Searching for Nannie B., Nancy Owen Nelson’s memoir of her journey to connect with a lost grandmother, was published by The Ardent Writer Press in May, 2015.

How would you be affected if your mother died giving you life? And how would such a loss affect your children? These questions are the foundation of many issues raised by Nancy in Searching for Nannie B., the chronicle of her search for the missing pieces of a grandmother who in 1905 died giving the author’s mother life. It was a tragedy that seemed to affect multiple generations, the voids in identity and ill-spent guilt flowing from the stream of blood that kept mother from daughter, and then from granddaughter. But it was a search well-spent.

Nancy’s pastor, The Reverend Roger Mohr, First Unitarian Universalist Church of Detroit, may have said it best. “Often the tapestry of family history does not seem to offer us the sort of clarity about who we have become, and why. And sometimes the narrative tells us a story about ourselves that we do not wish to accept.” Nancy Owen Nelson’s search resulted in raising more questions about herself, even as it answered questions about her mysterious grandmother. Nonetheless, in the end her journey toward discovery was one of startling self-awareness and connection. No matter whether you feel connected or lost in family, you will be unable to avoid the heartfelt pleasure and pain that comes from the author’s brave attempt to connect and understand three generations of Southern women, her lost grandmother, Nannie B. Russell Chandler, her mother, Nannie B. Chandler Nelson, and herself.

The memoir is on sale in numerous online retail stores such as Amazon, Books A Million and Barnes and Noble. Available in both paperback as well as eBook, the Amazon and Facebook links to the book are below:

Amazon Paperback

Amazon Ebook1

Facebook Heyo Cart Ebook2

Nancy’s book was centerstage in the June issue of Old Huntsville Magazine.  Nancy wrote the feature article for the issue, summarizing her journey, especially the part that newfound friends in New Hope, Alabama played in her success.  The link to the PDF of the article is HERE.

Ms. Nelson is conducting a book tour in Michigan, Alabama, and Arizona in the near future.  Those locations are listed on her web site. Here is the link to the book tour for Searching for Nannie B.

Alabama locations are emphasized in this advertising for Old Huntsville Magazine.  Not included in that advertising was a book signing on Wednesday, July 1, 2015 at Birmingham Unitarian Universalist Church, Birmingham, Alabama at 4:00 p.m.

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Steve Gierhart

Dale “Steve” Gierhart is a retired business manager for the United States Army. Based in Huntsville, Alabama on Redstone Arsenal, his career lasted from 1975 to 2010 in which he managed contracts, finances/accounting, and cost estimating for several missile defense systems, among which were Stinger, Avenger, Chaparral, Sentinel, JLENS, SLAMRAAM, and Non-Line of Sight.  The author wishes to thank the many co-workers, peers, and contractors who made these programs successful.  It is their tireless work that brought these systems to the soldier that needed them.  While budget constraints made it difficult for some of their work to see its full potential, they never blinked, they adjusted.  They persevered. Steve hails from Shawnee, Oklahoma; but most of his adult life has been spent in the beautiful hills of North Alabama where he lives with his wife, Bonny, who raises Tennessee Walking Horses. Between them, Steve and Bonny have 5 children and 9 grandchildren. Steve enjoys writing now that he is retired and plans more excursions of the imagination. He and Bonny, a retired engineer who worked as a contractor on several NASA and Army programs, will travel in their retirement though 15 horses, 4 dogs and 3 cats can crimp the best of plans.

Steve Gierhart

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