Moritz Thomsen Livres

At the age of 48, the author sold his pig farm and joined the Peace Corps. This title presents his story.

Abruptly expelled from his farm in Ecuador at the age of sixty-two, Moritz Thomsen indulges in that saddest of pleasures - travel - taking a trip to Brazil and ultimately a journey up the great Amazon River by boat.Assaulted by ghosts and memories at every turn, as his journey unfolds he re-examines his life to understand how he came to be living a life of self-imposed poverty and hardship. Outwardly he sails up the Amazon towards Manaus, giving us poignant and limpid descriptions of the river, yet inwardly a shattering romantic symphony rages, running from the depths of human misery to life's small but exquisite transcendent pleasures. He spares the reader nothing.

The narrative intertwines Moritz Thomsen's personal battles against his oppressive father and the harrowing experiences of being a bombardier in World War II. Reflecting on his privileged upbringing in Seattle, the author reveals the complexities of his relationship with his father while recounting the intense air combat over Germany. Completed shortly before his death, this posthumous work offers a profound exploration of vulnerability and resilience, praised by Page Stegner for its deep insight into the human condition amidst war.