Arneson Tugs Heart Strings Again
Paul Arneson reaffirms his true sense of family in this recent work "I Could Not Milk Another Goat". Read Ralph Peluso's review here!
Arneson Tugs Heart Strings Again
Review: I Couldn’t Milk Another Goat
Author: Paul S. Arneson
Publisher: Self Published
Reviewed by: Ralph Peluso, Literary Editor
Zebra Rating – 5 Stripes
Alexandria, VA – Paul Arneson reaffirms his true sense of family in this recent work. I Could Not Milk Another Goat captures the fantastic true-life story of his courageous grandmother Carrie Kirkeeide Thorson, who left Norway not knowing if she would ever see her family again.
The impetus for this book came when she went to Arneson for help to write her story. “Why,” Paul asked her, “did you leave your beautiful village on a Norwegian fjord?” Carrie responded without hesitation, “Da truth is, I just couldn’t milk another goat.”
Her story is not too dissimilar to the many other immigrants entering the United States in the early 1900s. Through Carrie’s stories, Paul shares her enormous energy and even larger loving heart. Using poetic license, he spiced up the tales to capture Carrie’s charming and gregarious nature.
Imagine the strength it took for the 24-year-old Carrie, with full responsibility for an 18-year-old brother, to step onto the S.S. Invernia and head to America. This was a time when the world began to change radically. In America, she experienced the birth of air flight, women’s suffrage, an influenza pandemic, the Great Depression, and two world wars. Paul provides links for readers to connect with other significant events and locations in Carrie’s journey.
I asked Paul why he writes family story-centric books? Without hesitation he said, “All families should have a documentarian. Someone who can talk to grandparents, uncles, and aunts before it is too late. I am that person for my family.”
Paul is a retired U.S. Air Force Colone whose military career included postings in seven U.S. states and several overseas locations. He served as a professor at the National Defense University in Washington, D.C., ending his military service as the Transportation Director for Strategic Airlift on the Air Staff at the Pentagon. Paul was born and raised in Minneapolis, MN, where he married his sweetheart Betty in 1968.
“I Couldn’t Milk Another Goat” is a good read for well-bonded families and for those that need a little nudge to rekindle their unity. Zebra rating 5 stars
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