Elvis - A Lighted Candle

[ALNA]

I'm right now reading this book and I LOVE IT.

Wrote in such a human way, letting us see the human being first.

If I have to compare it with another book, I can only compare it with the one of our Wanda.

Same hearthbreaking beautiful kind of stories, written with so many feelings.

Especially the chapter beginning with his death and all the folowwing years made me cry literally.

Also some awesome ghost stories and why Lisa does not want to sleep at Graceland anymore.

Lots of memories about baby Lisa too.

I recently bought this one together with that of Jeanne Lemay Dumas (elvis linda and me) and they are "both"


GREAT

[Wanda June Hill]

I liked Jeane Lamay's book too. I haven't bought Nancy Rooks' book as yet-but I would like to read it so will get it one of these days. Starla has looked for it at some book stores but they didn't have anything but Joe's and Sonny's in stock and she figured I could order them faster than the bookstores-probably right about that. She brought in the LIFE magazine about Elvis and it is pretty nice! There are a couple of things she noticed that are not quite accurate but nothing major she said and she didn't like the way they handled the outcome of his life etc:...I didn't read it, but the pictures are great and I saw a few I hadn't seen before. It is worth the $10.00 for the pictures. The early career ones were very nice to see and of course, I thought he was really cute back then anyway. I hope he knew that, even though we joked and I always shinned him on about his "looks" etc: and what I thought about his "sexual image" etc:...
I kind of think he knew, but he couldn't make me say what he wanted to hear and that made him laugh. So it was worth it for that-laugh. wjh

[Blue Moon]

I read Nancy Rooks book over a year ago and just loved it. It is on my list of favorite Elvis books. Her memories of Elvis are warm & caring. The ghost stories are fun & mysterious too. And you also get some insight into Minnie Mae & Aunt Delta.

[ALNA]

What was the most touching in that book was the very detailed account from the funeral, how family behaved etc...

Also the account of the coming home of both caskets Gladys and Elvis and the short and very somber reburial in october.

I cried really...

Also over the fact, Elvis "had" to be burried in the ground at Graceland instead of in a mausoleum like he had wanted it (he was afraid to go in the ground and he wouldn't have wanted it) but prices were too high and at that moment there was not enough money left anymore.



Also Vernon not being able to relocate Jessie Garons little body to bring him home made me cry.

And Vernon's poor health and so many guiltfeelings on his shoulder


OMG

This book will haunt me for a long time.
Good but so sad.

[Rainbow Light]

Thank you, Alna, for your review! Great to read of your thoughts and feelings about various things that are in the book and it sounds very good!

Thanks also to Wanda for your recommendation, thoughts and feelings too!

[Blue Moon]

Here is Joe Krein's interview with Nancy Rooks:

http://www.elvis2001.net/new_page_15.htm

[Wanda June Hill]

Thanks Laurie, that was a good interview-she seems like a very nice lady-I don't think I ever saw her-but then I can't remember. There was another lady who worked for him that I sort of remember now-her name was Alvena or something like that? It was told that I supposedly tried to get her to write a book with me-but that is not true. I never did ask anyone that who worked for or was involved with Elvis -other than my relatives and friends (some we met through Elvis) who had known Elvis also. And then those who wrote letters to me etc:...but none of the guys, housekeepers etc:. Anyway, I think that Mrs. Rooks is a very sweet hearted lady and I can bet she put up with a lot-especially Mr. Presley (Vernon)'s tight fisted ways with money. He didn't have much clue about what people were paid either-so he paid like he had been more or less. Not up with the times at all-and neither was Elvis. I read something more about Jerry S. thinking that Elvis was suffering deep depression and not being helped or treated for that-I agree. He was depressed and all they gave him was depressants-tranqulizers etc: and so when he took stimulants of course they made him feel better-briefly. He too lived in the past, and so wasn't as up on medical things as he liked to think-I believe he didn't have a clue about depression-I think he had been depressed for such a long time, it just heaped up more and more until finally it all ruined his health and he couldn't go on. I still think that the Elvis-What etc: book was the last "straw that broke the camel's back" kind of thing. He was just so hurt, worried about what his fans would think, dreading the headlines etc: and having to face it all-with his poor health, physical appearance and it was just too heavy a load for his heart. But he had to die before his "light would hit it's brightest point" and it's still blazing. Thanks again, I think it was Elvis haunting Graceland-for fun and because it's got so many memories there. She's right about it not being like Elvis had it-it certainly isn't and hasn't been since he died and Pris put it back-she hated the "bordello" looking furniture etc; Linda and Elvis had there-that was the first thing to go! And I'll bet they didn't store it. wjh

[Wanda June Hill]

Hi, Just spoke with Barbara Lee, cousin of Elvis' who is doing the Historical research on the Presley family members and the Civil War connections. She is very sincere, dedicated to Elvis' memory and upholding the Presley family history and especially Elvis' relatives who were military etc:. Very interesting how many of his family fought in that war-and some were killed doing so.
Remember that Elvis said he had been killed as a young Civil War fighter, shot just below the sternum with one of those round balls shot out of early day rifles. He said very softly, "Man, it made a mess..." Then I could hear him shiver and breathing. He described things in detail-as if he could see what happened...there were trees, the Union army was hiding. He and his fellows were trapped and he was shot right away, he described the sky he looked up at from the ground, how the sun sparkled in the trees, the clouds and blue sky and how it didn't hurt-and he was very soft spoken but dramatic in typical Elvis style. Anyway, he was talking about visiting some Civil War/Union Army sites in the south and wanting to go to some cemetaries and see if he could "find the name" on any of the grave sites. It would be interesting if that name should turn up-as confirmation it could be the young age and the wound perhaps? And the trees were green-he saw through them to the sky...so that gave a time of year maybe? Anyway here is her website that she has up- I think maybe it's been up before but here it is again.

http://www.elvisandhistory.com

[Sarena]

Remember that Elvis said he had been killed as a young Civil War fighter, shot just below the sternum with one of those round balls shot out of early day rifles. He said very softly, "Man, it made a mess..." Then I could hear him shiver and breathing. He described things in detail-as if he could see what happened...

I never heard about that before, Wanda.
Obviously Elvis had the ability to relive certain scenes of his past lives. Do you know whether he could do this BY WILL or did it just come up at certain times?!
That's real interesting, thanks Wanda for sharing!

[Rainbow Light]

Very sorry to 'jump' over your post, Sarena!

Anyway here is her website that she has up- I think maybe it's been up before but here it is again.

www.elvisandhistory.com

Thank you Wanda for both your wonderful, in depth insights and posts and also letting us have the link for Barbara's site, will be sure to check that out!