I’ve been mulling over how to write a meaningful review of a non-fiction book I just finished reading that brought back a time 50 years ago which echoed with validity and the angst of the period, yet was personal and warm at the same time.
The book held my attention from start to finish, and while I would personally have liked more specific detail of the conditions suffered in the prison camps of North Vietnam, I am mindful that this is the mother’s story of her dogged efforts to obtain the release of her son. It is her story, not his. Perhaps his story could be forthcoming as a sequel.
I would think true stories are more difficult to write than fiction. This rings with truth, not even “creative non-fiction” but as a true account of the mother’s actions and involvement in the anti-war efforts of that time without seeming overtly political, a major feat in itself. I applaud the author. Highly recommended. Rebecca Just Wagner
Enjoy fast, free delivery, exclusive deals, and award-winning movies & TV shows with Prime
Try Prime
and start saving today with fast, free delivery
Loading your book clubs
There was a problem loading your book clubs. Please try again.
Not in a club? Learn more
Join or create book clubs
Choose books together
Track your books
Bring your club to Amazon Book Clubs, start a new book club and invite your friends to join, or find a club that’s right for you for free.
Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.
Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.
Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.
Something went wrong. Please try your request again later.
Book recommendations, author interviews, editors' picks, and more. Read it now.
Customers who bought this item also bought
Page 1 of 1 Start overPage 1 of 1
About the author
Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
Reviews with images
Great for Students/Readers Learning modern American History
In a literary world that turns its roving eye to the big, the glittery, the famous–and more recently the furious–we sometimes miss out on smaller, quieter nonfiction books that fill an important niche in our cultural and social history. One such book is Cheryl Grant Gillespie’s FROM BEAVER CREEK TO HANOI: A Mother’s Quest to Rescue Her Son.Written in collaboration with Markam and Marcia Gartley, BEAVER CREEK tells the story of Minnie Lee Gartley, an ordinary woman who accomplished extraordinary things while seeking to rescue her son, Mark, a U.S. Navy pilot and a North Vietnamese prisoner of war from 1968 to 1972.Minnie Lee lived and worked at Beaver Creek Camps on Moosehead Lake in Maine. She and her husband, Gerry, ran the fishing camp in the summers. During the school months, Minnie Lee taught history in Dunedin, Florida. One son, Jim, lived with them. The other, Mark, had graduated from college and joined the Navy where he trained to be a pilot. In the summer of 1968, the Vietnam War was dragging on with Nixon promising an end soon but making no real headway. That August, pilot Mark Gartley and his navigator, William Mayhew were shot down north of Vinh in Nghe An Province and taken captive.When Minnie Lee received news that he was alive and in a POW camp, she became involved with activist groups calling attention to the POW/MIA issue. Through letter-writing campaigns, marches in Washington, D.C., testifying at Congressional hearings, and giving interviews with journalists, Minnie Lee asked the American public to be aware of the issue and to speak out in favor of bringing the men home. Through her activism, Minnie Lee Gartley became a recognizable personality, and Gillespie’s book gives the account of her experiences in the public eye as well as glimpses into her life behind the scenes.After Mark was released in 1972, Minnie Lee continued to be a political and environmental activist for the rest of her life. Gillespie’s book highlights the complexities of the Vietnam War years and give readers an inside look at how decisions at the highest levels of government affected everyday Americans while the politicians strove for power, position, and yes, to a large extent, American interests on the world stage.As someone born in that strife-filled time, I remember little of the Vietnam era, and unfortunately our history textbooks didn’t get that far when I was in school. While reading BEAVER CREEK TO HANOI, I found myself wishing for a bit more historical context. I think this book would be an excellent accompaniment to a high school or college American history class studying the Vietnam War years–or for anyone reading on their own about that roiled-up time period.
Top reviews from the United States
There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.
Reviewed in the United States on September 5, 2023
Reviewed in the United States on January 21, 2023
Reviewed in the United States on June 28, 2023
Written in collaboration with Markam and Marcia Gartley, BEAVER CREEK tells the story of Minnie Lee Gartley, an ordinary woman who accomplished extraordinary things while seeking to rescue her son, Mark, a U.S. Navy pilot and a North Vietnamese prisoner of war from 1968 to 1972.
