Guilty Until Forgiven: Reflections on My Father

Allan "tex" Burdick is a handsome, intelligent man who has developed the skills needed to achieve early in life--a wonderful woman to have and to hold--and the skills needed to be a hot-shot Transport Pilot in World War II. Through his daughter, Nancy Burdick's thoughtful and sure voice alongside his letters back home to his steadfast wife and others to his friend, Joe, this is the story of his strong-will, his love for family, his drive to accomplish--and a weakness he has held as a secret. The author paints a detailed picture of Tex Burdick's wartime life and her journey of reconciliation with her memories of her loving, yet flawed father. A must-read!

About the Author :
Nancy Burdick recently retired and now includes writing among her several other passions. She lives in Columbia, Missouri with her husband, Peter.

Review :
"Guilty until Forgiven is a daughter's brilliant reminiscence of her father, a good and loving husband, but one with a secret in his heart. Burdick's memoir is also a thoughtful revelation of her own complex love for this competent, but often difficult man. An intriguing story, boldly and elegantly told." --Mike Trial, Author of the JD Iselin Series "Part memoir, part mystery, with a soupcon of self-discovery... At the core of the book is the wartime correspondence between her father, 'Tex, ' and her mother, Sally--Tex's beloved 'Baby.' ...Burdick's quest to come to terms with the father she finds in those letters provides a compelling read that may or may not lead to what you think." --Hank Ottinger, Fellow Traveler "Guilty until Forgiven is a richly layered and bittersweet debut. Writing with incandescent honesty and a sure voice, Burdick tells of her father's goodness, his keen mind, his daredevil spirit, and his secrets.... 'Tex' lingers with you long after his story ends and compels you to wonder what mysteries your own parents harbor." --Millicent Porter Henry "Burdick opens a window for the reader into the psyche of her father, a soldier during WWII determined to keep love alive with his wife back home. Through his intimate letters, Burdick travels from the past to the present and finds the gift of understanding." --Lori Younker, founder of WorldSoBright.org, a community of international writers of culture. "Burdick has written a heartfelt account of a grieving daughter's journey to emotional reconcil-iation, one that will resonate with anyone who has struggled to understand the inner life of a parent who has passed away." --Charles E. Reineke, editor of Illumination, the magazine of research, scholarship, and creative achievement at the University of Missouri "Nancy Burdick's Guilty until Forgiven helps readers understand just how severe and enduring were the demands on the 'greatest generation' of this country. Allen 'Tex' Burdick was one of many veterans who served multiple tours, often in conditions of hardship and danger during World War II. After his death, Nancy became aware of two collections of his correspondence to discover--and understand--the consequences of his sacrifices, experiences, and actions. This excavation, added to her own memoirs enabled Nancy Burdick to make peace with her memories of her father." --Von Pittman, PhD "Told for the most part through her father's wartime letters, Burdick steps aside and lets the reader hear his voice... Guilty until Forgiven dips at opportune moments into 'that very pliable place known as memory.' In those moments we hear her own voice to fill gaps in the story. ...Readers will identify with Nancy Burdick's quest to go back in time and understand the ways in which the past slips into the future." --David Collins, Author of Accidental Activists "Boosted by his rigorous and successful military training as a World War II transport pilot, the author's father 'Tex' gained a heady sense of daring and freedom that broke open a hole in his resolve of fidelity to his wife, Sally. His deceit lay hidden from their children until after his death, when the author unearthed evidence of his disloyalty. In Guilty until Forgiven, we experience Nancy's emotions as she seeks a path for her own forgiveness of what she feels may have been faulty judgment of her father, ultimately a naturally imperfect human, as we all are." --Yolanda Ciolli, Publisher