#BookReview: Sunday Afternoons and Other Times Remembered (A Memoir) by Ben Ewell

Synopsis: On the afternoon of Easter Sunday, 1992, Ben Ewell’s brother, sister-in-law, and niece were all murdered. While trying to make sense of this staggering tragedy, Ben can’t help but think back through his life: the hard work and the many peaceful Sunday afternoons growing up on his family farm in Ohio in a house without a bathroom or running water; his high school antics in the 1950s; his time in Haight-Ashbury while attending law school in 1960s San Francisco; and the highs and lows, both personal and professional, of life after school. Threaded throughout these reminiscences, Ben reveals the details of the investigation of his family members’ murders—and the arrest and trial of the parties involved. 


In this decades-long saga, there is marriage and divorce, love and loss, family and friendship; there are political campaigns and business ventures, some failed and some fruitful. Ultimately, this is a story of perseverance in the face of tragedy, of creating opportunities out of problems, and of appreciating the gift of life and the world around us—with some humor along the way. 

This title will be released on June 14, 2022.

Goodreads | Amazon

Rating: 3 Stars
My Review: This was a look at the life of one person and those around them.  I found myself wanting to skip to the end to see how everything ended up but fought myself so I wouldn't do it. It was interesting learning about things from another POV. 

Review

“Over the course of this memoir, Ewell’s prose is pleasant, straightforward, and evocative. His descriptions of farm life are particularly vivid .”
—Kirkus Reviews

“Ewell is a gifted storyteller whose memoir is filled with colorful stories of the struggles he has faced. His poignant and often heartbreaking tale will undoubtedly appeal to fans of the genre.”
—The US Review of Books

“Ben Ewell’s memoir tells us that the bright light of success inevitably casts shadows. Alternately inspiring and daunting, this book is always engaging, with the unforeseen turns in the road leading to personal contentment all against the backdrop of a multi-generational story that blends close family ties with tragedy and loss.”
—John Hales, author of Shooting Polaris: A Personal Survey in the American West

“Ben Ewell portrays his passion for his family’s Ohio farm with intricate detail for the landscape. As a reader, I can almost touch the blackberries, the beech, and the maples. He writes with authenticity about his parents and siblings, bringing them to life on the page.”
—Sally Vogl, contributing poet to Lunch Ticket and the Main Street Rag

About the Author

Ben Ewell was born and raised on a small farm near Brighton, Ohio. He received his BA from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, and his JD from UC Hastings College of Law in San Francisco, California. He practices law, specializing in water rights, in Fresno, California, where he resides with his wife, Suzanne. He is the father of five sons. He is also a developer whose projects include a New Town financed by foreign investors. Ben is active in his community, his church, and in politics, and he loves spending time with his family at his ranch in the Sierra Nevada foothills. This is his first book.

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Posted in: 3 Stars, Adult, Non Fiction, Review, SparksPress