Merry-Go-Round: The Story of One Woman’s Life encompasses seven decades of learning under the basalt rims of Eastern Oregon and across the United States. Crandell takes us into memory to share the joys of a rural childhood, a small school education, marriage, and the years that followed.

Through her prose, poetry, and short fiction she shares the path that Spirit gave her, chronicling her journey to maturity amid numerous life changes: birth of children, death, marital troubles, and ultimately divorce. Sometimes with a sense of humor, she reveals her struggle to grow in Spirit, to find meaning, for her walk on this Earth to which she is closely bonded. Hers is a personal story, where the reader may discover parallels between their daily struggles and her efforts to balance a career and marriage. Within one woman’s story, told with raw honesty, the reader will discover universal emotions.

Crandell offers her journey to those who care deeply about life. Through her journey, she finds the backbone that sustains her as she searches for the meaning. She learned that life is not fair, does not promise us roses, but does uphold us if we listen and follow Spirit’s voice. She gives us a modern look at the mythic journey of all humans. We do not always slay dragons with swords. Sometimes, like Taliesin, we use words.