Some people love ‘Romance Novels, others, ‘Mysteries’, still others love ‘Fantasy’,

I love a good ‘Memoir’. I suppose my mind thinks it’s easy to create something that doesn’t exist but it’s damn more interesting to read about what does exist. Maybe I just like people. I don’t know. I do know that a ‘Memoir’ can be a difficult thing to pull off. If the writer isn’t careful or skilled, a memoir will read flat and self-centered. I’ve yawned my way through more than one.

I opened ‘Just Minding My Own Business’ without expectation.

I started reading and I smiled, and as the Dust Bowl migrants moved, I knew me and this memoir would get along just fine. Rawge Jones is an American Storyteller.

Rawge pulled this reader into the San Joaquin  Valley gently, with a bit of a drawl, blowing dust away. There were moments when I was certain he was Steinbeck’s son as I melted into the first part of the book. As the story continued the feeling shifted. Personal experience marked with good humor and careful retrospect, entertained and pulled this reader forward into Rawge’s life and thoughts, and it was here that I met a guitar-picking philosopher. 

The subtitle -hybrid memoir- is a perfect term for this book.

I loved the title of the book and the cover depicted the easy nature of the man within it.

If you enjoy memoirs this one won’t disappoint, Rawge’s style of writing was easy and enjoyable. While so much of his story resonated with me it was the beginning part of the book that was most impressive. Having just said I love ‘Memoirs’, there is something in the beginning part of this book that sings ‘You must write a novel!’ I appreciated his wit and his wisdom but I fell in love with the voice that told me the story of his parents.

I rate Just Minding My Own Business a solid 4 out of 5 and would recommend it to those who enjoy Memoirs, unassuming philosophy, and American storytelling.