New Review - FIVE Stars!

New Review from Catherine Reed-Thureson of Clarion Book Reviews

Berkeley to Beijing: The Journey of a Young Activist

Genre: Autobiography/Memoir

Author: Karen Boutilier Kendall
Publisher: iUniverse
ISBN: 9781440141300
Rating: Five Stars (out of Five)

Berkeley to Beijing: The Journey of a Young Activist“My childhood was different from most.” Those are the first words in Berkeley to Beijing, the coming-of-age story of Karen Boutilier Kendall, and, as we learn, they are very true words. Born in 1960 in Berkeley, California, Karen was the oldest child of activist parents. Her minister father worked for the United Farm Workers and a large part of Karen’s early childhood was spent making picket signs and watching her parents organize protests.

When Karen was six her family moved to Washington, DC where her father joined Robert Kennedy’s presidential campaign and bright and precocious Karen participated by passing out leaflets, standing in picket lines and working at the campaign headquarters. When she was ten, Karen became active in a political campaign of her own choosing: the George McGovern’s presidential campaign. It was during this time that she met Shirley MacLaine, who was also supporting McGovern. Karen made a significant impression on MacLaine and in 1973, she was invited to be the youngest member of the First Women’s Friendship Delegation to China. Karen spent several weeks with the movie star and 10 other women touring China and learning about the culture and history of this mysterious country.

There are two distinctive layers to this remarkable story. The first is a simple telling of one woman’s remembrances of childhood. Boutilier Kendall captures the love she felt for her family alongside her childhood traumas with grace and honesty. Though her life was extraordinary, readers will empathize with the loneliness and anxiety that she felt in her youth. The second layer of the book is a firsthand account of the social and political climate of the 1960’s and 1970’s.

Karen Boutilier grew up in the center of the civil rights era, the anti-Vietnam War spectacle and the National Organization for Women’s equal rights push. Her recollections of childhood paint a picture that is clear and vivid and allows the reader to look at important moments in history through the wide-open eyes of a child. For example, she writes of trying to drive home during the riots that followed the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.: “I screamed and jumped when a man smashed our front window with a bat. Our eyes met and I had to look away. The intensity of his hatred was boring a hole through my eyes. Dad said to just stay calm. No one was there to hurt us. I thought Dad might want to tell that to the man with the bat.”

Anyone with an interest in modern American history will find this book fascinating. The reader will feel as though they have traveled with Ms. Boutilier Kendall from Berkeley to Beijing, and will learn a little bit about the world, and maybe even their own place in it, as a result.

Catherine Reed-Thureson

ForeWord Reviews website

Santa Fe Radio Cafe

Here is a link to my interview on Santa Fe Radio Cafe with Mary-Charlotte. It was a lot of fun.

http://www.santaferadiocafe.org/podcasts/?p=708

UPCOMING EVENTS & THANKS

MONDAY, SEPT 28
8:00 - 9:00 Interview
Santa Fe Radio Cafe hosted by Mary-Charlotte
KSFR 101.1 FM
Radio Cafe website

THURSDAY, OCT 1
Guest Speaker at Mr. Andraski's Human Geography Class
Los Alamos High School

FRIDAY, OCT 2
4:00 - 7:00 pm
AuthorFest
Otowi Station Bookstore and Science Museum Shop
1350 Central Avenue, Los Alamos NM


California was fantastic! Greg and I had a whirlwind trip to Southern and Northern California. It was wonderful to see so many of our friends and family! I also enjoyed meeting many new people. We felt like jet-setters.

First, we went to an author's tea at Pilgrim Place in Claremont, California. We had about 45 attendees. About half had already read the book. The questions were interesting, challenging and we had a GREAT discussion. The feedback was wonderful.

Next, we flew to Oakland for events in Concord and Berkeley. A big THANKS to Clayton Books and Pegasus Books for hosting the book signing events.

Everyone at Clayton Books also had a special treat - my cousin, Jesse Hernandez was on hand to sign the book cover with his awesome drawing! He was a huge hit. THANKS JESSE!

While in Concord, I attended a book club. This was Aunt Julie's group. I had a fun time discussing the book with this dynamic, fun group of women. I really enjoyed the evening. I look forward to more book club discussions in the future.

I also want to thank my Dad, stepmom Barbara, Aunt Julie and Uncle Charlie for all their work and coordination of the California events. We had a blast!

Northern California Book Signings

Cousins, Jesse Hernandez and Karen Boutilier Kendall, display Jesse's remarkable drawing that was used on the cover of Berkeley to Beijing. Picture taken in 2005 before book was published.

