Bøger af Jim Hartsell

Glimpses is a non-fiction collection, with a touch of poetic license thrown in. From the uplifting experience of a friend's confirmation service to a first-hand account of the church shooting in 2008, from the narrow world of small town life to the unexpected diagnostic techniques of a new doctor, these eleven short pieces - ten stories and one poem - sometimes funny, sometimes touching, sometimes horrific, sometimes inspiring, offer brief looks into my life and the lives of those around me.Drawn from the past half century or so, these vignettes illustrate some of the breadth and depth of what can be seen and experienced in an ordinary life's journey. Of course the beauty and mystery of it all is that there is so much more, it is so wide and so deep, that what we can see and hear and feel are only glimpses.

When Sam Reston answers his phone and Harry, his best friend from college, tells him he is in town, Sam agrees to meet him for a drink (or two) and a chance to catch up. This reunion sets in motion a chain of events that eventually uncovers the real story of how Lawrence, the third member of their trio, died that night in Memphis sixteen years ago.Sam works at a bookstore and the local public radio station, and only has one secret - he's learning the tango. The classes are an hour-long exercise in sensuality, a distinct and welcome contrast to the rest of his weekly routine. The unexpected visit from Harry leaves Sam literally holding the bag, a satchel that puts an unwilling Sam on the edge of one of Harry's shady schemes. When Rochelle, a casual friend, finds out about the dance lessons, Sam's life gets even more complicated, and the revelation of Rochelle's secret from her past and Harry's bombshell about Lawrence's death leave Sam wishing he could escape to the mysterious valley just outside of town he had stumbled upon during a late night drive.Tango is a short suspense novel with a light touch of romance.

Journey is a fictional work about an anonymous teenager living on the fringes of society. Assigned to an alternative school, minimally functional in academics, he spends much of his time spoiling for a fight. Angry, resistant, and mistrustful, he is at first unaware of the fact that he is changing, as he begins a journey of self-examination and gains a more balanced view of himself. This book frequently uses realistic language and depicts his struggles with peers, staff members, and most of all within himself, and ends with many issues still to be resolved; Journey is about a young man's first steps, and the fact that he realizes that he is only beginning ends the book on a hopeful note. The structure of the book was inspired by one version of the Native American Medicine Wheel. The cover art is by Karah Tull.

Named a finalist for the USGA's Herbert Warren Wind Award, golf literature's highest honor. Named one of the 10 Best Golf Books in 2022 by LINKS MagazineWhen Revelation Comes is the story of one man's search for peace. Along the way, he meets people whose compassion and empathy help him keep going. It's a story about fathers and sons. It's a story of a friendship between two people from different cultures and backgrounds. It's also a story of how a game can be a framework for life.On May 17, 2021, an unthinkable tragedy struck a tight knit family in the small town of Hartselle, Alabama. Jordan, a talented and promising junior golfer, died suddenly of an accidental drug overdose. He was only 21 years old. His father, Jim Hartsell, had spent most of the previous ten years supporting his son's attempt to succeed in the challenging world of junior and college golf. The grief was crushing, and the feeling of guilt overwhelming. When nothing else made sense, the author did the only thing he could think of: take a trip to his beloved Scotland in search for answers.Jim Hartsell had fallen in love with Scottish links golf as a child while watching the 1977 Open Championship at Turnberry, his father's favorite tournament. He and his father went on to take several trips to Scotland together, to places like Dunaverty, Machrihanish, and Cruden Bay. Visiting and studying the lesser-known golf courses of Scotland became a lifelong passion for Hartsell. Along the way, he also fell in love with Scotland and its people. When his life seemed over, that love was reciprocated and became his salvation. When Revelation Comes is a requiem for a lost child, and a parent's search for reasons to continue in the face of crushing grief. It's also a love letter to Scotland: it's golf, culture, and wonderful people. It's a reminder to look to the people and places around you: the answers to your questions may be there. Foreword by Michael BambergerAfterword by Wright Thompson

The final book in the series finds Boone coming to terms with changes in his life as well as those of both his birth family and the family he is creating. Figures from his past reappear, trying to pull him back into his previous life, while his mother, his best friend, his first love, and his girlfriend's family all face major changes of their own. The decisions Boone must make take him into unfamiliar landscapes and provide him with both opportunity and the reality of severing ties with his past.

