Digging into family history can lead to interesting discoveries and insights into your family’s dynamics. Debbie Russell, Minnesota lawyer-turned-writer, experienced this firsthand and shares her discoveries in her debut book Crossing Fifty-One: Not Quite a Memoir.
In a recent What We’re Reading interview Debbie explained that she called the book “Not Quite a Memoir” because it is largely a multi-generational story. About 10 years ago, as her father Ralph’s health was deteriorating due to Parkinson’s Disease, she made a discovery in a box of old family memorabilia.
Debbie said, “In one of these boxes was this very pristine file folder that was bound with a rubber band, and it really looked like it had never been opened.”
In that folder Debbie discovered that her grandfather, who was a doctor, admitted himself to a “narcotics farm” in 1951 for rehabilitation for an addiction to the drugs he was using to manage his asthma.
Debbie explained further, “He flew to Fort Worth, Texas and never came home. And I think that was kind of a surprise to the rest of the family, given that it was a week or so before Christmas...He made kind of an impulsive decision to just stay there…”
The folder also included letters between Debbie’s grandfather and the rest of the family during his four-month rehabilitation, giving Debbie a unique view into this period of family history. Many of the letters were from Debbie’s father, allowing her insight into his younger self.
As Debbie investigated, there were many questions she wanted to ask her father. But finding time alone with him became difficult--with her father’s ailing health, her mother became overly protective of him and her and Debbie’s already troubled relationship became more volatile. Debbie reached a point where she knew she needed to seek out therapy to help her deal with the wide range of events suddenly coming to a head.
Crossing Fifty-One is extensively researched and documented, which is not surprising given Debbie was a lawyer for 25 years. But making the switch to creative writing from legal writing was a challenge. When she knew she wanted to tell this story, she prepared by taking creative writing courses and honing her craft through her blog.
Debbie’s father passed away in 2018, at the age of 90. She is grateful for having the chance to learn more about her father’s life and how he was the quiet glue keeping their family together despite dysfunctional family dynamics.
Debbie is also grateful for the feedback she’s received from sharing her story.
“Just being out and about and connecting with people who have gone through similar situations…it's just been remarkable. I feel very free. I feel really connected…it has presented me with gifts far beyond what I could have imagined.”
More information on Debbie Russell and her book Crossing Fifty-One: Not Quite a Memoir can be found on her website.
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