From his idyllic childhood in the ranching and mining towns of the Pacific North West, Joe’s life takes him to the glittering nightclubs of the 1960′s where his career as a performer brought his great success, and where his very personal journey began.
From gutters and flophouses of San Francisco to the luxury resorts of South America, Africa, Europe and Asia, Joe shares his exciting journey to spiritual and personal awakening and finding self-acceptance and love.
MY THOUGHTSJoe's life has been battle after battle with homosexuality, alcohol, HIV and mental disorders. Memory after memory takes us from Joe's birth through today.
Although most of the book was rather dryly written, the stories of Joe's life are actually quite fascinating. Joe and his wife, Andriette, were entertainers. From what I gather, once the entertainment portion of Joe's life ended, the explorer part of his life began.
Each memory is clearly detailed with lots of interesting side stories entwined in each. For me, the most interesting part was seeing how Joe pulled religion and God into most of his experiences. Even those that were devastating usually ended with a blessing of some sort. The Lover and the Madman is a compelling and inspiring read!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Today Joe is retired and makes his home in Boise, Idaho where he spends his time with his 2 dogs, large family, and many wonderful friends.
Wendy, thank you for the review!
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