In OUR STORY, authors Bill and Glenda Clark (along with their son, Jim) deliver a remarkably comprehensive memoir that follows two Depression-era farm kids from their first meeting in third grade through nearly nine decades of partnership, offering readers an intimate window into a truly exceptional love story. Their journey parallels the major transformations in American society, from the upheaval of World War II through the social revolutions of the ‘60s and the digital age that followed.
The book opens by introducing young Glenda, who lost her mother shortly after the beginning of her sixth-grade year. A parallel narrative follows Bill’s early life and sets the stage for their first encounter in a rural schoolhouse, which would soon spark a decades-long romance: “Long before the sixth-grade Bill and Glenda had established themselves as outstanding students. It became routine for each Six Weeks Honor Roll to show in alphabetical progression: Bill Clark and Glenda Colton.”
From there, OUR STORY chronicles the couple’s journey, beginning in an era when horses still pulled the plows and indoor plumbing was a luxury. Through richly detailed recollections, the narrative follows the couple’s careers in education, Bill’s celebrated achievements in basketball coaching, and Glenda’s accomplishments as an educator and community leader. In fact, it’s Glenda’s meticulous nature that shaped their home life and enabled the preservation of their story through 36 years of daily journal entries. The Clarks don’t shy away from life’s challenges, often offering candid insights into how their partnership weathered personal losses, career transitions, and health struggles.
What sets OUR STORY apart is its extraordinary attention to detail and the way it captures both the minutiae of daily life and the historical changes the couple witnessed: “Bill had received his orders to report for active duty at the Navy V-12 unit at Baldwin-Wallace College, Berea, Ohio, on 1 July 1944 (the Navy way). B-W was only 50 miles away, but Glenda and Bill decided to make the most of the 37 days they had left with Bill still a civilian.” The narrative is particularly compelling when exploring how their relationship evolved through different phases—from childhood sweethearts to educational colleagues to retirees seeking adventure. The book’s final chapters, completed by their son Jim after Bill and Glenda’s passing, provide a deeply moving conclusion to their story. His personal perspective on their final months together and Bill’s brief time alone offer readers touching glimpses into the end of an extraordinary partnership that spanned nearly nine decades.
The Clark’s collective commitment to thoroughness is commendable, though the dense, detail-packed paragraphs may overwhelm readers looking for a more conventionally paced narrative. The third-person perspective and meticulous documentation of their extensive travels, volunteer work, and family relationships result in something that feels more like a historical record than a traditional memoir. Still, that may very well have been the point (especially for readers related to or otherwise familiar with the authors).
Part love story, part historical document, and part meditation on the nature of enduring partnership, Bill, Glenda, and Jim Clark’s OUR STORY offers readers a deeply moving testament to the power of commitment, adaptability, and unwavering support in building an extraordinary life together.
~James Weiskittel for IndieReader