DALLAS

Summer is here for schoolchildren across the nation, meaning if they run into teachers, they probably get that curious feeling that something is not right. Wait, teachers exist outside school?

In The Curious Autobiography of Elaine Jakes, H.R. Jakes tells sometimes embellished stories from his mother’s life. Elaine Jakes was a real schoolteacher searching for her way home, a journey that required effort, creativity, and faith.

“She was more than a teacher, more than a wife, more than a mother,” H.R. Jakes said. “And luckily, she had an amazing sense of humor.”

Elaine Jakes lived in the eccentric community of New Hope, Penn., and in the 1970s and 1980s set out to discover her Welsh heritage, herself, and her God.

“My mother’s heritage, her Welshness, symbolizes something greater than itself, in this case the Church,” H.R. Jakes said. “She finds not only her way home, but also the redemptive nature of God.”

The stories H.R. Jakes shares from his mother’s life include quite a few curious elements: a bear in a truck, a frightening cheese plate, a magic sword, a cross-dressing monkey, and a German expert in Jewish mules.

For review copies or interview requests, contact:
Jaymie Shook
317.602.7137
jshook(AT)bohlsengroup(dot)com