In the Warmth of the Shadow

by Robert N. Ruesch

Growing up in a resort setting gives a person a special portal view on life. Most individuals and families will be on vacation for a limited amount of time each summer. But what if you were to grow up in a vacation resort where each week, every summer your life was increasingly different than the summer before? Where every summer you had the chance to meet new individuals, oftentimes each week. What if you had the chance to work with college students from across the USA and other countries? How would those experiences shape your life as an adolescent and then a young adult? This book takes you on a journey through the eyes of a child who had the privilege of growing up in a vacation world high in the Colorado Rockies in a resort setting. From pumping gas to serving watermelon for two thousand or more, to seeing the joy of families vacationing and working with summer college staff that created lifetime friendships, the author places into words what it was like to live in a rocky mountain paradise. This is your chance to read about a kid who grew up in a one-of-a-kind Christian camp/resort setting and the individuals he met and how many people from all walks of life, along with a resort, can shape and influence a life.

216 pages, Paperback

Published May 5, 2017

Reviews

[Cricket Rohman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I usually read fiction, so I wasn't certain this book would captivate my interest. I gave it a try primarily because I grew up in Estes Park, Colorado, and was curious about what the author, Robert Ruesch, had to say. He painted a detailed picture with his descriptions of time and place and people. Of his spiritual growth, his family, his work. He must have kept a journal or notes or has an incredible memory. (Wish I had done that.)

This non-fiction account of his life growing up at the YMCA Conference Center, in the Rocky Mountains, reads like a series of chronological short stories. Stories honoring God; describing serious, even sad events; Y Camp history; the beauty of the land; and a perfect sprinkling of photos and humorous happenings. One chapter is titled: The Midnight Guitar Sneak (one of my personal favorites), another, Let's Wash a Bus. I learned the church bell was named Duke. I loved this true account. You might too.

[Cedric Aegis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ruesch tells an interesting and unique backstory of something I otherwise never knew existed. A lot of people in my generation probably just think 'YMCA' is something from a bizarre song listened to by Baby Boomers. In reality, it had important Christian roots and functions for that generation and prior generations. Without reading this book, I would never have known that there was a time in America where people would endure long car rides (without air conditioning, no less) just to visit obscure backwoods Christian campgrounds. It makes me wonder what about those generations of people was different from my own that motivated them to seek God in such a way.

[Bridget M · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was given this book when I worked at Snow Mountain Ranch and met the author. It took me awhile to get through this book and I have brought it to several different apartments and read it in chunks throughout the years. I felt that at points the storyline didn’t flow, but I release it didn’t need to flow because it was a collection of memories. I especially liked how in the final section of the book Ruesch emphasized his faith and how important faith was for him and his family. It was really the message I needed to hear as I end my COVID isolation.

[Tina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this book about a young boy growing up at the YMCA of Rockies and what it was like to live there while his father ran the camp. He talks about all the wonderful people he got to meet that came from all the world let alone across the country. Yet it feels like family and it changes from week to week. Great to read.