The Optimistic Endeavor

Blending personal memories with an impressive collection of journals, this memoir traces how the author gradually finds herself as a girl/woman, as a wife/mother/grandmother, and as a professional nurse for decades. From the little girl who preferred overalls to dresses because they had pockets to the psychiatric nurse interacting and befriending patients who needed her attention and acceptance, Tripp lets us in to what matters to her, what challenges her, and what gives her joy. Toni A.H. McNaron is a professor emerita of English at the University of Minnesota. A memoirist and lesbian feminist critic, she is the author of several books, most recently Live and Deal with Others Better: The Gift of Shakespeare's Romances. When ink and paper combine it can become art, and for many it is therapeutic. Words represent stories and life lessons. Janet Tripp's words allow you to become part of her story. Despite decades since her graduation, advances have not changed the depths of despair that too many feel and end up hospitalized. Nor has it changed the tragic toll suicide takes on nearly 50,000 lives each year in the U.S, some of whom have been her patients who need compassion, even if it is at the risk of injury to the caregiver as Tripp describes. The Optimistic Endeavor helps us all understand how ink and paper can save lies. Dr. Dan Reidenberg, Psy.D., Suicide Prevention and Mental Health Expert; National Council for Suicide Prevention, Managing Director; International Association for Suicide Prevntion, Board Special Advisor. The Optimistic Endeavor is a beautiful memoir about a life fully lived. I was grateful to accompany Janet on her journey as a feminist, a nurse, a reader, and a parent. This gem of a book is a meditation on stories, family, love, loss, and the work we are called to do. It is a book that invites us to open our hearts and welcome the beauty the world holds, and it's a reminder that with a little spunk and a lot of love, we can keep growing into the people we are meant to be. I'm grateful for Janet's words. Kate Hopper, author of Ready for Air: A Journey through Premature Motherhood and Use Your Words: A Writing Guide for Mothers