Release Day! Immersion: A Linguist's Memoir by Linda Murphy Marshall ~ My Thoughts #Immersion @shewritespress

Happy Release Day!

Congratulation Linda

on the release today of

Immersion!

 

Immersion: A Linguist's Memoir by Linda Murphy Marshall

Memoir, Nonfiction, 264 pages

Published September 24, 2024 by She Writes Press

Fans of the self-discovering journeys in Cheryl Strayed’s Wild and Andrew McCarthy’s The Longest Way Home will love diving into linguist Linda Murphy Marshall’s adventure-filled international journey as she overcomes her past to find her place in the world—all over the world.

Immersion is a memoir that takes the reader on a captivating emotional and physical journey through Linda Murphy Marshall’s from the longstanding, crippling impact of family members’ low expectations and abuse, to her discovery as a young adult that she possesses special skills in foreign languages.

Linda is taught from an early age that she has little of value to offer the world. But her love of and affinity for languages enables her to create a new life—to separate herself from her toxic environment and to build a successful, decades-long career as a professional multilinguist. It’s a rewarding vocation, but a challenging her assignments with the US federal government take her on some hair-raisingly dangerous journeys, some to countries with unstable governments and even active war zones. But these sometimes-harrowing experiences teach her how to open the “windows” around her, unearth her true self, and develop a healthy sense of self-worth—and ultimately, paradoxically, her work and travel so far from home allow her to come home to herself.

  

My thoughts about Immersion: A Linguist's Memoir ~~

This was a very interesting memoir to read. The author's love for language led her to have a full life, learning about world languages and traveling around the world to put that knowledge to good use, interpreting when she was able. 

It wasn't always easy and fun. She endured some hard, tough, and sometimes dangerous situations, lest of all, uprooting her family to live her dream. We, the readers, live through those moments and milestones with her in this very well written account of her life and struggles. 

Immersion pulled me into the world of language and linguistics that were unfamiliar to me but felt very comfortable. The author did a wonderful job of making her life and experiences relatable and interesting. I totally enjoyed this memoir. 

I received an ARC of Immersion: A Linguist's Memoir and this is my honest opinion.

***************************

2024 Next Generation Indie Book Awards Winner in Travel/Travel Guides

“[Immersion’s] pages convey the tenacity and understanding that it takes to learn a language and understand its cultural context. . . .  the book ably imparts a sense of the universality of the human condition, capturing feelings like grief and gratitude in time with Marshall’s poignant, ongoing search for her sense of self.”

—Foreword Clarion Reviews

“Marshall’s latest book is a deeply personal and marvelously authentic narrative told with humor, suspense, humility, and authority. Linda depicts how language is woven into real life, how it instills insights and affections, and what it reveals about others—and oneself. I have spent over seven decades learning, using, describing, and advocating for language abilities, and I only wish I had written a book like this.”

—Dr. Richard D. Brecht, University of Maryland Professor Emeritus, codirector of the American Councils Research Center, cofounder of Jeenie.com, and founding executive director of the University of Maryland Center for Advanced Study of Language (CASL)

“With an artist’s eye for detail and a skilled writer’s talent for capturing drama, Marshall created an enthralling narrative of her path to becoming a top national language expert and her own journey to finding her true self in the process. Unique and engrossing.”

—Laura Murray, PhD, President, National Museum of Language

“Author Linda Murphy Marshall plunges readers into the mission of a government multilinguist who battles her own self-doubts and fears in the midst of often tumultuous and frightening environments. Immersion is a fascinating exploration of not only the key role of language, but also the personal journey toward self-realization.”

—Donna Koros Stramella, author of Among the Bones

“How does a woman transform herself from a bored, midwestern housewife to an international linguist warding off thugs in Tanzania, wading through bomb debris in Kenya, and deciphering code for the FBI in small African nations? Linda Murphy Marshall does it by giving herself over to her one true love: languages around the world, including Portuguese, Swahili, Amharic, and Xhosa. This stunning exploration of the sometimes painful, sometimes exhilarating process of learning to translate both words and her own changing identity is a remarkable tribute to Marshall’s talent and the transformative power of languages.”

—Barbara Hurd, author of The Epilogues

“Few people are familiar with the position of ‘linguist’ in intelligence work, but it is one of the most specialized and difficult jobs there is. Immersion draws back the veil on what it takes to fill this essential role: the deep love of language and culture, the determination to constantly challenge yourself, and the need for unfailing attention to detail. If you love languages or know someone who does (particularly a young person considering a career in language), this memoir is a must-read.”

—Alma Katsu, former CIA officer, former government director of the Center for the Advanced Study of Language, and author of Red London

“Immersion is scattered with diamonds, attracting every reader to different, brilliant parts. Elegantly and eloquently, Marshall illuminates a linguist’s experience. For non-interpreters, Immersion is a glimpse into the challenges and gratification of a life spent with foreign languages and policy-makers. For interpreters, this is an affectionate and invigorating dialogue with an exceptionally gifted and gracious colleague.”

—Allison Hong Merrill, author of Ninety-Nine Fire Hoops

“A talented linguist delves into the ambitious project of translating her past. From small-town America to far-flung corners of the globe, Immersion illuminates one woman’s journey away from the well-trodden expectations of womanhood in favor of forging another path. With every place she travels, every language she learns, and every experience she studies and interprets along the way, the narrator becomes more fully her truest self.”

—Rachel Rueckert, author of East Winds: A Global Quest to Reckon with Marriage 

About the author

Linda Murphy Marshall is a multi-linguist and writer with a Ph.D. in Hispanic Languages and Literature from St. Louis University, where she was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa. Her writing has been published in The Los Angeles Review, The Catamaran Literary Reader, The Ocotillo Review, Maryland Literary Review, Brevity’s Nonfiction Blog, Dorothy Parker’s Ashes, and elsewhere. She has also been asked to speak at Maryland Writers’ Association, American University, and Rice University In addition, she is a docent at the Library of Congress, served as Translation Editor at The Los Angeles Review, and is an Associate at the National Museum of Language.

In her work as an African language specialist, she co-authored a book on Xhosa, a South African “click” language, and acted as a consultant on another book on another South African “click” language, Sotho. In addition, she made over a dozen work trips to the continent of Africa and has been to every continent but Antarctica.

She is currently a Reader for Fourth Genre, and her memoir, Ivy Lodge: A Memoir of Translation and Discovery was published in 2022. A second memoir, Immersion: A Linguist’s Memoir comes out in 2024.

An artist, her paintings have been featured in shows at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C., the Loudoun Academy of the Arts Foundation (Virginia), and the Columbia Art Center (Maryland). Her painting “Mirror Mirror” was featured on the cover of Adanna Literary Journal, her painting “All That Jazz” was featured in the literary journal Jerry Jazz Musician, and her painting “Raw Oysters” was featured in Persimmon Tree.

In addition, Dr. Marshall is a lifelong award-winning classical pianist and, as an adolescent, played on the local public radio station in her hometown, St. Louis. ~ Author's website

Connect with Linda

Website | Goodreads

*********************

Be sure to check the sidebar for my current giveaways!