me swallowing back tears, and some hilarious, laugh out loud moments as well. This is the story of true love, friendship, family, grief, healing, and making the most of what life gives you.
Sparky's journey brought together old friends and they made a lot of new ones along the way as well. Sparky and Cloe also grow closer as Sparky finally realizes he has been wrapped up in his own grief and left Cloe to deal with the loss of her mother on her own.
This was the best feel good story I've read in a long time. I can't believe this one was free in the kindle store. Many people of a certain age can really identify with Sparky, Josh, and Buck. But, you don't have to be a boomer to enjoy the book. It's just good story telling. I recommend this one to everyone, no matter what your preferred genre is. We all need these types of stories from time to time. Highly recommend!
March 10, 2013
I want to begin by quoting another reviewer: "I approach reviewing books, all books, not as a professional critic but as an avid reader. If they aren't run of the mill, if they entertain or enlighten me, I'll rate them highly and review them generously." My sentiments exactly.
Like most people, I enjoy a 'good read'. Generally speaking, for me that means characters, whether good or evil, that grab my attention and a plot that carries me through a well-paced, full-bodied narrative. I want to eagerly anticipate what may come next or feel very satisfied to ride along on a comfortable journey, depending on the story.
I was introduced to Goodbye Emily through the BoomerLit Goodreads group and agree that this qualifies as a good example of the genre. Typos and editing issues were noted but didn't spoil the story for me. As an author though, they were reminders of the importance of editing and proofreading. It's a must for all of us before our work is presented to the public. Yes, there were clichés. More importantly, for me, there was humour, pathos, and empathy while themes of acceptance, forgiveness and healing resonated. Lady was an integral player in the story. I found much poignancy in Sparky's character as I was widowed and wrestled with grief many years ago. Friendship is fundamental in my life and writing, so the bond connecting Sparky, Buck and Josh rang true to me. The setting and vibes of the 60's were vividly captured. Again, it was personal. I was on my way to Woodstock with four friends before we turned back at the border after hearing reports about the crowd; so I related to the story from an age perspective as well. It was fun to be reminded of what we had missed! My four stars may not resonate with all readers but that's what writing is all about. We can't please everyone in spite of our best efforts. Thanks, Michael Murphy, for pleasing this reader!
September 30, 2013
This is a memoir with each chapter devoted to significant times in the author’s life. It is a retrospective, a looking back, at the situations and events that have made her who she is today.
Confessions is categorised as Boomer literature but I’m not sure. My understanding of the genre is that the principle character or characters are boomer agers in the present day and the story is an exploration of how they are looking ahead and coming to terms with aging and pursuing a worthy life after retiring from their lifetime career. But Confessions, as I say, is the author reminiscing about her life and what brought her to this point. Therefore, is it Boomer literature? I’m not going to angst about it, it’s a nice read in its own right.
I always wonder when reading memoirs how the author, in revealing the intimacies of their own lives, reconciles the revealing of other people’s, often family members, intimate details. I imagine that they ask for and are given permission. I pose that question because this one does contain such revelations.
Most chapters recall a different event or episode in Robert’s life but several, from chapter 13, follow her through 15 years from the idea and creation of a play Letters from the front she and her husband eventually took on tour to US military bases throughout the world. It became known as ‘The world’s most decorated play’ and if the passion they so obviously poured into it has anything to do with it I can understand why it became such a success.
Confessions is a straightforward memoir, candid, full of warmth and caring. Roberts’ faith that God will show the way shines through. Each parable engenders an emotional response be it a lump in the throat all the way through to a smile.
Simply and sincerely told I found it an easy, at times heart-tugging but heart-warming, read.
Confessions is categorised as Boomer literature but I’m not sure. My understanding of the genre is that the principle character or characters are boomer agers in the present day and the story is an exploration of how they are looking ahead and coming to terms with aging and pursuing a worthy life after retiring from their lifetime career. But Confessions, as I say, is the author reminiscing about her life and what brought her to this point. Therefore, is it Boomer literature? I’m not going to angst about it, it’s a nice read in its own right.
I always wonder when reading memoirs how the author, in revealing the intimacies of their own lives, reconciles the revealing of other people’s, often family members, intimate details. I imagine that they ask for and are given permission. I pose that question because this one does contain such revelations.
Most chapters recall a different event or episode in Robert’s life but several, from chapter 13, follow her through 15 years from the idea and creation of a play Letters from the front she and her husband eventually took on tour to US military bases throughout the world. It became known as ‘The world’s most decorated play’ and if the passion they so obviously poured into it has anything to do with it I can understand why it became such a success.
