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River of January
He ached to fly, while she trained tirelessly for the stage. Part One of the two volume "River of January" examines the dizzying development of the Twentieth Century through the lives of Virginia farm boy, Montgomery "Chum" Chumbley in his quest to fly, and Helen Thompson, a glittering New York dancer who aspired to fame.
360 pages, Paperback
First published April 1, 2014
14 people are currently reading
227 people want to read
About the author
Gail Chumbley
3 books11 followers Gail Olson Chumbley is a public school retiree after 33 years in the classroom. A nationally recognized instructor of American History, Gail was ready make the transition from telling the tales of the past, to trying her hand at writing those stories for a broader audience.
Gail’s work has been honored with the Preserve America award in 2004 co-sponsored by the White House and Gilder Lehrman Institute. In 2005, Gail received the Outstanding Teacher of American History from National Daughters of the American Revolution in Washington DC. She appears in the Congressional Record of the 109th Congress, with remarks given by Senator Mike Crapo on May 12, 2005. The Senator highlighted her work in the Veterans Oral History Project in conjunction with the Library of Congress. In a two-year campaign Gail led her students in raising funds for the National World War Two Memorial topping all other schools in nation. She and student representatives personally delivered the funds to Senator Robert Dole in 2002.
Her usage of recorded recollections began with a grant from the Idaho Humanities Council sending her to Miami to interview her father-in-law, Montgomery “Chum” Chumbley. From that initial project, her first non-reference book evolved, River of January.
A child of the Pacific Northwest, the author was born and raised in Spokane, Washington, graduating from Joel E. Ferris High School, and receiving her history degree from Western Washington University in Bellingham. Gail is the mother of two grown children. After her retirement in May of 2013, Gail and her husband settled in the Idaho Mountains above Boise. They have made their home in a little cabin in the woods where she has embarked on a writing career, while Chad attempts to play golf.
For more information on Gail Chumbley and River of January, go to www.riverofjanuary
Gail’s work has been honored with the Preserve America award in 2004 co-sponsored by the White House and Gilder Lehrman Institute. In 2005, Gail received the Outstanding Teacher of American History from National Daughters of the American Revolution in Washington DC. She appears in the Congressional Record of the 109th Congress, with remarks given by Senator Mike Crapo on May 12, 2005. The Senator highlighted her work in the Veterans Oral History Project in conjunction with the Library of Congress. In a two-year campaign Gail led her students in raising funds for the National World War Two Memorial topping all other schools in nation. She and student representatives personally delivered the funds to Senator Robert Dole in 2002.
Her usage of recorded recollections began with a grant from the Idaho Humanities Council sending her to Miami to interview her father-in-law, Montgomery “Chum” Chumbley. From that initial project, her first non-reference book evolved, River of January.
A child of the Pacific Northwest, the author was born and raised in Spokane, Washington, graduating from Joel E. Ferris High School, and receiving her history degree from Western Washington University in Bellingham. Gail is the mother of two grown children. After her retirement in May of 2013, Gail and her husband settled in the Idaho Mountains above Boise. They have made their home in a little cabin in the woods where she has embarked on a writing career, while Chad attempts to play golf.
For more information on Gail Chumbley and River of January, go to www.riverofjanuary
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
April 30, 2014
Have you ever met a person whose life story seems too impossible to believe?
In Gail Chumbley's "River of January" the author explores the truly unbelievable lives of Chum and Helen. Chum's dream of becoming a pilot fuel his story as he meets famous names such as Howard Hughes. Helen, a dancer and actress supporting her mother back home, finds herself rubbing elbows with Maurice Chevalier and Humphrey Bogart in certainly interesting circumstances. The way that these two peoples' stories eventually intertwine is both fascinating and incredible.
Chumbley's writing gives the reader interesting snapshots of history. The work includes actual letters written and received by Chum and Helen, historical photographs and it is all presented with Chumbley's wonderful prose. This is as close to time-traveling as you can get. I highly recommend this work.
In Gail Chumbley's "River of January" the author explores the truly unbelievable lives of Chum and Helen. Chum's dream of becoming a pilot fuel his story as he meets famous names such as Howard Hughes. Helen, a dancer and actress supporting her mother back home, finds herself rubbing elbows with Maurice Chevalier and Humphrey Bogart in certainly interesting circumstances. The way that these two peoples' stories eventually intertwine is both fascinating and incredible.
Chumbley's writing gives the reader interesting snapshots of history. The work includes actual letters written and received by Chum and Helen, historical photographs and it is all presented with Chumbley's wonderful prose. This is as close to time-traveling as you can get. I highly recommend this work.
July 1, 2017
I HAD to read this book for Book Club. Marginal. I thought the writing was poor and the story was dull. Kept waiting for something interesting and it just never got there.
August 31, 2015
This story is based on the amazing lives of the author's in-laws. It's an interesting glimpse into the lives of people living between WW I and WWII. They travel the world seeking their fortunes until a chance meeting in Rio.
This book is written in novel form for easing reading. It jumps between the main characters so we keep them both in the same time period. Occasionally I got lost in who we were with but the book is nicely written. The abrupt ending left me unsettled though. It didn't seem like a good stopping point. I hope book two will be out soon to finish out the ending of book one.
This book is written in novel form for easing reading. It jumps between the main characters so we keep them both in the same time period. Occasionally I got lost in who we were with but the book is nicely written. The abrupt ending left me unsettled though. It didn't seem like a good stopping point. I hope book two will be out soon to finish out the ending of book one.
April 15, 2015
This is a true story set in the 1930's. Two fascinating peoples lives are chronicled and their stories pull you in. Chum Chumbley: farm boy, navy pilot, airplane racer, and commercial aviator rubs elbows with starlets and tycoons. Concurrently, the book follows dancer,singer, performer Helen Thompson as she travels from New York to California, Europe and Brazil. It is in Rio de Janeiro where Helen and Chum cross paths at the Copacabana night club. I really enjoyed this book.
December 27, 2014
3.5/5 stars. Yay! This book was really interesting. I love learning about things that are not of my time :)
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April 28, 2014
I may be a little prejudice but Gail has done a wonderful job with her research and putting this book together. While Chum was still alive she spent 10 days in Miami doing an oral history which along with all the memoirs have made this book quite interesting and factual. Can't wait for the sequel!
September 5, 2015
With all the songs mentioned, this could be a movie I would love to watch. Thank you, Gail. You made me "see" it and "hear" it as I read.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews