Two Reviews of "I've Always Loved You"

By Lynn Henriksen « Older EntriesNarrative Voice in Writing Memoir
March 4th, 2010
Ann Seymour’s I’ve Always Loved You is a book everyone interested in writing historical memoir should read. It is a remarkable example in emphasizing how to sustain a narrative voice when history is a big part of the memoir.

Fascinating and heartbreaking are the first two words that come to mind after reading Ann Seymour’s beautiful tribute to her family, especially her father, as well as all those who served in WW2.

Seymour writes achingly beautiful prose as she gives us a view of WW2 through the eyes of an enchanting, gregarious child, who doesn’t understand why Daddy has gone to war and will never return. But the well woven story goes beyond the eyes and ears of a loving daughter. I’ve Always Loved You moves between the diaries and journals her parents kept and the actual documented words of the power brokers of Imperial Japan in such a way as to give anyone a more fully rounded picture of WW2, which is an accomplishment worthy of applause.

“Only an ephemeral wall separates the past from the present,” was observed by Seymour’s father when on the battlefield he awoke from a dream of being with his wife to the utter amazement that she wasn’t by his side – he was alone.

Pick up this book, read it, and better understand WW2 through a remarkable mix of memoir and facts.

I also published this review on Amazon where you can purchase Ann Seymour’s I’ve Always Loved You, if you’re not near an Indy book store like Book Passage.

Gentle Reminder: Do something great today. Pick up a pencil or belly-up to the keyboard and write your Mother Memoir like all TellTale Souls. Doing so may be the beginning of your book length project on family history.

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Posted in Blog, Book Reviews, Books, Relationships | 2 Comments

Review by Amy Lignor od Bookplesures.com: Author: Ann Seymour
ISBN: 978-0-915090-82-2

Every once in a while, a book will come along that gives you a whole new perspective on things. Now, I am too young to have been through the horrific time of WWII. (However, I am also not part of a generation that has grown up with no “war”, seeing as that there never has been a time where we haven’t fought to, for, or against something or someone.) But…I digress. And I digress for the simple fact that this book is so much more than your requisite war story. This book not only spoke to my head, giving me an in-depth look at the decisions and atrocities that led up to WWII, but, more importantly, it touched my heart, because this was a very good book that was dedicated to a very great man.

Ann Seymour, the author, leads us into her most prized-memories – her time with her father. I was immediately involved at the get-go when ‘Daddy’ was on the beach massaging Mommy’s shoulders and singing to his daughter, Ann. This was a family were young and in love, and excited about the future. Then, I was brought to Thanksgiving Dinner, enjoying the holidays with the small family as they spoke about the strange goings-on in Japan and the press that was building at home. “On December 17th, Daddy’s orders arrived.” That’s the line that hit me right between the eyes; a simple phrase, but one that means a great deal. From that moment on, I began to hope, pray, and beg that this family would come through the “other end” of the fight intact and still very much in love.

There are moments of pure bliss in this story when Mommy sits around with her neighborhood friends and they talk about all the ‘wins’ the Allies are having – how the United State and good old MacArthur are winning battles left and right. Then, I get to see the family reunited while Daddy is on leave. And I can feel my heart break when Daddy is driven to “Oakland’s Spanish-Colonial style train depot” and has to once again say goodbye to his girls.

Ms. Seymour does an excellent job giving us the “other side” as well. We are brought into chapters that show us the way of life in Japan - what decisions were being made and how big the egos were growing. Most books like this one are heavily based on and written as history books, giving the background more than the emotion. I am honored, proud, and grateful to the author for giving the reader, me, so much more than what I could read in textbooks.

Frank Ribbel, “Daddy”, is the epitome of hero, husband, and honorable man. There were so many ‘Frank Ribbel’s’ who lost their lives in WWII, thatwe sometimes forget that they weren’t just names inscribed on a monument, or actors in a heroic movie – they were first, foremost, and forever…“Daddy’s.”