Another Review for My New Book

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In the mail, I just received my copy of June 6 edition of the Publishers Weekly magazine with their BookLife book review of my new book The Vegetable Grows and the Lion Roars:  My Peace Corps Service.

The review is quite positive which is very heartening for me.  To be appreciated is always welcome for us as individuals.   Allow me to quote some excerpts from the review.  A reader can read the entire book review on my website garyrlindberg.com under the heading for this book. Here are the excerpts:

“Lindberg recounts his heartening West African adventures in the Peace Corps of the 1960s in this memoir that illuminates the service experiences of American volunteers in the Ivory Coast, running health and agricultural education programs and working to build schools and gardens, while also offering insights into the place, people, culture, and era. Powered by Kennedy-esque optimism, Lindberg—known as “Monsieur Gary” in the Ivory Coast—taught and led residents of the Gagnoa region in the cultivation of jardins scolaires, or “school gardens,” a trial project created to encourage the eating of vegetables. Lindberg’s efforts emphasized local favorites tomatoes, okra, and eggplant.”

“Drawing on diary entries and his own copious photos, Lindberg’s account provides a clear account of Peace Corps life and efforts, circa 1966, from training to teaching to implementation of ambitious plans, with upbeat acknowledgements of the challenges he faced (such as getting families to maintain their planche gardens) and cultural differences he encountered. (Ivorians, he notes, “thought Americans chewed gum all the time, carried guns everywhere, wore blue jeans, spoke in local dialects instead of English, and threw away cars instead of repairing them.”) Lindberg writes with warmth and empathy for the villagers he worked with, never condescending and always taking efforts to understand their perspectives [Emphasis mine].”

“Takeaway: This striking memoir offers a clear view of Peace Corps life and efforts in the Ivory Coast of the mid-60s.”

“Great for fans of: Peter Hessler’s River Town, Sarah Erdman’s Nine Hills to Nambonkaha.”

“Production grades
Cover: A-
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: A

Editing: A
Marketing copy: A”

I am so excited that I just wanted to share this positive review with everybody.

If you have any comments, you are welcome to offer them by writing to me at garylindberg85@gmail.com or use the contact page on my website garyrlinderg.com.  I would be happy to hear from you and to answer your questions or comments, if you desire.


Published by garylindberg85

Born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, the author’s parents moved just before his seventh birthday to Santa Maria, California. There he grew up and attended grade schools up through high school. The author is a graduate of the University of California, Berkeley with a degree in U. S. History. Then he volunteered to join the Peace Corps for two and a half years during which he taught primary school students and teachers various techniques in a trial school gardens program in the Ivory Coast which is located in West Africa between Liberia and Ghana. He became fluent in French during that time. After his Peace Corps service, he toured Europe and primarily visited Italy, Germany (including East Berlin then under Communist control), France, England, and the Netherlands. Since he was drafted, he volunteered for the Navy in which he served for four years. Next, he went to San Francisco State University where he earned his Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree with a concentration in Management and Personnel. After that he began his 43-year career as a Human Resources professional for a number of major companies including National Gypsum, Celotex, McCormick (spices), Del Monte, Quebecor Printing, and Micro Lithography, Inc. He retired in November, 2019 to pursue personal endeavors.

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