My third book came out in 2023! Time to Unpack is a memoir told as a series of personal stories about growing up abroad, adjusting to life in the States, falling in love, and balancing family and career. It tells of travel to places like Isfahan and Tunisia and living in Japan and Germany. But more than a tale of faraway places, Time to Unpack is a journey through time, from the letters of my grandmothers who moved to California in the early 1900’s to texts sent by my grandchildren telling me their hopes for the future.
A childhood in Tehran and Geneva filled me with a lifelong passion for learning and travel. After a career in medical technology and information systems, I went back to school to earn a Ph.D. in history at the age of 69. My husband, Chuck, who encouraged me every step of the way, sadly passed away in 2017 after a seven-year battle with multiple myeloma.
I sold our home in Rancho Santa Margarita, California, and moved to Temecula, near our six youngest grandchildren. I’m renting a house here for the time being because I’m not ready to settle down yet. I enjoy writing my blog, singing in the choir, and walking my dog Rascal.
My first book, The Alchemy of al-Razi: A Translation of the Book of Secrets, explores how the alchemy practices of tenth-century Persian physician al-Razi foreshadow the operations of a modern chemical laboratory. My second book, You Can Only Go Forward: A Journey of Caregiving and Hope, Loss and Renewal, follows the journey my husband and I shared during his seven years of living with multiple myeloma.
If those sound a little too heavy, be assured that Time to Unpack, is a lighthearted story of travel, love, and family that spans a century. I hope you enjoy it.
Gail
History's Edge 