In 2001, journalist Jessica DuLong ditched her dot-com desk job for the diesel engines of a rusty antique fireboat, the John J. Harvey, and the storied waters of the Hudson River. My River Chronicles: Rediscovering America on the Hudson tells the story of this mechanic's daughter and Stanford graduate who had left her blue-collar upbringing behind until the fireboat drew her back, offering a chance to become an engineer and a taste of home she hadn't realized she was missing.
The more time DuLong spent toiling in the engine room, running the boat's finely crafted machinery, the more she wondered what America is losing in our shift away from handson work. These questions crystallized in the aftermath of the September 11, 2001, attacks, when the FDNY called the retired fireboat back into service, and DuLong and the rest of the boat's civilian crew pumped water to fight blazes at Ground Zero. As blue-collar workers clambered on the pile, DuLong was struck by the dignity of physical labor and the honor of having joined the world of skilled labor whose talents were useful at the site.
DuLong brings her two worlds vibrantly to life in this beautifully written memoir that evokes the vitality of New York City's bygone working waterfront and the Hudson River, a birthplace of American industry. Blending four centuries of Hudson River history with unforgettable present-day characters and events, DuLong offers a porthole-view narrative of the river and its social tapestry as a microcosm of postindustrial America. As she tracks changes along the shoreline, where industrial sites give way to recreational respites, a celebration of American labor and craftsmanship emerges. While searching along the river's edge for the meaning of work in America, DuLong pays homage to our industrial past and raises important questions about the future at this pivotal moment in our national story.
My River Chronicles is a journey with an extraordinary guide, a woman who bridges blue-collar and white-collar worlds and turns a phrase as deftly as she does a wrench. Soulful and illuminating, My River Chronicles is a deeply personal story of a unique woman's discovery of her own roots -- and America's -- as she runs the fireboat's diesels on the ever-changing river that flows both ways.
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.
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.
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!
