Under the Great Elm

UNDER THE GREAT ELM, A Life of Luck & Wonder, is a swift, lyrical, often astonishing tale of high adventure, of love lost and found, a lifelong journey of enlightenment, and remarkable interspecies encounters. Sweeping from the Illinois countryside to the plains and mountains of the American West, from the cafes of Paris to the Gaza Strip, and from the tropics of India to the rhythms of Broadway, this is a story of hope and inspiration for our time.

UNDER THE GREAT ELM, A Life of Luck & Wonder, is a riveting, life-long adventure story that reaches across the globe, reminiscent in tone and spirit of nonfiction novels such as The Razor's Edge by Somerset Maugham, or The Education of Little Tree by Forrest Carter.  Laced with a sense of wonder and humor, this is a compelling and unique masterpiece of nonfiction that all readers will enjoy.

REVIEWS -

''Exquisite…A beautifully told, beautiful story – full of poetic writing – picturesque with fine detail. The book would in fact make a wonderful play or movie with adventure, excitement, tragedy, and new love... A spiritual odyssey… a song celebrating Earth and the open road.’’ -  Robertson Work, author of A Compassionate Civilization: The Urgency of Sustainable Development and Mindful Activism

''Appropriately subtitled "A Life of Luck and Wonder," Rich Flanders' memoir, UNDER THE GREAT ELM, chronicles his days of world travel, spiritual searching, and romantic serendipity with an infectious sense of amazement and curiosity.  

We have a fascination for people who live life on their own terms and Flanders definitely fits that bill...​

(His) curiosity, wonder, and joy shine through the narrative ...a lifelong session of 'Mystery School”' - 4 STARS - INDIE READER

''Actor/singer /songwriter/poet Flanders documents an adventurous life well lived in his sweeping and deeply honest memoir.

Flanders spins beautiful prose as he recounts his life’s journey,.. Readers will live vicariously through the author’s varied, adventurous life, which has an abundance of adventure and braveness packed into it. Any reader who believes in second chances and living life to the fullest will devour Flanders’s tale….His Renaissance Man life will inspire readers to realize that it’s never too late to chase a dream.’'  - BOOKLIFE 

‘’A big picture depiction of a life well-lived....Refreshing simplicity that nevertheless manages to convey the emotional depth of Flanders’ realizations... A heartfelt memoir.’’  - KIRKUS

‘’A delightful and soul-searching book for any reader…a must read’' - 5 STARS, READERS’ FAVORITE

 
''This book is a love song to life, written tenderly and wisely by a wise and tender man. Rich Flanders shows us how it feels to embrace the world with joy, wonder, commitment, and aliveness. And keep singing through it all.''
- Peggy Rubin, author of To Be and How To Be

''For all its bucolic roots, Under the Great Elm is like an explosion...The sea changes and journey move author and readers through spiritual, psychological, and physical changes that shake the foundations of belief and perception alike...recommended for literary readers looking for evocative works that capture life and enlightenment across America.'' - MIDWEST BOOK REVIEW, D. Donovan, Senior Reviewer

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Richard Flanders, a graduate of San Francisco State University and The American Musical & Dramatic Academy in New York, appeared on Broadway in Shenandoah and in the first national company of Annie. His albums, Yondering and Ride Away, were each nominated Album of the Year by The Academy of Western Artists and The Western Music Association. He received a Stephen Vincent Benet Narrative Poetry Award from Poet Lore magazine, and he is a recipient of The Will Rogers Cowboy Award from The  Academy of Western Artists. His first book, UNDER THE GREAT ELM - A Life of Luck & Wonder, received 5 STARS from Readers Favorite and was a FINALIST in the 2021 American Writing Awards. He and his wife, Anne, live on the Connecticut shoreline, where they perform music together from the Great American Songbook. You can learn more about Richard at his website, www.richflandersmusic.com.