Overview

"Engaging Life: Memoirs of a Charming, Willful Southern Woman of the 20th Century chronicles the true story of the life of Marcellite, a mischievous, sophisticated, and thoroughly Southern woman with great depth of character. Highly social and fun-loving, Marcellite-cousin, once removed, of author Dr. Henry Dolive and granddaughter of A Touch of Glory! protagonist, William Louis Dolive- immersed herself with people and their activities everywhere she went. Like its prequel, which takes place two generations prior during Reconstruction, Engaging Life is packed with three-dimensional characters full of vim and vigor and humorous action. Engaging Life highlights various stages of Marcellite's life, from her childhood until her death at 102, including three marriages, although she only counted two. Her life was shaped by the fascinating history of her time: World War I, living in southern cities, the Roaring Twenties, the Great Depression, and, in her second, 34-year military marriage, World War II, post-war Germany, the Korean Conflict, Huntsville and the space race, caring for her mother on the historic family grove, another marriage and extensive travel-both domestic and overseas. Although she had no biological children of her own, Marcellite was a cherished ""mother"" and ""grandmother"" to her descendants by marriage."

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9781662936159

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Reviews

"Book Review 1: ""Engaging Life, as told by Marcellite Dolive Pearce Baker herself, takes the reader through a personal tour of the major historical events of the twentieth century and beyond. From Florida to Atlanta to Europe to Korea to points within the US, Marcellite places her personal adventures in context with the times that will educate readers and help them conjure up memories of their own. History at the most human level, this family memoir brims with a gripping account of how one gentle Southern woman made the most of her unexpectedly adventurous life."" -- E. Stanly Godbold, Jr. Professor Emeritus of History, Mississippi State University Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter: Power and Human Rights, 1975-2020 Book Review 2: ""Engaging Life is a very readable, mostly-true story of a woman's well-lived life. From her childhood, through three marriages, travel, and a cancer diagnosis, the reader gets to know Marcellite's honest opinions, witness her devotion to her parents, and feel the warmth of her relationships and family ties. As a history buff, I delighted in reading what felt like a century's personal diary."" -- Kathy Cannon Wiechman Winner of the 2015 Grateful American Book Prize Like a River Book Review 3: ""Henry Clarke Dolive's Engaging Life is a meticulously researched and lovingly written memoir of a remarkable lady, Marcellite Dolive Pearce Baker. With an eye for detail, it's a tale of the twentieth century told from her point of view starting from when she was a young girl during World War I, through the Great Depression and America during and after World War II in Europe, into the new Millenium. Her story is told with wit, charm, and the occasional heartbreak. When you've read this, you'll feel as if you are a part of this remarkable, unforgettable family."" -- Thomas Kies Edgar Award Nominated Crime Novelist and Playwright. The Geneva Chase Mystery Series"

Author Information

"Henry Dolive has an abiding interest in family history and the lives of relatives with depth of character. His cousin, Marcellite Dolive Pearce Baker, was one such relative. Dr. Dolive was well-equipped to write Marcellite's memoirs due to her participation and the collaboration of others close to her. Also, his academic background in American Studies, Political Science, and Philosophy; career academic and governmental writing and publication; and being a 5th generation Southerner, attuned him to the cultural, generational, and political changes reflected in Engaging Life and its companion book, A Touch of Glory!, the latter a prequel taking place two generations prior during Reconstruction. The characters in Engaging Life are alive and thre -dimensional, full of ""vim and vigor"", and the action is often humorous.Henry participates in a well-published writer's critique group and enjoys drafting children's stories and reading children's literature to second graders at an inner-city school. His last publication was entitled ""Racoon Wars"", set in his large roof garden. He lives in the woods with his musician wife, a border collie, and a golden retriever. Heating their house with wood stoves, he chainsaws and splits firewood. He enjoys photography, hiking, biking, kayaking, singing, and pickleball - and has a college-student daughter and an attorney son."

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