Madison Park : a place of hope

First Title Value for Searching:

Personal Author:

Motley, Eric L. (Eric Lamar), 1972-

Physical Description:

304 pages : illustrations, photographs ; 24 cm.

Summary:

A former special assistant to President George W. Bush chronicles his coming of age in a small Alabama community founded by freed slaves, where he learned valuable lessons about helping others, embracing faith, and fighting racial injustice.

Contents:

The Motley boy -- Madison Park -- A proud black community -- My Motley heritage -- Everything rounded out -- Years in training -- Not my only parents -- Rabbits v. turtles -- The D.U.K. -- Shave and a haircut -- That old-time religion -- The best "hind-catcher" in the neighborhood -- The music that would change my life -- Three queens: Rosebud, Mama, and Mayes -- The book of knowledge -- Blessed interventions -- 1,002 uses for a pie pan -- Keeping it real for me -- Steve Urkel and Boys State -- Evolution -- Beyond Madison Park, but still a part of it -- Remember, we're still in Alabama -- There's a part for every one of us to play -- Scotland -- The limits of knowledge, the unlimited nature of friendship -- "Stopping by woods on a snowy evening" -- "If you're not ready now" -- From the White House to Foggy Bottom -- "Barbara Ann" -- Paid in full -- Wherever I go.

Subject Term:

Presidents -- United States -- Staff -- Biography.

African Americans -- Alabama -- Montgomery -- Biography.

African Americans -- Alabama -- Montgomery -- Social conditions.

Additional Credits:

Isaacson, Walter

Publication Info:

Grand Rapids, Michigan : Zondervan, HarperCollinsPublishers, [2017]

Subject:

Presidents -- United States -- Staff -- Biography.

African Americans -- Alabama -- Montgomery -- Biography.

African Americans -- Alabama -- Montgomery -- Social conditions.

Montgomery (Ala.) -- Biography.

Motley, Eric L. (Eric Lamar), 1972-

White House staff

African Americans -- United States

Afro-Americans

Black Americans

Colored people (United States)

Negroes

City of Montgomery (Ala.)

SAILS ISBN:

9780310349631

Available:

Library	Shelf Number	Shelf Location	Status
Searching... Taunton Public Library	B M919M	3RD FLOOR STACKS	Searching... Unknown

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Summary

Welcome to Madison Park, a small community in Alabama founded by freed slaves in 1880. And meet Eric Motley, a native son who came of age in this remarkable place where constant lessons in self-determination, hope, and unceasing belief in the American dream taught him everything he needed for his journey to the Oval Office as a Special Assistant to President George W. Bush.

Eric grew up among people whose belief was to "give" and never turn away from your neighbor's need. There was Aunt Shine, the goodly matriarch who cared so much about young Motley's schooling that she would stand up in a crowded church and announce Eric's progress or his shortcomings. There was Old Man Salery, who secretly siphoned gasoline from his beat-up car into the Motleys' tank at night. There were Motley's grandparents, who bought books for Eric they couldn't afford, spending the last of their seed money. And there was Reverend Brinkley, a man of enormous faith and simple living. It was said that whenever the Reverend came your way, light abounded. Life in Madison Park wasn't always easy or fair, and Motley reveals personal and heartbreaking stories of racial injustice and segregation. But Eric shows how the community taught him everything he needed to know about love and faith.

This charming, engaging, and deeply inspiring memoir will help you remember that we can create a world of shared values based on love and hope. It is a story that reveals the amazing power of faith in God and each other. If you're in search of hope during troubled times, look no further than Madison Park.

Reviews (2)

Publisher's Weekly Review

Motley, executive vice president of the Aspen Institute, writes with charming flair about the dedicated individuals who shaped him throughout his life. Born into a hardworking family of limited means, Motley was raised in Madison Park, Ala., an African-American community established by freed slaves. Though the story is grounded by the portraits of people Motley knew, Madison Park slowly emerges as the main character. Motley's lean descriptions reflect his quiet, modest upbringing: "Most homes were small wood-framed houses.... Most families owned a couple acres of land, with their house close to the road and what lay behind designated farmland." With the strength of his community supporting him, Motley accomplished much, earning his Ph.D. in international relations and later working in the White House as special assistant to George W. Bush. His story is inspiring, but it often reads like a list of anecdotes featuring people from his life he wishes to thank, and personal topics such as romantic relationships are quickly glossed over. Nonetheless, this book will leave readers nostalgic for a place most have never visited and will intrigue those interested in how faith can strengthen community bonds. Agent: Larry Kirshbaum, Waxman Leavell. (Nov.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

Library Journal Review

Motley (executive VP, Aspen Inst.) could have contented himself with a memoir of starting from a poor, rural, and segregated community in the Deep South to academic scholar and special assistant to George W. Bush. Yet his story here centers on the hopes, aspirations, and work of the community of Madison Park, AL, and begins with the character of the grandparents who raised him and the nature of Madison Park itself, from its 1880 founding by former slaves to the friends and family whose strength molded him. An active faith is an integral part of his community. Motley imparts that he did not earn his place solely through his considerable efforts, noting the sacrifices of the people who placed great hopes in him. Motley closes with his painful decision to sell his family home-which threatens to cut ties with his hometown-and his reconciliation with his mother, which succeeded in strengthening those bonds. VERDICT Motley's account can be interpreted in a number of ways, but what shines through in any reading is the story of a remarkable yet humble life.-JW © Copyright 2017. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Walter Isaacson

Foreword	p. 11
Prologue	p. 15
1 The Motley Boy	p. 17
2 Madison Park	p. 25
3 A Proud Black Community	p. 33
4 My Motley Heritage	p. 37
5 Everything Rounded Out	p. 43
6 Years in Training	p. 51
7 Not My Only Parents	p. 59
8 Rabbits v.Turtles	p. 67
9 The D.U.K	p. 77
10 Shave and a Haircut	p. 83
11 That Old-Time Religion	p. 95
12 The Best "Hind-Catcher" in the Neighborhood	p. 103
13 The Music That Would Change My Life	p. 113
14 Three Queens: Rosebud, Mama, and Mayes	p. 119
15 The Book of Knowledge	p. 129
16 Blessed Interventions	p. 137
17 1,002 Uses for a Pie Pan	p. 145
18 Keeping It Real for Me	p. 151
19 Steve Urkel and Boys State	p. 161
20 Evolution	p. 173
21 Beyond Madison Park, But Still a Part of It	p. 185
22 Remember, We're Still in Alabama	p. 193
23 There's Part for Every One of Us to Play	p. 205
24 Scotland	p. 217
25 The Limits of Knowledge, the Unlimited Nature of Friendship	p. 225
26 "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening"	p. 239
27 "If You're Not Ready Now"	p. 247
28 From the White House to Foggy Bottom	p. 261
29 "Barbara Ann"	p. 275
30 Paid in Full	p. 287
31 Wherever I Go	p. 293
Final Reflection	p. 297
Acknowledgments	p. 301

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Summary

Summary

Reviews (2)

Publisher's Weekly Review

Library Journal Review

Table of Contents