Minnie Lee lived and worked at Beaver Creek Camps on Moosehead Lake in Maine. She and her husband, Gerry, ran the fishing camp in the summers. During the school months, Minnie Lee taught history in Dunedin, Florida. One son, Jim, lived with them. The other, Mark, had graduated from college and joined the Navy where he trained to be a pilot. In the summer of 1968, the Vietnam War was dragging on with Nixon promising an end soon but making no real headway. That August, pilot Mark Gartley and his navigator, William Mayhew were shot down north of Vinh in Nghe An Province and taken captive.
When Minnie Lee received news that he was alive and in a POW camp, she became involved with activist groups calling attention to the POW/MIA issue. Through letter-writing campaigns, marches in Washington, D.C., testifying at Congressional hearings, and giving interviews with journalists, Minnie Lee asked the American public to be aware of the issue and to speak out in favor of bringing the men home. Through her activism, Minnie Lee Gartley became a recognizable personality, and Gillespie’s book gives the account of her experiences in the public eye as well as glimpses into her life behind the scenes.
After Mark was released in 1972, Minnie Lee continued to be a political and environmental activist for the rest of her life. Gillespie’s book highlights the complexities of the Vietnam War years and give readers an inside look at how decisions at the highest levels of government affected everyday Americans while the politicians strove for power, position, and yes, to a large extent, American interests on the world stage.
As someone born in that strife-filled time, I remember little of the Vietnam era, and unfortunately our history textbooks didn’t get that far when I was in school. While reading BEAVER CREEK TO HANOI, I found myself wishing for a bit more historical context. I think this book would be an excellent accompaniment to a high school or college American history class studying the Vietnam War years–or for anyone reading on their own about that roiled-up time period.
Great for Students/Readers Learning modern American History
Reviewed in the United States on June 28, 2023
In a literary world that turns its roving eye to the big, the glittery, the famous–and more recently the furious–we sometimes miss out on smaller, quieter nonfiction books that fill an important niche in our cultural and social history. One such book is Cheryl Grant Gillespie’s FROM BEAVER CREEK TO HANOI: A Mother’s Quest to Rescue Her Son.Reviewed in the United States on June 28, 2023
Written in collaboration with Markam and Marcia Gartley, BEAVER CREEK tells the story of Minnie Lee Gartley, an ordinary woman who accomplished extraordinary things while seeking to rescue her son, Mark, a U.S. Navy pilot and a North Vietnamese prisoner of war from 1968 to 1972.
Minnie Lee lived and worked at Beaver Creek Camps on Moosehead Lake in Maine. She and her husband, Gerry, ran the fishing camp in the summers. During the school months, Minnie Lee taught history in Dunedin, Florida. One son, Jim, lived with them. The other, Mark, had graduated from college and joined the Navy where he trained to be a pilot. In the summer of 1968, the Vietnam War was dragging on with Nixon promising an end soon but making no real headway. That August, pilot Mark Gartley and his navigator, William Mayhew were shot down north of Vinh in Nghe An Province and taken captive.
When Minnie Lee received news that he was alive and in a POW camp, she became involved with activist groups calling attention to the POW/MIA issue. Through letter-writing campaigns, marches in Washington, D.C., testifying at Congressional hearings, and giving interviews with journalists, Minnie Lee asked the American public to be aware of the issue and to speak out in favor of bringing the men home. Through her activism, Minnie Lee Gartley became a recognizable personality, and Gillespie’s book gives the account of her experiences in the public eye as well as glimpses into her life behind the scenes.
After Mark was released in 1972, Minnie Lee continued to be a political and environmental activist for the rest of her life. Gillespie’s book highlights the complexities of the Vietnam War years and give readers an inside look at how decisions at the highest levels of government affected everyday Americans while the politicians strove for power, position, and yes, to a large extent, American interests on the world stage.
As someone born in that strife-filled time, I remember little of the Vietnam era, and unfortunately our history textbooks didn’t get that far when I was in school. While reading BEAVER CREEK TO HANOI, I found myself wishing for a bit more historical context. I think this book would be an excellent accompaniment to a high school or college American history class studying the Vietnam War years–or for anyone reading on their own about that roiled-up time period.
Images in this review
Reviewed in the United States on February 20, 2023
Reviewed in the United States on October 16, 2022