Read the Contra Costa Times story about Karen & Jesse HERE.

Join me for two events in Northern California. I will be reading from Berkeley to Beijing and signing books:

Sunday, Sept 13th 3:00 pm
Clayton Books
5433 D Clayton Road, Clayton, CA

Monday, Sept 14th 7:30 pm
Pegasus Books Downtown
2349 Shattuck Avenue, Berkeley, CA
(Shattuck Avenue at Durant)

Hope to see you there!!!!!
Karen

Ted Kennedy's Death Stirs Memories

Karen was quoted in our local paper, The Monitor, yesterday for a story about those who had met Ted Kennedy. You may read the story by following the link below.

http://www.kbkendall.com/Documents/B2B_Kennedy_Article.pdf

Going to China

'Berkeley to Beijing' to Be Featured at Beijing International Book Fair, Sept. 3-7, 2009

New Book Chronicles the Amazing Journey of a Young Activist in the 1960s and 1970s

* Press Release
* Source: iUniverse
* On Wednesday August 26, 2009, 8:10 am EDT

SANTA FE, N.M., Aug. 26 /PRNewswire/ -- "My childhood was different from most," writes Karen Boutilier Kendall in her new memoir, "Berkeley to Beijing: The Journey of a Young Activist" (published by iUniverse). "I lived, breathed and experienced history in a way that exposed me to amazing, fascinating and sometimes frightening situations."

Raised in California during the 1960s, Kendall, a preacher's daughter, recalls a unique upbringing living in communal strike houses with volunteer strike workers, runaways and prostitutes. Her playmates and babysitters were the children of Cesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta of the United Farm Workers. "While other kids drew in coloring books, I walked picket lines and civil rights and anti-war protest marches," she recalls.

In 1973, at age 12, Kendall received a call from actress Shirley MacLaine inviting her to travel with a group of women to China. Kendall had met MacLaine a year before while campaigning for George McGovern. The group, The First American Women's Friendship Delegation, was among the first group to travel to communist China since the early 1950s. The resulting documentary of the group's trip was nominated for an Academy Award.

Follow Kendall's extraordinary, unique, life-altering experiences up through the age of 14 as she makes an amazing journey from Berkeley to Beijing.

Karen Boutilier Kendall currently lives in the mountains of northern New Mexico and has a bachelor's degree in accounting. She is the business operations manager for the Los Alamos County Utilities Department and will celebrate her 30th wedding anniversary this summer.

For more information, please visit http://www.kbkendall.com.

"Berkeley to Beijing: The Journey of a Young Activist"

Available from: http://www.iUniverse.com, http://www.bn.com, and http://www.amazon.com

ISBN: 9781440141300 - 6 x 9 - Paperback - 212 pages - $17.95

ISBN: 9781440141317 - 6 x 9 - Hardcover - 212 pages - $27.95

iUniverse offers a variety of publishing services to help individuals publish, market and sell fiction, poetry and nonfiction books. The company utilizes print-on-demand technology, and is one of the largest self-publishing companies in the U.S. iUniverse is based in Bloomington, Indiana.

Contact: Teresa Hale
iUniverse Promotions Dept.
thale@authorsolutions.com
Toll-free: 1-800-AUTHORS (288-4677)
Fax: 812-961-3133


Other releases:

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Berkeley-to-Beijing-to-Be-prnews-285411702.html?x=0&.v=1

http://www.reuters.com/article/pressRelease/idUS132150+26-Aug-2009+PRN20090826

http://www.bizjournals.com/sacramento/prnewswire/press_releases/national/China/2009/08/26/PH65873

http://www.bizjournals.com/eastbay/prnewswire/press_releases/national/China/2009/08/26/PH65873

Thank You Kiwanis

Thank you to Sharon Stover for inviting me to speak at Kiwanis this week. It was a lot of fun. Great questions from a wonderful group of people! Also, thank you so much to each person who bought a book! The response was heart warming.

Next week I am meeting with a Los Alamos book club. This is my first book club discussion about Berkeley to Beijing. Looking forward to it!

In September I have a whirlwind set of events.
Sept 11 @ 3 pm Author's Tea @ Pilgrim Place - Claremont, CA
Sept 13 @ 3 pm Book Signing @ Clayton Books - Concord, CA
Sept 14 @ 7 pm Book Signing @ Pegasus Books - Shattuck Ave Berkeley, CA
Sept 15 @ 5 pm Book Club Meeting in Concord, CA