Review: Goodbye Emily by Michael Murphy – Going back in order to move forward

Review: Goodbye Emily by Michael Murphy – Going back in order to move forward

GoodbeyeEmilyDo you remember your high school days? Maybe you were a jock and hung out with other athletes at your school. Maybe you were artsy and spent your study halls in the ceramics room. Maybe you were a band geek and dedicated your afternoons, Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings to marching band. Or maybe you had your own clique, a small group of friends who didn’t quite fit into any of the groups, but that didn’t stop you from having a good time.

Michael Murphy’s book Goodbye Emily made me think back to my high school days. I remember Friday nights cheering for our terrible football team, Saturday nights catching a local concert and trying not to get caught skipping school or missing work. Back then I took a lot of risks, because I didn’t have much experience and so the risk wasn’t as scary to me as it may be today in my 30’s.

Sparky Ellington is an aging hippie. A retired professor, he’s facing a new milestone in his life. His wife has died, his daughter may move away for her job and his friends won’t be around for much longer. The stress that comes from facing these problems head-on each day and keeping his emotions bottled up inside has turned Sparky into a recluse with heart problems.

His doctor’s advice? Sparky must face his problems and learn to deal with them or fall victim to heart failure. Easy for him to say. He didn’t just lose the love of his life to cancer. His friend isn’t locked in a home because of Alzheimer’s. His best friend didn’t miss his wife’s funeral. His daughter isn’t planning to move away and bury herself in her work. He didn’t get sacked by the job he had for over 20 years by an arrogant ass half his age.

When Sparky decides to face these issues head on, what ensues is one of the best hippie stories I’ve read thus far. Not only do we get to learn how Sparky met his wife, Emily, at Woodstock in 1969, we get to witness his personal pilgrimage back to Yasgur’s Farm to spread Emily’s ashes in the place that not only brought them together, but helped define the people that they would become.

Woodstock_posterWoodstock was the mark of a defining moment for Sparking and the rest of the members of the Buck Naked Band – Sparky’s old high school friends. The next fall Sparky and Josh would be headed to college while Buck entered boot camp and later would be sent to Vietnam. The return to Woodstock would also be a defining moment for these three individuals. Sparky learns that you’re never too old to embrace life and take a few risks if you know what you’re doing is right.

This is a great story for those who are a fan of Woodstock and the music. In fact, these people will appreciate the story most. But it can also be enjoyed by those who like to remember the good times and never want to lose nostalgia. 4-stars for Goodbye Emily and may I say that I thoroughly enjoyed discovering this author, Michael Murphy.

What music were you into when you were a teenager?

Bookworm is the reading hippy who uses books to escape reality and take far out trips. In the afterglow of her trips, Bookworm is always struck with enlightenment from what she has just read. She sees how modern literature is influencing cultures, society and even future histories. If you dig it, stay tuned as Bookworm shares her thoughts and ponderings related to the books she’s reading.