Joyful Musings: Growing up, self-discovery, and reflections on life north and south of the border

A good book title makes the reader a promise. In Joyful Musings, author Joy Birnbach Dunstan keeps hers with a collection of stories, both memoir and whimsy, that are like listening to a good friend tell you about the twists and turns her life has taken. Whether she is recalling the painful memory of a deadbeat dad or the delightful recollection of a kid brother who cooks his ice cream, Joy delivers her tales with honesty and affection. From a Brooklyn childhood to a stint as a hippie farmer in rural Oregon to her current life as an expatriate psychologist in Mexico, Joy observes her family, friends and most of all herself and finds foibles and fun. When you reach the end, you'll be asking for more.