Battling the Blessings by author Terry Fulgham-A Review

Battling the Blessings is author Terry Fulgham' slife story which spans over fifty years, reflecting on his childhood,the teen years, and into his adulthood. Fulgham changed the names ofthe characters, including his own, to protect the innocent. Wemeet Reggie Manchester-Pallor as a nine-year-old in 1956. Reggie livedin Flint, Michigan with his grandparents, who he lovingly referred toas "Big Mama" and "Papa Manchester." The Manchester house was a caring,respectful, and disciplined Christian home. Growing up then wasdifferent than it is today; children only spoke to adults when theywere spoken to. If a kid stepped out of line, they were spanked. Reggiesaw his share of spankings, or whippings, as he called them. Reggie wasvery close to his grandparents and, as his father was not around; PapaManchester was his only male influence. The passing of PapaManchester left a profound emptiness in 10-year-old Reggie's life,leaving him with a feeling of helplessness. A few months after the lossof his grandfather, Reggie met Jesse "Pancake" Stoner. Reggie was smallfor his age and a favorite target of bullies. Pancake was one of thebiggest kids in school. With Pancake around, no one bothered Reggie.Pancake and Reggie grew to be as close as brothers, and together wereboth respected and feared in their neighborhood. At age 13, Reggie,Pancake and their friends began drinking wine, smoking, and later,stealing cars. Reggie was the only one of his friends to graduatefrom high school. In the last few years of school, he held numerousjobs where he was known as a hard and dedicated worker. This weekdaylife differed greatly from his weekends, as he continued to love thestreet life. Drinking alcohol and cough syrup (for a codeine high),popping pills, fighting, stealing, and chasing girls filled his offwork hours. Big Mama doubted Reggie would see his 21st birthday if hedidn't stop his street life. The failure of his second marriageand the death of a close friend had Reggie drinking more than ever anddeeper into drugs and his life of crime. It took losing a fight to ayounger man, being severely beaten, and his mother's desperate pleadingfor him to straighten out his life to get Reggie to take his sobrietyseriously and pray, "Lord, stop me from drinking." Much more thana story of addiction, Battling the Blessings is a snapshot of Americanhistory. Fulgham treats us with his memories of growing up in the 50'sand 60's, using the slang and lingo of that time in his realisticdialogue. He adds the music, clothes, hairstyles, and vehicles of theday and tells his riveting story with his own unique style to take usback to that turbulent time. Battling The Blessings isn't simply akid-gets-hooked-on-booze-and-drugs-and-turns-his-life-around story. Itis an unflinching and inspiring telling of a man's struggle withhimself and his demons. Fulgham doesn't make excuses for his actions;he takes full responsibility. Reggie isn't a bad guy-he is a smart,compassionate person who just made many bad choices. I found myselfcheering for him, hoping that he would one day leave the street lifebehind and make himself and his family proud. This is Fulgham'sfirst book. However, he writes with the skill of a seasoned author. Heknows how to spin a story in a way that will affect and captivate hisreader. Often, I was laughing at his humour, shaking my head in shock,and misting up at a sad passage all in the same chapter. I highlyrecommend this entertaining glimpse into a remarkable life. by William Potter for Reader's Choice Reviews.com Lulu 2008 978-1-4357-5705-9

Was this helpful? 0 0 Comments

You're reading Battling the Blessings by author Terry Fulgham-A Review.