Review by Sharon Brunner
Michael and Evie Carrier brought to life dangerous situations, passionate and enduring love, and the trials and tribulations of a young couple in their memoir “Trax: We Made in New York 1968-72.” Michael provided a disclosure at the beginning of the book about their different recollections concerning specific events. The main characters in the story were Michael, Evie, Mister (their dog), Fred (a roommate) and Steve, a friend. The story took place in New York, around New York city and Grand Rapids, Michigan. Michael and Evie currently live in Grand Rapids, Michigan and have a cabin in Paradise, Michigan, a little community in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. About the book; each chapter contained separate his side and her side of the story with the real skinny at the end of the chapter. Sometimes their stories were similar and other times they were vastly diverse. The detailed stories made me feel like I was a fly on the wall watching circumstances unfold. Evie would often associate current circumstances with her grandchildren or other past experiences or add interesting anecdotes. Michael was often to the point and usually stuck to the past experience being covered in the chapter. Their steadfast love got them through their long distance relationship, and through the toughest of situations which ended in wedded bliss.
Evie was described as being a delight, always happy and seeing the good things in life. She liked to live spontaneously while Michael liked living in a more predictable manner. Michael gave the example of when they went to this one specific café in New York. He found something he liked and stuck to the same food order each time while Evie would try different dishes. One of the themes that presented itself in the memoir was love. It was one of the main themes. In her effort to be a good wife when they were first married, Evie wanted to surprise her new husband with an omelet breakfast. She followed a recipe in a cookbook. The omelets ended up runny even though she thought she did everything right. Michael loved eggs even if they were not perfect. She was devastated and apologized. He told her he did not marry her for her cooking. He married her because he loved her. When he was attending college in New York and she lived in Grand Rapids, Michigan, it was difficult when she had to leave and return home. They sent letters to each other two times a week and he would read her letters over and over again. Friendship was another theme. Michael and Evie had a mutual friend named Steve who happened to be a nerd who did not take care of his appearance so one night Evie gave Steve a haircut. They also tried to set up Steve with a date. Fred was Michael’s roommate who lived at two places with Michael. Michael had trouble reading Fred, but the relationship worked.
When reading this book I was reminded of the book “Pride and Prejudice” by Jane Austen which was about Elizabeth Bennet who navigated the 19th Century social environment in England. Her relationship with Mr. Darcy blossomed when they overcame their mutual biases. Darcy accepted Elizabeth’s wit and character while she appreciated his good nature and pride. What seemed to stand out to me with Michael and Evie was the only thing they had in common was they were both from lower Michigan but they were completely drawn to each other. A strong attraction existed. Evie worked at a factory while Michael pursued college degrees all the way to the PhD.level. “When Harry Met Sally” a 1989 movie also came to mind. A couple shared a drive to New York City and through chance encounters over 12 years they began a long-term relationship. It was a struggle at first because they were so vastly different. Evie questioned what Michael saw in her. He was pursuing academic endeavors and he and his friends would talk about classes, dissertations and the like. She had nothing in common with his college pursuits. An unlikely attraction occurred which Evie questioned.
This book relates to my life because of the strong attraction my husband Don and I had for each other the first time we met. It was love at first sight. The passion and desire was there. We have been together for 33 years. We enjoy spending time together. Don’t get me wrong, our relationship has its ups and downs like most marriages. It was a strong attraction early in Micheal and Evie’s relationship. The love was shared between them and its something that can’t be taken for granted. It needs to be cherished. I like how Michael and Evie invited others to view their world and how they introduced a different form of memoir writing. They also made New York City sound exciting, interesting and dangerous.
I recommend Trax: We Made in New York 1968-72 for its enduring and long-lasting relationship based on love, because of its historical factors about New York City, for its way of presenting a unique memoir style and for its scary episodes and how Michael and Evie handled them. It appeared the attraction occurred early in the relationship, and they enjoyed spending time together. They explored various areas of New York City. When staying at this one location preparing to leave for Pennsylvania, they had to be sneaky to not alert the neighbors of their departure. They were caught packing and many of the men who wanted to do them harm were waiting for them outside near their vehicle. Earlier Michael stoked the fire when he carried a big stick and protected people from muggings and other criminal acts. Michael and Evie lucked out when a robbery led to the police being called and they escaped while the police were pursuing a robber of a store near their apartment. Michael saved the day when a four year old entered a subway train car without his parents by putting his hands in the crack of the door until it finally reopened. The child was saved. Michael and Evie explained a lot about the history of New York City concerning its buildings and businesses that existed during the 1960s. Michael and Evie did provide a fun and provocative way to document their memories while revealing their hidden secrets.
