Madison Park
A Place of Hope
- History & Biography
- Publisher: Zondervan
- Published: 2022
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Publisher's Description
Welcome to Madison Park, a small community in Alabama founded by freed slaves in 1880. And meet Eric Motley, a native son who came of age in this remarkable place where constant lessons in self-determination, hope, and unceasing belief in the American dream taught him everything he needed for his journey to the Oval Office as a special assistant to President George W. Bush. Eric grew up among people whose belief was to "give" and never turn away from your neighbor's need. There was Aunt Shine, the goodly matriarch who cared so much about young Motley's schooling that she would stand up in a crowded church and announce Eric's progress or his shortcomings. There was Old Man Salery, who secretly siphoned gasoline from his beat-up car into the Motleys' tank at night. There were Motley's grandparents, who bought books for Eric they couldn't afford, spending the last of their seed money. And there was Reverend Brinkley, a man of enormous faith and simple living. It was said that whenever the Reverend came your way, light abounded. Life in Madison Park wasn't always easy or fair, and Motley reveals personal and heartbreaking stories of racial injustice and segregation. But Eric shows how the community taught him everything he needed to know about love and faith. This charming, engaging, and deeply inspiring memoir will help you remember that we can create a world of shared values based on love and hope. It is a story that reveals the amazing power of faith in God and each other. If you're in search of hope during troubled times, look no further than Madison Park.
Endorsements (4)
“In this beautifully written book, Eric Motley shares his personal odyssey of grace and gratitude. This is a memoir about love—love of family, community, literature, language, and ideas. The roots Eric L. Motley traces in his hometown of Madison Park, Alabama, a place founded by former slaves not long after the Emancipation, serve as a powerful reminder of the shaping influences that family, faith, and community have in African American lives—so, too, the love of mentors, neighbors, and teachers who nurture those lives in the crucial years of their development. In the personal odyssey of this remarkable black Renaissance man, in whom a passion for learning was cultivated at a young age and through whom others have been touched from the Deep South to the White House, we find inspiration in the history that binds the citizens of a place across generations and hope for every child, whatever their birth, blessed to be raised among those who see education not only as a value but as a vital spark to be shared.”
“In writing as clear as water, Madison Park tells a moving story of hope: how members of a small African American community in Alabama joined together to enable a young man with no “worldly advantages” to realize his potential, even beyond their—or his—imagination.”
“turtle” because of his poor reading skills. Two decades later, he became the youngest appointee in George W. Bush’s White House. In this compelling memoir, Eric shows how his life trajectory was shaped by the self-reliance instilled by his grandparents—but also the timely support of a close-knit community of mentors and supporters. Whatever attributes we ourselves bring to the table, our networks propel us further.”
“Eric Motley has crafted a beautiful volume, an inspiring tale of family, community, determination, and hope. His is a deeply moving and deeply American story. The lovely prose brings to life those who raised him and taught him and opened doors for him, as well as those who tried to keep those same doors firmly shut. The book is sharply observed and utterly engrossing. Once I started, I could not put it down.”
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