I have to say upfront that I have never been much of a fan of Springsteen’s music. His memoir was a book club pick so I probably would never have been inclined to read it.

His memoir traces his roots, his family and his entire career. I can see why he’s such a great song writer. There is no doubt the man can write and he does it well.

“Here we live in the shadow of the steeple, where the holy rubber meets the road, all crookedly blessed in God’s mercy, in the heart- stopping, pants-dropping, race-riot-creating, oddball-hating, soul-shaking, love-and-fear-making, heartbreaking town of Freehold, New Jersey. “

And he paints a vivid picture of the pain of growing up with a father whose mental health issues were misunderstood in a time where music was more than an outlet and could be a career.

I really enjoyed his memories of growing up, the reality of the draft for Vietnam and the roll of the dice as to who went, who didn’t and who never came back. This was a heart-wrenching life-changing part of the chronicle.

Getting to know Springsteen and his family was carefully orchestrated but you can tell he was a driven man with a single-minded purpose of making his music. Business-like and at times clinical Springsteen showed his leadership skills creating a long-lasting legacy to this day.

The misunderstanding and outcry about some of his songs was very interesting and I enjoyed learning about the social issues which drove him to it.

It’s a very long book and at times, I grew bored as Springsteen outlined his music process and history on a repetitive basis. I began skimming and grew tired of it. But I can’t blame him because it’s an important chronicle.

Am I now a fan? Nah. But I enjoyed being introduced to his music in a whole different way. If you love his music this may be the one for you.