Reflections on Life’s Illusions: A Memoir of Culture and Consciousness

Description

“[An] introspective memoir reflecting on the power of stories amid sociocultural upheaval . . . Painted with rich, evocative details . . . a compelling glimpse into what it means to be alive” —Booklife Review/Publishers Weekly

Dive into the pool of memory with Jane Gallagher as she searches for a path through today’s cultural controversies, uncovering their roots in the explosive era of her youth between 1954 and 1975. Exploring the impact on her growing psyche of the vast array of cultural extremes that swirled around children in the baby boom era, she weaves a tapestry of stories that includes McCarthyism’s anti-communist paranoia, the Vietnam War, Watergate and systemic racism beside the birth of second wave feminism, the civil rights movement, the environmental movement, and more, weaving in the voices of leading intellectuals beside her own.

Colorful stories of personal experience are woven in counterpoint to associated social commentary, including a search for personal identity, meaningful relationships, and a rewarding career. Personal and cultural perspectives intertwine in reflections on the character of the times she’s lived through, including grief following a quick succession of political assassinations and the impact of the birth of rock ’n’ roll and the hippie movement beside the atrocities of Jim Crow racism.

Culminating in the repercussions of a life-changing hike through the mountains of Peru, a focus on the outer journey throughout the book is coupled with reflections on the corresponding inner journey to reconnect with wonder, joy, and awe.