The Making of a Country Lawyer: An Autobiography by
Gerry Spence My rating:
4 of 5 stars I have been touched by this man's childhood, adulthood, career and traditions. He is only 20 years older than I. I am now in law school.
I really don't want to be in law school. Like myself he did, and then he didn't. I liked the rugged life he had, learning how to do so many things that today is taken for granted. Hunting for your own food, canning, sewing clothes out of hides (done by his mother), how he saw her as an angel but not a loving emotionally giving angel but as a servant of God.
So close to nature,fishing in brooks. Going against a wind pressing and pushing like Eros. Snowfalls and ice. School and the annoying teachers. His insecurity, within and without.
s*xual encounters and alcoholic binges. Navy stints and naivete. Falling in love assuredly but recklessly and making it all work. Enduring a marriage where he was emotionally abusive. Making moves from a green lawyer working on abstracts, to running for D.A. Taking tough stands and making enemies. After defending a few cases, and doing well never losing, the big boys knocked on his door, would he work for the big bad insurance companies? Why not? and he did..only to find out later that was carving his soul. He tried to run for Congress, lost. Got up again and asked for an appointment to a Judgeship, but the enemies he made came together against him.
Spiritual trials and tribulations, selling off all of his belongings, a type of cleansing, falling in love with someone else he called 'Imaging Crow' a love so deep that it rocked his marriage. He left his wife, moved in with his lover, tried it again, and finally left the wife. Divorced and remarried another 40 years to his present love.
What a rich tapestry we are exposed to. Wonderful. At the end he goes back to defending the people against the government and corporations.
View all my reviews
Posted By: Marta Fernandez
Sunday, August 14th 2011 at 7:50PM
You can also
click
here to view all posts by this author...