Professor Releases Debut Book

HOUSTON -

Fifty-something Winston Dash and his 20-year-old daughter Clio have been forever changed by their grief over the devastating illness and subsequent loss of Elizabeth Dash, Winston's wife and Clio's mother. The Chicago community college professor needs to make a change and decides to take Clio on a cross-country treasure hunt to track down a lost journal of President Theodore Roosevelt. This new novel takes the reader from one coast to the other, across the length of the United States. The adventure also provides a chance for the estranged father and daughter to mend their damaged relationship and, perhaps, recover a piece of history.

The lost journal, most likely written during the president's four-day stay with naturalist John Muir in the Yosemite Valley in May of 1903, is presumed to have been written but might exist only in Winston's imagination. The father and daughter set out on a road trip in their old family van as part of Winston's sabbatical, with both learning along the way. "Roosevelt, Muir, Clio and Me: A Novel of Loss and Discovery" provides a vehicle for the author to describe the Progressive Period of U.S. history and how it reshaped people's perception of their government.

Dialogue between the two strong-willed characters effectively provides a history lesson of sorts. The book faithfully reproduces letters to and from Roosevelt and Muir that have been preserved in Library of Congress archives. Just as important as recovering the missing journal is the father and daughter recovering their love for one another and learning to overcome their estrangement and grief. Striking black and white illustrations by artist Marty Vidrine enhance the unforgettable story.

This is the first large historical fiction project for author David Matthew Wilcox, a history professor and chairman of the Honors College at Houston Community College. His almost four decades of teaching have included classes in U.S. history, Western civilization, U.S. diplomatic history and leadership development. Wilcox, who earned his bachelor's and master's degrees from Iowa State University, pursued a doctorate for several years at Rice University before becoming a teacher and father. The extensive traveler has published several volumes of historical readings for students. While researching his novel, Wilcox visited all the sites mentioned and discussed in the book.

For additional information, please visit http://www.davidwilcoxbooks.com

Roosevelt, Muir, Clio and Me: A Novel of Loss and Discovery
David Matthew Wilcox
Dog Ear Publishing
ISBN: 978-1-4575-2854-5 412 pages $19.95 US

Available at Ingram, Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble and fine bookstores everywhere.

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