Confessions is a straightforward memoir, candid, full of warmth and caring. Roberts’ faith that God will show the way shines through. Each parable engenders an emotional response be it a lump in the throat all the way through to a smile.
Simply and sincerely told I found it an easy, at times heart-tugging but heart-warming, read.
March 10, 2013
Like The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry, this is an example of Boomer lit, the new genre focused on issues faced by boomers now that they are leaving behind their working years and have to face the challenges of a new phase in their lives. In this case, the challenges are many: loss of a loved one (the professor's wife, Emily), Alzheimer's (affecting one of the professor's closest friend) and traumatic memories of the Vietnam war (affecting his other friend). The three will make a trip together to Woodstock where the professor met his wife in 1969 - a cathartic trip that is however full of unexpected surprises, wild chases and tons of good music.
Because this is a page turner, and in spite of the serious issues it deals with, Goodbye Emily is a fun read, a "feel good" read. There are comic touches but also deep feelings as grief is overcome and transformed, as new loves arise and old friendships are renewed. Even the dog is memorable.
Why not give it five stars? The plot and characters deserve it and so does the writing. The missing star is simply due to the quality of the editing that could have insured a perfect script yet didn't (for example, the flashbacks tend to be too predictable and a varying structure for them would have been preferable). But these are highly technical points and they don't detract from the pleasure of reading.
Because this is a page turner, and in spite of the serious issues it deals with, Goodbye Emily is a fun read, a "feel good" read. There are comic touches but also deep feelings as grief is overcome and transformed, as new loves arise and old friendships are renewed. Even the dog is memorable.
Why not give it five stars? The plot and characters deserve it and so does the writing. The missing star is simply due to the quality of the editing that could have insured a perfect script yet didn't (for example, the flashbacks tend to be too predictable and a varying structure for them would have been preferable). But these are highly technical points and they don't detract from the pleasure of reading.
September 13, 2013
This is one freebie I won't regret picking up. Lately all the free kindle books I've picked have been crap but this one is a genius.
Sparky lost his wife Emily 2 years ago & the heartbreak is quite literally causing him Broken heart syndrome. He hasn't met his 2 best friends for 2 years. On an unfortunate day, he lands himself in a hospital to realize the gravity of his situation. The only way to help himself is to face his problems head on.
This is when he decides to meet his friends; Buck who's facing his own demons and Josh lost in Alzheimer's. Their get together make him realize that the only way to find peace is by letting Emily go. What better than scattering her ashes with his best friends in Woodstock where they first met!
Not only is the story lovely but it is narrated beautifully. The current day narration is interwoven with the excerpts when Sparky first meets Emily. The character's, events are very well developed. How I wished I were there to watch the entire Woodstock concert. Before I read this, I had no idea anything like that ever happened. I would definitely recommend!!
Sparky lost his wife Emily 2 years ago & the heartbreak is quite literally causing him Broken heart syndrome. He hasn't met his 2 best friends for 2 years. On an unfortunate day, he lands himself in a hospital to realize the gravity of his situation. The only way to help himself is to face his problems head on.
This is when he decides to meet his friends; Buck who's facing his own demons and Josh lost in Alzheimer's. Their get together make him realize that the only way to find peace is by letting Emily go. What better than scattering her ashes with his best friends in Woodstock where they first met!
Not only is the story lovely but it is narrated beautifully. The current day narration is interwoven with the excerpts when Sparky first meets Emily. The character's, events are very well developed. How I wished I were there to watch the entire Woodstock concert. Before I read this, I had no idea anything like that ever happened. I would definitely recommend!!
April 10, 2013
Michael Murphy's novel, Goodbye Emily, is a touching look back to the era of Woodstock and the 60s. Murphy expertly weaves the main character Walter Ellington, a.k.a. Sparky, back and forth from the present to 1969 and his experiences with his two best friends at Woodstock where he relives the first meeting of his beloved and now deceased wife, Emily.
Now, a recently fired professor and a bit of a curmudgeon, Sparky Ellington faces heart problems aggravated by his inability to put Emily to rest and the bruised relationships of his friends behind him. With the reality of his and one of his friend's failing health pressing him onward, Sparky begins a final journey to rebuild his friendships and to say goodbye to Woodstock and to Emily.
The story pulls you along. Before you realize it, you are 200 pages deep and making the trip back to upstate New York. Touching, riveting, nostalgic -- reading Murphy's novel is time well-spent, especially if your memory and heart are easily tugged back to the 60s, or as in my case, to a loved one who has left you way too soon.
