Becoming Wellstone: Healing from Tragedy and Carrying on My Father’s Legacy
"The call came late that morning‚--¶" the book begins, hinting at the catastrophic impact that 2002 phone call would have, as Wellstone learned that his parents (Minnesota senator Paul Wellstone and wife, Sheila) and his sister, Marcia, had died in a plane crash. Wellstone and his younger brother were all that was left of the family. Working as the time as a corrections officer and organic farmer in Minnesota, , Wellstonewas unable to cope with his life and left the state behind, moving to California's Santa Cruz mountains. As he began his journey to healing, Wellstone took up his father's legacy, working for mental health parity in medical insurance coverage, an effort that eventually succeeded. Wellstone's book is heartfelt but scattered, full of mystical ramblings and disconnected observations. As Wellstone seems to complete his healing, he turns his California home into the Wellstone Center in the Redwoods, a sanctuary of sorts, for people in need of emotional and spiritual renewal. The book closes with Wellstone asking readers to invite him to their homes for "snacks and conversation" and discussions about the book‚--îpresumably to spread his message of h ealing. It's an odd, if sincere, request, a flat final note to an account of tragedy and recovery.