Author Cheryl Grant Gillespie visited the library to talk about her book From Beaver Creek to Hanoi: A Mother's Quest to Rescue Her Son.
From Beaver Creek to Hanoi is a story of a resolute woman who, over the course of three years, worked zealously to get her son, a fighter pilot shot down during a bombing raid, out of a prisoner of war camp during the Vietnam War.
Minnie Lee Gartley, a history teacher who lived in Maine and stayed in Dunedin, Florida during the school year, joined letter writing campaigns, gave speeches, testified in front of congressional hearings, traveled with prominent peace organization members to meet with other women from Southeast Asia, and ultimately went on a risky journey to Hanoi. This story caused a controversy when it happened and still stirs debate today. What would you do for a child of yours in danger?
Cheryl Grant Gillespie is a writer of memoir and nonfiction. She is proud to be one of the five authors who penned the anthology Compassionate Journey: Honoring Our Mothers' Stories, which has been a finalist for the Foreword, Next Generation, and Book Fest Indie Awards in women's and family relationship issues in 2019. Her book Gracie & Albert launched in October of 2019. It deals with her mother’s struggle with mental illness and was presented to NAMI. A Maine native for life, Cheryl is a wife, mother, grandmother, and passionate advocate for mental health support systems. Find her online at cheryl-writes.com