Now Reading: Alumni Books
By Jennifer Latson and Jenny West Rozelle ’00
Inside the Texas Revolution: The Enigmatic Memoir of Herman Ehrenberg
Edited by James E. Crisp ’68
Texas State Historical Association, 2021
Herman Ehrenberg was many things: German immigrant, Texas soldier, memoirist, mapmaker, mineralogist, man of mystery — and ultimately murder victim. But could he also be called a historian? Ehrenberg’s chronicle of the Texas Revolution, published in Germany in 1843, is one of the most detailed and vivid extant accounts of the rebellion. But it doesn’t let the facts get in the way of a good story. In “Inside the Texas Revolution,” which won the Summerfield G. Roberts Award from the Sons of the Republic of Texas, historian James E. Crisp teases apart the truth from the fiction in Ehrenberg’s tale — and explores why Ehrenberg chose to embellish where he did. We spoke to Crisp about the memoir and its mysteries.
What can you tell us about who Ehrenberg was?
He was a teenage German immigrant in the U.S. who volunteered to fight with the rebels as the revolution in Texas was beginning. He served with the New Orleans Greys in San Antonio and Goliad, but unlike most of his comrades, he survived the execution of almost 400 Texan captives at Goliad.
What drew you to his story?
When I discovered in 1992 that Ehrenberg’s memoir was the actual source of a patently racist speech that had been falsely attributed to Sam Houston, I also discovered that virtually no one knew who Ehrenberg was, nor had his memoir ever had a decent translation from German.
What does his memoir get right ― and wrong ― about the Texas Revolution?
His recollections of warfare in South Texas in 1835 and 1836 are very sharp, as is his story of his escape from the Goliad executions. But his accounts of both the Alamo and San Jacinto battles are based on hearsay common in the Texas Republic. He also makes up stories about imaginary Texans in order to impress his readers in Germany.
What does Ehrenberg’s memoir have to teach us about the reliability of historical accounts more generally?
That we always need to compare any individual’s “eyewitness” account to every available scrap of information that might verify, falsify or modify the account. That’s why it took me 28 years to complete the research for this book. I was determined not to repeat hearsay. — J.L.
The Gallant Edith Bratt: J.R.R. Tolkien’s Inspiration
Nancy Bunting ’74 and Seamus Hamill-Keays
Walking Tree Publishers, 2021
Edith Bratt Tolkien has never gotten much credit for influencing her husband’s literary accomplishments — and that does a disservice both to Edith and to scholars seeking to fully understand the writings of J.R.R.
Tolkien, argue Nancy Bunting and Seamus Hamill-Keays. In “The Gallant Edith Bratt,” they set out to correct that error, shining a spotlight on the woman Tolkien referred to as his Lúthien, the powerful Elvish princess who helps a mortal man on an epic quest in “The Silmarillion.”
Edith’s life was an epic quest in its own right. She overcame what Tolkien called “the shadow of the past”: her illegitimate birth in classist Victorian England. “Hers is a very Victorian story of luck and pluck,” write Bunting and Hamill-Keays. “Edith Bratt Tolkien triumphed over her background to snatch love and happiness from the iron jaws of social strictures and rigid class consciousness. … She created the security and stability which Ronald Tolkien needed to write.” And while Tolkien, during his lifetime, discouraged any attempt to write his biography, which he considered irrelevant to understanding his writings, Bunting and Hamill-Keays make the case that his personal life and his creative work were much more closely intertwined than even he realized. — J.L.
Writing Faithfully
In three new books, alumni share different perspectives on Christianity and faith.
Here I Am: How God Reveals Himself in Everything from Science and Suffering to Birthdays and Baseball
Keith Scott ’87
Resource Publications, 2021
Keith Scott, who majored in legal studies at Rice and is now an attorney, has always been interested in the big issues. He turns his focus to the existence of God in his first book, “Here I Am,” which is written for both believers and nonbelievers. The book looks at faith analytically and states the case that faith and reason are not incompatible. “Make the existence of God your hypothesis,” Scott writes. “You don’t have to believe it; just test it. It’ll be enough to open your mind to follow the evidence wherever it leads.” Scott makes connections between the Bible and numerous examples in history, science and literature — including Shakespeare’s stories, Darwin’s and Einstein’s writings, and even baseball — to explain aspects of God and faith. Scott urges readers to look for signs of God in our everyday lives, assuring readers that we can find him in “everything … that makes up the drama and comedy of life.” — J.W.R.
Doing Life
365 Daily Devotions: Finding Peace in Stressful Times
Jeffrey M. Thurston ’78
JT2 Books, Inc., 2021
The past two years have been difficult. Jeffrey M. Thurston, an obstetrician and gynecologist as well as a graduate of the Dallas Theological Seminary, felt compelled to write a daily devotional throughout 2020 and email it to his colleagues, patients, friends and family to help others find peace. He then decided to compile the devotionals — which include anecdotes about his work, children, grandchildren, labradoodle and sailing background — into a book. Written in the midst of the pandemic with recent natural disasters and political discord in mind, “Doing Life” ties relatable personal experiences and emotional life-changing moments to scripture in order to offer readers hope and clarity. The devotionals cover subjects like anxiety, anger, exhaustion, blessings, courage, self-worth, trust and laughter and provide a prayer for each day. They are organized by date but also cross-referenced by topic to help readers find uplifting and encouraging devotionals appropriate to their current spiritual needs.
Awakening at Lourdes: How an Unanswered Prayer Healed Our Family and Restored Our Faith
Christy Wilkens ’99
Ave Maria Press, 2021
When Christy Wilkens’ sixth child, Oscar, was only 5 months old, he experienced his first seizure. Many more baffling and terrifying seizures came afterward for Oscar, as well as many medical emergencies and appointments for his special needs. Wilkens’ faith in God and her relationship with her husband wobbled as they tried in vain to help their son. Through a program with the Order of Malta, in 2017 she and her husband took Oscar on a journey to Lourdes, France — a Catholic pilgrimage site known for its healing waters and the many miracles that have happened there — to beg for a miracle for their toddler’s physical healing. The answers she received to her prayers were not always the ones she hoped for, but the pilgrimage did help heal her faith as well as her relationship with her husband. Wilkens writes, “None of us is meant to endure the trials of this life alone.” The book follows her deeply emotional experience in France and the blessings she has found in the community of people who have devotedly loved and supported her family.