In April 2010, struggling architect Rob Collins of Chattanooga, Tennessee was looking for any way to get back into the golf course design business. When he learned his alma-mater Sewanee planned to renovate their mountain top nine-hole golf course with renowned architect Gil Hanse, he contacted Sewanee golf coach King Oehmig in hopes of getting involved in the project. This began an unlikely series of events which started the incredible saga of Sweetens Cove Golf Club.Sequatchie Valley Golf & Country Club was located the small town of South Pittsburg, Tennessee, in the dead flat flood plain of Battle Creek. A "homemade, country golf course," it was much loved by many golfers in the area: not the least of which was Bob Thomas, successful businessman and founder of nearby Sequatchie Concrete Service. After his home course closed down due to financial difficulties, Thomas bought the 100-acre property in picturesque Sweetens Cove mere days before it was slated to become a horse farm. Under the guidance of his son Reece, what started as a simple renovation project of a run-down golf course turned into something much larger than anyone could have ever imagined.The Secret Home of Golf is the recounting of how a new, bold nine-hole course in rural Tennessee was created by King-Collins Golf, a then unknown and untested golf course design-build firm, and went on to become listed as one of the top 60 Modern Courses by Golfweek magazine. You will meet a cast of characters that were integral to the ultimate and unlikely survival of the course, which was days away from shutting down on multiple occasions. It is a story of sacrifice and almost unimaginable providence. The Secret Home of Golf tells the story of a man who refused to give up on his dream, and how his resilience and determination became one of the biggest success stories in modern-day golf.

Named a finalist for the USGA's Herbert Warren Wind Award, golf literature's highest honor. Named one of the 10 Best Golf Books in 2022 by LINKS MagazineWhen Revelation Comes is the story of one man's search for peace. Along the way, he meets people whose compassion and empathy help him keep going. It's a story about fathers and sons. It's a story of a friendship between two people from different cultures and backgrounds. It's also a story of how a game can be a framework for life.On May 17, 2021, an unthinkable tragedy struck a tight knit family in the small town of Hartselle, Alabama. Jordan, a talented and promising junior golfer, died suddenly of an accidental drug overdose. He was only 21 years old. His father, Jim Hartsell, had spent most of the previous ten years supporting his son's attempt to succeed in the challenging world of junior and college golf. The grief was crushing, and the feeling of guilt overwhelming. When nothing else made sense, the author did the only thing he could think of: take a trip to his beloved Scotland in search for answers.Jim Hartsell had fallen in love with Scottish links golf as a child while watching the 1977 Open Championship at Turnberry, his father's favorite tournament. He and his father went on to take several trips to Scotland together, to places like Dunaverty, Machrihanish, and Cruden Bay. Visiting and studying the lesser-known golf courses of Scotland became a lifelong passion for Hartsell. Along the way, he also fell in love with Scotland and its people. When his life seemed over, that love was reciprocated and became his salvation. When Revelation Comes is a requiem for a lost child, and a parent's search for reasons to continue in the face of crushing grief. It's also a love letter to Scotland: it's golf, culture, and wonderful people. It's a reminder to look to the people and places around you: the answers to your questions may be there. Foreword by Michael BambergerAfterword by Wright Thompson

