My Storied Life is much more than a collection of personal tales. It is a collection of vignettes by an ordinary woman from Maine who made her life extraordinary. Phyllis Blackstone writes with a purpose, with an authentic voice that transforms the mundane into something meaningful. Wrap a warm blanket around your shoulders and read this book in a lounge chair outside of your Roadtrek in front of a campfire. Blackstone's tales will amuse you, inspire you, connect you to shared experiences, and challenge you to consider how your life has meaning beyond your own understanding.

Grant T. Smith, PhD, Professor Emeritus of English, Viterbo University

From the very first page, Phyllis Blackstone seems to invite you to sit next to her on the couch as she shows you old photos and tells you about all the folks in the pictures. From watching for the school bus to charming audiences with her storytelling, she shares insights, meaningful moments, and laughter. A personal and engaging book that will leave you inspired by a life well-lived.

Hope Lewis, MS, CCMHC, performance storyteller, past chair of Northeast Storytelling, founder of the Worldwide Virtual Storytelling Guild

I know that when I hear Phyllis Blackstone tell a story, I can expect to react in two very different ways: one minute I will be laughing heartily, while in the next, tears of sadness will be welling up in my eyes. Such is her gift as an observer and communicator of the human condition: its beauty, its humor, its foibles, its sadness. You will find it all here, and more. I highly recommend this book!

Rob Lively, PhD; Dean Emeritus, University of Maine, Farmington; President, Western Maine Storytelling

Reading My Storied Life is like sitting with a witty friend who generously shares how growing up the youngest in a northern Maine family shapes her into the teacher, storyteller and caregiver we get to know and enjoy through her stories, reflections and teachings. This is not a book to be read once and discarded. It should be read and reread, piece by piece, whenever messages of hope, humor, humility or humanity are needed.

Mike Seliger, PhD, Consultant, Executive Committee, Healing Story Alliance

A breath of fresh air... Having had the pleasure of chuckling at a couple of these stories delivered so captivatingly by Phyllis Blackstone in lieu of the pastor's sermon, I feel doubly lucky they are now in print. Comforting, thought-provoking and wickedly funny in places, the moral of each story is gently teased out against a vivid backdrop of everyday life, from Walmart shopping trips and adventures in the Roadtrek to personal losses and unexpecte...