Otherwise, I'm Fine
A Memoir
Barbara Presnell’s grace-filled memoir reflects on the loss of her father and a sibling trip to Europe to re-create his World War II travels.
Presnell’s father, Bill, died after surgery when she was fourteen years old. Her mother, thinking it would be easier for her three children, decided the family would never mention Bill again. Indeed, Presnell once lied to an adult, saying that he was away on business. The shared secrecy only compounded the family’s loss, though.
Decades later, Presnell still had unresolved trauma to address with therapists. Part of her healing strategy was to retrace her soldier father’s route through France, Germany, Belgium, and the Netherlands. His uniform and journal became totem objects for the tour. Unaware, she and her siblings arrived on Victory in Europe Day and headed to Omaha Beach. Even seventy years later, the French still expressed gratitude for the US’s assistance. The German abbey where American soldiers were billeted had become a hotel, while Bergen-Belsen persisted as a memorial to genocide. The sites connected with her father exuded sacredness: “It feels like holy ground… . If I listen, I will hear his voice.”
The narrative toggles between the aftermath of Presnell’s father’s death and the commemorative European trip, which took place in 2014. Scant childhood memories of her father are vivified in the course of this work. And the effects of bereavement on the family are charted with delicacy and psychological acuity. Presnell acknowledges her inability to sympathize with what her mother was enduring. Every Sunday, they tended to Bill’s grave, keeping up appearances but not dealing with their grief. The European pilgrimage served as an opportunity to mend relationships with her estranged brother and sister as well.
Otherwise, I’m Fine is a tender family memoir about grief, memory, and reconnection.
Reviewed by
Rebecca Foster
Disclosure: This article is not an endorsement, but a review. The publisher of this book provided free copies of the book to have their book reviewed by a professional reviewer. No fee was paid by the publisher for this review. Foreword Reviews only recommends books that we love. Foreword Magazine, Inc. is disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