The Boone Series is the story of a teenager on the fringes of society. He doesn't have looks, or money, or education going for him, but he's a decent human being trying to grow up with the odds stacked against him. He is often belittled or ignored, but like others out there on the edge of things, he has a story that deserves to be heard. In "Keeping Secrets," we see and hear what is happening from Boone's point of view, just as we do in the first two books in the series, "Pushing Back" and "Matching Scars."Boone is building a marginal but relatively comfortable life for himself and Frankie when two figures from his past reappear and life becomes irritating and complicated all over again. His old enemy Jerry and his aunt Claire are both making demands on him that he is either unwilling or unable to satisfy, and while he's dealing with them, the old habits his daddy saddled him with continue to strain his relationship with Nancy.Staying away from Jerry, keeping his aunt at a distance, and trying to reconcile with Nancy all at the same time is difficult enough, but Boone's anger and impulsive nature make it almost impossible. He and Tiny are trying with limited success to carry on Gamaliel's legacy, and some of the residents at the assisted living home are urging him to step out into the world and enjoy himself. Mark, who has become the kind of mentor Boone didn't think he would ever have, offers what he can in the way of support and encouragement, but Boone's own personal history is hard for him to escape. He's continually torn between curiosity about the life he's missing out on and his long-held anger and insecurity.A crisis on Tiny's farm not only rekindles Boone's old fears that the secrets he's kept for so long are about to come out, but also alters his friendship with Tiny, eliminating one common bond that was holding them together. What seems to be the final blow to his relationship with Nancy, the weight of memories that surround him, and the increasing pressure from all sides to make some kind of move, are all pushing Boone toward a decision he never thought he would make.

The Boone Series is the story of a teenager on the fringes of society. He doesn't have looks, or money, or education going for him, but he's a decent human being trying to grow up with the odds stacked against him. He is often belittled or ignored, but like others out there on the edge of things, he has a story that deserves to be heard. In "Matching Scars," we see and hear what is happening from Boone's point of view, just as we do in the first book in the series, "Pushing Back."On his own and struggling with the possibility of losing his friend Gamaliel, Boone is taking more responsibility for maintaining the old man's home while he recuperates. His conflicts with Gamaliel's son-in-law Jerry are increasing in frequency and intensity, and his relationship with his new friend Tiny is getting stronger; Tiny's practical knowledge of how the adult world works is invaluable to Boone, and he has Boone's back on more than one occasion.The everyday demands of adult life are new and sometimes confusing for Boone; using a bank, applying for a driver's license, grocery shopping, laundry, caring for his dog Frankie, all seem more difficult for him than for everybody around him. His mother's reappearance in his life serves only to bring a new and much more intense level of disappointment, since he catches only a glimpse of her before she is gone again, with only a note left behind. For Boone, family is starting to become something very different and in many ways more substantial than what it used to be when he was a child. He still pushes those close to him away, but not as often or as strongly as before, and his maturing relationship with Nancy is frightening and exciting all at the same time.The decisions he has to make now have more serious consequences, and the ghosts of his past are never far away. He can still feel his father's influence, try as he might to shake loose from it, and while his intense emotions often make his life more difficult, sometimes that intensity is exactly what he has to call on to survive.

The Boone Series is the story of a teenager on the fringes of society. He doesn't have looks, or money, or education going for him, but he's a decent human being trying to grow up with the odds stacked against him. He is often belittled or ignored, but like others out there on the edge of things, he has a story that deserves to be heard. "Pushing Back" is told from Boone's point of view. The first book in the series finds Boone at sixteen years old, in a family he can't wait to escape. His father is an angry drunk who scrapes out a living doing farm work and takes out most of his frustration and rage on his family. Boone's mother is a passive sort, unable or unwilling to stand up to her husband, and his sister is only seven, so he feels like he can't leave. Then, in one weekend, his family disintegrates around him and Boone finds himself alone for the first time in his life. Soon he begins to realize how much of his father's anger and mistrust is also a part of him, and much of his struggle to become an adult revolves around trying to let go of most of what his daddy taught him. Circumstance brings him into contact with an elderly neighbor, and he and Gamaliel form an unlikely friendship. Gamaliel's son-in-law has nothing but contempt for Boone and the conflicts with him bring out the worst in Boone's character. Boone's low social standing and his inexperience with most kinds of relationships makes his growing involvement with Nancy, a former classmate, full of stumbles and missteps on his part and a determination on hers to make things work, even though she has her share of normal teenage insecurity as well. A decent person at heart, Boone's battle with his inner demons and his almost complete lack of knowledge about the adult world make his progress intermittent at best, full of setbacks often of his own making. He approaches maturity clumsily, but when he can figure out the right thing to do, he usually does it. Unfortunately for him and those around him, sometimes his anger and insecurity get in the way.