Generation Jumping
Losing Those Who Are Not Lost
Generation Jumping is a testimonial memoir that celebrates family members who lived with faith.
Set in the context of Christian faith, Steve Beal Sr.’s reflective but esoteric memoir Generation Jumping considers the deaths of several of his family members.
Looking back on Beal’s experiences with his forebears, filtered through the context of death and loss, the book’s chapters focus on one family member each, including Beal’s father and his aunt, Janette. The impact that each had on him and on their family is discussed, and joy and gratitude are expressed. Journal entries from the periods of their deaths are also incorporated to share Beal’s unfiltered thoughts and feelings, though their tenses and time markers muddy this, making it seem as if the journal entries were written with the rest of the book and undermining their function as complementary, in-the-moment recollections.
There’s a testimonial element to this work, which is repetitive in asserting that belief in Jesus is the only way to achieve eternal life. It also expresses unwavering faith in the destination of Beal’s family after death. Indeed, Christianity is the backbone of the book: Mentions of God and Jesus appear on each page, accompanied by praise of Beal’s relatives’ adherence to biblical principles. Several contradictions appear, though, weakening the book’s persuasiveness. For instance, it states that God’s plan is perfect but also says that the victims of the Boston Marathon bombings saw things they never needed to see.
The prose is clear but is interspersed with somewhat clichéd metaphors such as “She left little tracks in the dust of our timeline.” It sometimes becomes singsong, as with “Share moments with people along the way. There will be a time when these will be joy in our final day.” Rhyming poems also appear. Repetition wears on the book’s progression, though; some statements reoccur in spaces as brief as two pages, including references to particular biblical verses and clarifying statements, as with assertions that Beal and his cousins were friends and that God’s plan is perfect. Also repetitive, and anticlimactic, is the book’s ending, which restates its themes and agenda—appealing to audiences to shore up their Christian faith, exhorting close family relationships, and encouraging living with a sense of purpose.
A fervent, testimonial memoir, Generation Jumping looks back on family members’ lives to discuss death, life, and the afterlife.
Reviewed by
Carolina Ciucci
Disclosure: This article is not an endorsement, but a review. The publisher of this book provided free copies of the book and paid a small fee to have their book reviewed by a professional reviewer. Foreword Reviews and Clarion Reviews make no guarantee that the publisher will receive a positive review. Foreword Magazine, Inc. is disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
