Keepers: A Memoir

by Bobby Jack Nelson

"In the general waste of living, a few things are lasting-the first love, the lost child, the turning point-those are keepers." So begins Bobby Jack Nelson's memorable look back at a life lived in fast forward-a last-ditch attempt to confront the caprices of a blind fate that demands yet eludes understanding. What key might unlock the meaning behind a mother's bleak end to a bleak life? Or his epic, Thurberesque struggles against a new stepmother...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0393045978
• ISBN13: 9780393045970
• Release Date: April 1998
• Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company
• Length: 288 Pages
• Weight: 1.10 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 5.9" x 8.6"

Customer Reviews

Bob's definitely a good writer

He always has been. This book was the last of his works I've read, but I re-read it recently and enjoyed it as much as I did when I read it in 1998. Once during the 1980s Bob cautioned me over lunch that he was prone to untruths. He warned me about it obliquely again later when he was writing Keepers: A Memoir. There aren't many people left around these days who know, or are willing to admit the truth and the implicatons of his confession. Certainly his loyal friend of a lifetime who did another review here knows. I'm warmed to know Bob has such a friend.Keepers is a good book. It's well written and it's a good piece of fiction. The fact it is not truly a memoir is probably fortunate. It's better that his son wasn't really killed in life as Bob described in his book. Better for Bob and his son. It's better that his step-sister didn't really live in a boxcar as he described in the book. It's better that he didn't have to assist the suicide of Marie, his mom, as he describes here. The book is a great collection of events that Bob and the people associated with his past can be awfully happy didn't happen. The fact is Bob writes good fiction, just as he tells good fiction in life. Bob was born with a talent for fiction. He's never really mastered truth, but fiction has served him well. Some of the other reviewers have described him as an artist. In fact he is. I'd recommend this book to anyone who wants a good read. It is that.

Bobby Jack is unique; as is his writing.

This book is an experience to those who reflect beyond a secular appetite. It is not a drama, nor is it merely a personal accountment. The only embellishment is a truth, or the lack of it, which we can all relate. It is obvious that Bobby Jack is not writing for approval or commission. He is the embodiment of a dying race which believes the truth can be served in silence, and dignity is not to be compromised. If he is misunderstood he will not find you- you must find him. He is not arrogant, angry, or pompous as some might believe (Mouse). He is intolerent to the cowardly, petty, and trite ignorances of the healthy intellect. His life and works are substantial payment for the respect deserved a great novelist. "He made payment which I lacked and my child's legs were made straight. He refuse my payment when it would be at risk and I am his little brother."

Unbelievably funny, unaffected, thoughtful

This book is the essence of a survivor. Unlike most who have as varied and rich experience (the jacket cover bio. of Mr. Nelson is enough for a Michener novel), Bob Nelson reflects objectively, although humorously, on the many influences on his character. He does not shrink from self-deprecation. Anyone with a dash of the individualistic, persevering American spirit will find that Nelson's real life is more refreshing and identifiable than Holden Caufield's famous fictional journey. Bob Nelson digs at some scary s**t with an ease that is too rare among good writers. Everyone should read this gem, if for no other reason than to laugh out loud at his colorful stories of youth.

Another Great by Bobby Jack!

I love Keepers:A Memoir! I have read The Pull by Bobby Jack and now Keepers. Once I got a copy of the book in my hands, I could not put it down. Like Bobby Jack , Keepers is very entertaining. The author truly makes one think about life! I am a collector of all of Bobby Jack's work, including his sculpture. However, I have yet to obtain his out of print books.

Great coming of age story

I read the proof copy of this book before it was published, and loved it (he was a friend, lived in town). Nelson wrote about his experience growing up in the Southwest, with bittersweet memories. He captured much of the spirit of coming of age. A great book, as is his book "The Pull."