Now, a recently fired professor and a bit of a curmudgeon, Sparky Ellington faces heart problems aggravated by his inability to put Emily to rest and the bruised relationships of his friends behind him. With the reality of his and one of his friend's failing health pressing him onward, Sparky begins a final journey to rebuild his friendships and to say goodbye to Woodstock and to Emily.
The story pulls you along. Before you realize it, you are 200 pages deep and making the trip back to upstate New York. Touching, riveting, nostalgic -- reading Murphy's novel is time well-spent, especially if your memory and heart are easily tugged back to the 60s, or as in my case, to a loved one who has left you way too soon.
April 24, 2013
I love a good story that I can wrap my arms around. Goodbye Emily is one of those. Although the generation-defining moment of Woodstock serves as the catalyst for the plot, the emotions of the characters cross many generations, whether you remember Woodstock or not. As a boomer, I connected with Sparky immediately. The emotional conflicts he experiences are universal to us boomers as we age: love and loss, guilt and resolution, fear and inspiration. Above all, though, it is Sparky and gang's quest to recapture their coming-of-age spirit while facing their own mortality that stands out. Michael Murphy beautifully keeps Emily alive in Sparky's heart from the first word to the last. Oh, to have that feeling of naivety again, where you can climb up on the stage after the show and hand Jimi Hendrix a camera to take your picture. Magic.
May 14, 2014
Michael Murphy has offered to come to the Prescott Public Library and talk about his book on Thursday, September 25, 2014 at 10 a.m. so I thought I should read it. He was nice enough to send a copy to be added to the library collection and I checked it out. I was expecting a good book - but this one blew me away. An aging professor has been forcibly retired and still has trouble getting past the death of his beloved wife, Emily, two years previous. He's having panic attacks and his lifestyle is not healthy, to say the least. But when a serious attack lands him in the hospital, he must face the conflicts and stressors in his life and resolve them. How he does that is the meat of the story. It starts out a little slow but by page 30, I had laughed, cried and cringed at the senior humor (which sadly enough - I got!) and couldn't put it down. Try it, you'll see what I mean.
March 2, 2013
If you haven't read Goodbye Emily by Michael Murphy, you need to put it on your must read list. This is more than boomer lit. Yes, the main characters are baby boomers and they did attend Woodstock, but this is a book that every age can enjoy. It is a story about love and loss, friendship and family. It is about life and it is inspirational. Goodbye Emily will draw you in and you will be right there with Sparky, Buck, and Josh experiencing the ride of a lifetime. This book is so well written that it becomes a part of you, something that only a few books do. Michael Murphy, I applaud you and I thank you.
March 3, 2013
Life is worth living. That's the theme that spoke to me when I read Michael Murphy's wonderful novel "Goodbye Emily." The characters came alive and played out a journey that graciously brought me along. Plot and subplots were seemlessly--skillfully--interwoven, immersing me in a mixture of nostalgia, friendship, love, loss, heartache, humor, rock and roll, and, ultimately, an uplifting of the soul. This heart-warming story would not release me from its emotional power, and I imagine it won't for some time to come. In a word: Magnificent.
February 20, 2013
Goodbye Emily is a wonderfully told story of love and loss, of joy and sorrow, of courage and compassion, of mistakes and, ultimately, the triumph of the human spirit. The book is about the Woodstock generation with its liberal, anti-war attitudes and its predilection for sex, drugs and rock-and-roll. It is about reaching that stage in life where first (or second) marriages are over, children are grown and retirement has been reached or looms ahead. It’s about what’s next. However, this very good book transcends its protagonist’s generation. It is about meaning, and it’s timeless.
April 4, 2013
You'll cry, you'll laugh, you'll remember...
Whether you were there or you only heard about it on the news, you owe it to yourself to take this ride. Michael Murphy's GOODBYE EMILY takes you back to Woodstock - to a time of war and activism, peace and love, and rock & roll. Mr. Murphy's characters will charm you and have you rooting for them. If you love a little feel-good nostalgia, pick up GOODBYE EMILY by Michael Murphy. You'll be glad you did!
Whether you were there or you only heard about it on the news, you owe it to yourself to take this ride. Michael Murphy's GOODBYE EMILY takes you back to Woodstock - to a time of war and activism, peace and love, and rock & roll. Mr. Murphy's characters will charm you and have you rooting for them. If you love a little feel-good nostalgia, pick up GOODBYE EMILY by Michael Murphy. You'll be glad you did!
February 11, 2013
Goodbye Emily is a tale of long-term friendship that withstands the test of time. Michael Murphy creates snappy dialogue and interesting, well-developed characters to root for as they undertake an obstacle-filled road trip back to Woodstock. The place it all began. I enjoyed this journey so much that I hated for it to end.
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