Wynn Johnson Livres

Lische, the second book by Wynn Johnson, reads like a novel but the people we meet and the events that take place were very real. The author relates in detail how his ancestor, Lische, establishes his farm after staking his claim in the wild lands of Kentucky in 1857. He marries his childhood sweetheart, Sally, in 1858 and, almost against his original idea of leading a simple, self-sufficient farming life, becomes the patriarch of a very successful family where their businesses make them very wealthy. Lische retains the love of a simple life on a farm in a spectacular setting but he is unable to resist the requirements and ambitions of a developing country and he has to succumb to the new ways in order to survive.

The narrative explores the profound impact of a singular individual whose presence transforms the lives of those around her, set against the backdrop of nearly seventy years. It reflects on a simpler yet complex past, evoking nostalgia and appreciation for familial bonds. The stories of various characters highlight their struggles and triumphs, resonating with themes of spirituality and emotional depth. Readers will find themselves moved by the interconnectedness of life experiences and the enduring influence of one remarkable person.

Wynn Johnson takes us on a journey of discovery through his fascinating life starting with his childhood in rural Kentucky in the mid-1950s through to the early 1990s in Columbus. His childhood alongside his large family is adventurous but filled with the simple pleasures of a rural village life. His neighbourhood is bursting with interesting and quirky characters, with lots of tales to tell. However, the tumultuous decade of the 1960s with its space travel, political drama, the Vietnam War, and exciting new music, has a disquieting effect on Wynn. After experiencing a brief first love, Wynn hops a train to find work with his brother in Ohio. Despite a regular job at a factory, Wynn still dreams of travel and adventure. We follow his story as he experiences a tough initiation into the Marines and then as he moves on and starts his own business. Along the way, we meet a whole cast of vibrant characters from moonshiners, bootleggers and thieves to the kind and honourable people who have defined his life.

A Sojourn Life is the autobiographical tale of Wynn Johnson's travels around his beloved America. An ex-marine sergeant, Wynn tells us of his life installing cable TV around the United States. Never stopping in one state for long, Wynn's accounts evoke an America that most of us are not ever privileged to see. From disaster repair in the hurricane hit state of Florida, to the snowy north and onto the wild Badlands, Wynn describes a nomadic life, but with his roots and heart still firmly at home. But it is his descriptions of his drives that really paint a picture of the dramatic and vastly differing beauty of rural America throughout the seasons. In turn uplifting and heartbreaking, amusing and poignant, this is a book to truly savour.