Candidly written by Clifford L. Braman, ‘The Long Dirt Road: A Short Story with a Long Reach’ takes readers on a real-life journey behind the closed doors of a Florida private Christian high school and into a world where students were used as spies, teachers ruled with an iron fist and a girl could be called a “whore” for washing her hair without permission. Thankfully, Braman triumphed over this adversity and his memoir proves that transitioning from victim to victor isn’t impossible. While releasing his story to help others battling their own hardships, Braman is also fulfilling a bold promise made to his beloved late wife.
Waterport, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 08/07/2014 -- In the 1960s, Clifford L. Braman’s parents sent him to a private Christian high school for not only a prestigious education, but an opportunity to ground his faith. However, what should have been an enriching few years was life-changing for all of the wrong reasons. In his gripping new memoir, Braman spills the truth about this school and depicts his gradual rising from the ashes of adversity.
Everything is exposed in ‘The Long Dirt Road: A Short Story with a Long Reach’; which fuses experience with wisdom to present compelling evidence that the human condition will always prevail over plight. It’s not an easy read, but a hugely important one.
Synopsis:
Over fifty years ago, Clifford L. Braman was a student at a private Christian high school in central Florida—a place that should have nurtured, strengthened, and prepared him for the world. It did, but not in a positive way; sadly, its administrators and teachers introduced him to the hardships of life through their own harshness and deceit.
Students were subjected to a multitude of rules, some strict, others utterly ridiculous: no movies, no dating the same girl twice in a row, having to say “good fortune” rather than “good luck,” no singing Negro spirituals.
And while the faculty would teach on Christian virtue, they saw nothing wrong with using students as spies to report—or gossip—on other students, or publicly degrading and falsely accusing students (for example, calling a girl a whore because she washed her hair without permission).
It’s nothing short of a miracle that throughout this experience Braman was able to hold fast to his faith, his friends, and even his first love—who would later become his wife. The Long Dirt Road is an honest memoir about overcoming hardships and finding the way to enjoy your life, replacing bitterness with gratitude.
“Everyone who goes through traumatic experiences believes that they are alone; I know that I felt this way during the many dark, restless nights, spent in my bed trying to figure out how I was going to handle the situation in which I found myself,” admits Braman, who went on to become a successful player in the lucrative jewelry industry. “If you are armed with the truth you can weather the storm; in my case, this truth came by putting my full faith in God. My teachers were cruel hypocrites who caused rage and aggression among frustrated students and it was collectively extremely destructive. I’m now a changed man and want others to know that they can make the same transition.”
Continuing, “This writing project is also a tribute to my late wife. When she was in the hospital she asked me to graduate from a small college I was attending at the time and then publish a book based on my experiences at the Florida school from 1962. This book fulfills that promise and I hope my wife’s inspiration will help the thousands who can draw solace from my story.”
Early reviews for the book have been extremely positive. For example, Mark W. Tillman comments, “This book is an amazing and touching story about one man's life and those who he has touched and learned from on his journey. It is well written, humorous and gives insight into what is most important.”
‘The Long Dirt Road: A Short Story with a Long Reach’ is available now: http://amzn.to/1lw8dEB.
About Clifford L. Braman
Clifford L. Braman is a semi-retired widower who went back to college, part-time, at the age of sixty-four after working for forty-seven years in the jewelry business. His jewelry career allowed him to travel to many places and meet all kinds of interesting people. Over the years, he especially enjoyed helping couples find the right engagement ring or wedding set, and hearing their unique love stories in the process.
Braman now lives in western New York. He enjoys going on regular walks to a bluff overlooking Lake Ontario, where he can sit and reflect. Grateful for where life has brought him, Braman finally wrote a book about the difficulties he overcame as a young man. The Long Dirt Road is both a story of faith and a story of love, which he promised his wife he would one day write.