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The Buffalo River in northwest Arkansas is one of the
longest free-flowing, undammed rivers west of the Mississippi—and one
of the most beautiful waterways on earth. Almost lost to development, it proved
to be the perfect testing ground for a young boy almost lost to mediocrity.
Middle-schooler
Ben is struggling with learning challenges that have left him resentful
and underachieving. His father, middle-ager Todd, wants to help his son
gain self-confidence but is searching for his own identity. For twelve
adventure-filled days on the river—all 125 miles of her navigable
course, from Ponca to the White River—father and son discover the
formative, curative, and redemptive powers of nature.
Leaving video
games and cell phones behind isn’t easy for kids these days, but in the
great outdoors parents and youngsters can connect in unimaginable ways.
The Buffalo, Ben, and Me shares such a connection in an adventure
story set on a wild river. It is a captivating tale featuring a host of
colorful characters and enlivened by photos that reflect the essence of
the wilderness.
But
deeper than that, it is the story of crossing a threshold from dream to
possibility—of one man’s search for meaning in his life and his efforts
to motivate his son, blending love of family with love of nature in a
tale of transformation. It tells how a rebellious teen and a bored
banker conspired to buck a system keyed to predictability, and how a
wild river inspired both to a better use of their lives. “This trip hit
me as hard as it did Ben,” writes Parnell, “as a wake-up call to life,
to what is important, to what is not.”
The trip down the Buffalo was one that even Ben admits
changed his life in more ways than one, as he later went
on to earn a master of science degree specializing in
stream ecology. For any reader who loves the
outdoors—and especially those seeking to connect with
their children—The
Buffalo, Ben, and Me is essential reading that reminds us of
possibilities to be had in facing life head-on as it raises awareness of
the need to protect the Ozarks’ water resources and heritage. |
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Praise for
The Buffalo, Ben, and Me
“A
touching story, subtle and true, both symbolic and real, of a father and
son’s search for passage into each other’s hearts. Finally, it is the
ancient language of the river itself that connects them, reminding us
all of the secret values of solitude, sky, wind, water, and rock. This
is a beautiful journey and a wonderful book.”—John Dillon, founding
member, Ozark Mountain Daredevils
"This story bubbles up out of Todd Parnell like an Ozarks’ spring, pure
and true. The observations, hopes, and
regrets he offers as a father elevate The Buffalo, Ben and Me far
beyond another yarn for paddlers. It’s an examination of life that
unfolds with each rapid navigated, each bass hooked, and every turtle
that flops off a log."—David Ledford, former editor, Springfield
News-Leader
“Todd describes his love for the Buffalo
and his love for his son in great word pictures. It is my hope that
fathers and sons will read The Buffalo, Ben, and Me and then head
for the river.”—Jack Herschend, cofounder, Silver Dollar City |
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About the Author
Sixth-generation Ozarker Todd Parnell has canoed and hiked
the Buffalo River for six decades. He is Interim President of Drury
University and the first Executive Director of Drury’s Edward Jones
Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation. The author of Mom at War,
recounting his mother’s Red Cross service in World War II, and
Postcards from Branson, a look at that city’s development through
the eyes of four generations, he lives in Springfield, Missouri.
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