When Life Was Still

When Life Was Still - Julie A. Ryan

For those who care about the future of America, When Life Was Still provides thought-provoking fictional historical narratives. The trilogy is written for people who value the character and integrity of a nation. It is for those who recognize and resist abuse of power. This chronology of American families that begins with immigrants in a land of opportunity is for all who desire to give a better world to future generations.

The When Life Was Still trilogy is a fictional commentary from the past that alludes to current issues in American society. Woven with historical and mystical threads, multigenerational stories intertwine in this compelling family saga as Ellen, Greta, and Amy document harrowing odysseys experienced while pursuing their dreams. Despite political and religious barriers to possessing a voice that is heard and encounters with abuse of power, each woman is propelled toward her desired destination by reason and the ghost of a determined girl who helps move the world.

The final book of the trilogy features Amy Clausen, who is born afflicted with existential angst in 1968 near the Minnesota village of St. Owen. As she writes essays in her notebooks about her “tragic” life, Amy dwells on her rural Catholic upbringing, alcohol abuse, suicidal tendencies, her fear of dreaming, and the inability to outrun the annoying ghosts of her past.