Title: American Baby Boomer
Author: Lucas Carter
Publisher: XlibrisUS
ISBN: 978-1796052640
Pages: 650
Genre: Memoirs and Biographies
Reviewed by: Anthony Avina

Read Book Review

For years there has been a consensus that the generation a person is born into defines who they are. People always tend to have opinions of their own on various generations, but the only people who can tell the story of generations like Baby Boomers is someone who has lived life in that generation. As Elie Wiesel once said, “I will say, with memoir, you must be honest. You must be truthful.” In author Lucas Carter’s book American Baby Boomer, the memoir and story of a man born into the Baby Boomer generation and the life his generation led is shown.

This is the story of Michael Larsen. Born to Norwegian parents who lived in Canada and had Michael in California, Michael shares the life he led. From birth and his time in high school, to his service during the Vietnam War, and going to college before falling in love, getting a career and starting a family, this book shares Michael’s life over the years while highlighting the historical events of the world which helped frame the life Michael and other’s in the Baby Boomer era lived.

This is a well written memoir that was both personal and informational. The book brilliantly starts out by showcasing a memorable comparison to life as the changing of the seasons, as Michael shares his story while in the “winter” of his life. From there, Michael’s life begins to unfold in a lengthy read that showcases some of the most important events of the Baby Boomer era. The Vietnam War, the integration of television sets into the American home, and the expansion of a career as historical events played out in the background of Michael’s life, all brought together a story which many readers, especially those of that era, can identify with.

This is a book meant for those who enjoy memoirs, biographies, history and personal tales of growing up and experiencing life. What made this book so unique is that it highlighted how special and different each and every individual’s life is like, even within the same generation such as that of the Baby Boomers. The memoir does an excellent job of bringing a truthful, honest and relatable story of a man’s life and the family he was both born into and created. It was analogously told over the course of the man’s life, or the various “seasons” he led. From honest tales of growing up with specific bias towards certain groups of people born from his family’s long-standing beliefs, to the troubles born from responsibilities at work and the people he interacted with on a daily basis, this book is as personal as a memoir can possibly get.

A well written, thorough and relatable story, Michael Larsen’s story jumps off the page and engages readers on a deeper level, bringing forth a memoir which tells the story of not only one man’s life, but of an entire generation and the events around them that helped shape the experiences they had overall. Those who enjoy good memoirs and immersing themselves in lengthy reads full of personal stories should grab their copy of Lucas Carter’s American Baby Boomer today!