My River Chronicles: Rediscovering the Work That Built America; A Personal and Historical Journey

By Jessica DuLong

Book Overview

After journalist Jessica DuLong was laid off from her dot-com job, her life took an unexpected turn. A volunteer day aboard an antique fireboat, the John J. Harvey, led to a job in the engine room, where she found a taste of home she hadn't realized she was missing. Working with the boat's finely crafted machinery, on the waters of the storied Hudson, made her wonder what America is losing in our shift away from hands-on work. Her questions crystallized after she and her crew served at Ground Zero, where fireboats provided the only water available to fight blazes.

Vivid and immediate, My River Chronicles is a journey with an extraordinary guide--a mechanic's daughter and Stanford graduate who bridges blue-collar and white-collar worlds, turning a phrase as deftly as she does a wrench. As she searches for the meaning of work in America, DuLong shares her own experiences of learning to navigate a traditionally male world, masterfully interweaving unforgettable present-day characters and events with four centuries of Hudson River history.

A celebration of craftsmanship, My River Chronicles is a deeply personal story of a unique woman's discovery of her own roots--and America's--that raises important questions about our nation's future.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1416586997
• ISBN13: 9781416586999
• Release Date: June 2010
• Publisher: Atria Books
• Length: 336 Pages
• Weight: 0.55 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 5.7" x 8.6"

Customer Reviews

An incredibly powerful book

I just finished reading MY RIVER CHRONICLES by Jessica DuLong. It is simply the best nonfiction book I've read in a very long time. The author had me hooked with her prologue, in which she describes the heroic death of John J. Harvey, the fireboat pilot for whom the historic boat DuLong serves on is named. But after that, the author brilliantly intertwines her own story of discovering a love for manual labor with four centuries of Hudson River history. There are sad parts of the story -- the John J. Harvey evacuated many stranded survivors from lower Manhattan on 9/11 -- and joyous ones, like DuLong's developing crush on a tugboat, which she learns to pilot. MY RIVER CHRONICLES is a passionate and inspiring read, told in a unique voice that makes you feel you're along for the ride.

Viewing the Hudson Plain

Jessica DuLong believes in hands-on work, and she infuses her book with language and thinking that reflect that. From her experiences within the working fireboat John Harvey, up and down the river from Manhattan the day after on 9/11 to cement plants near Albany, we learn what is happening at water level. To those experiences she adds inspired pieces of the river's history, and a profound sense of how our Romantic, Modern, or Post-Industrial mindsets effect the decisions we make about the land and water. If you are a Hudson River lover, you have to read this book!

Powerful, Personal and Timely

My River Chronicles is a beautifully written love letter to the Hudson River and good honest work, the kind we (largely) have forgotten how to do in America. A unique protagonist and uniquely sensitive observer, Jessica DuLong shares her journey from dotcom office worker to fireboat engineer - an unlikely and compelling career path driven by nothing more than a willingness to follow her heart towards meaningful work. In an era when her fellow Gen-Xers don't know how to make anything that doesn't require a laptop, DuLong dives head first into a kind of work that is hands-on, physical and anything but virtual. Along the way, she discovers the history of American industry and forges a deeper connection with her own family. This memoir is a meaty, satisfying read, and in light of the recent economic crisis, a powerful reminder of the kind of labor and laborers - men, and now, women - who built this country by hand.

A passionate, riveting read.

At its core, this is a book about our potential to be our best selves. When life handed her a pink slip, Jessica DuLong changed her life. Her book teaches us that if you're willing to think big and get dirty, great things are possible.

Every page rings true

Part memoir, part history, part call to action, My River Chronicles introduces you to life aboard a working boat on the Hudson River. With smart, honest prose, DuLong soon has you hooked and converted--much like she was on the first wintry day she spent aboard the fireboat John J. Harvey--filling you with respect for the river and passion for the need to keep alive the trades and industries that built our country. Truly an excellent book!