The Good Lord Willing and the Creek Don’t Rise: Pentimento Memories of Mom and Me

Catherine Caroline Murphy lived a life of struggle and accomplishment during her ninety-five-year existence. She imbued her children with a strong will to fight for what was right. Catherine was born in 1926 in North Dakota. The beginning of unfriendly economic times led to her family’s relocation to Oregon in 1928. Catherine would relocate to California after her marriage to Bill Norris. The couple had three children: Terri, Dick, and Robert. Catherine faced adversity in her life, from her divorce from Bill and being shunned by the Catholic Church to having to pay off her second husband’s gambling debts. Her strength never wavered. Robert Norris admired his mother’s resilience and despite an initial aimlessness in life, managed to find his path in life as a writer and teacher.

The Good Lord Willing and the Creek Don’t Rise is an endearing biography/memoir highlighting the lives of Robert Norris and his mother, Catherine Caroline Murphy. Norris’ engaging and comprehensive narrative encompasses two lives lived by different generations, often on separate continents, but united through lineage and shared characteristics (i.e., charisma, rebellious spirit, intelligence). Norris writes admiringly about the matriarch of his family and the lasting impact she had on him. A true joy to read.