Del Rio

A Memoir

By: J. Orville Young, Christine Eames

Narrated by: James Young

Set in the Upper Snake River Valley in rural Idaho, this story is about relationships. Beginning in the 1970’s and spanning four generations of life on the Henry’s Fork of the Snake River, it is a study of friendship, fatherhood, and a dog named Bradley. It is a tale of love and loss through the eyes of the author. Hunting, trapping, and fishing gave way to sex, drugs, and rock n’ roll in the 1980’s. A boy and his friends yearning to become men, marking the milestones on the totem of life. From fighting the raging fires in Yellowstone, to reforestation of the coastal ranges of the Pacific Northwest, they trekked where few others had been. The pursuit of happiness and good times turns to sorrow and tragedy, as danger lies somewhere in the shadows of the soul. A young soldier joyously married then divorced in prison; consumed by spirits in a search for identity. From the gold mines of Montana, to the natural gas fields in the Ozark Mountains of Arkansas, his will to work drove him but the slavery of addiction drags him down. A historiography of drug addiction and alcoholism as it follows him on his journey. He reaches an insightful conclusion about the purpose and meaning of life.

©2024 James Young (P)2024 James Young

I loved the intertwining of stories and the brutal honesty of love, life and family issues.

Death can be our biggest teacher, and Jimmy’s experiences with death began young. I didn’t grow up with brothers, so I enjoyed reading about the adventures of youth and what it took to step into manhood. This book is full of the taboos that most avoid taking about…Sex, drugs, politics & rock n roll, but with a twist. There is a loving spirit thread through the book of camaraderie, marriage and family. Along with the struggles to keep things afloat when addiction plays a part of life. There were sentences the melted my heart that I have not read in any other book. Jimmy’s voice is soothing and I love that it was recorded in such a special place. I felt like I was sitting across from him in his living room as he shared from his heart.