I don’t read that often for recreational purposes. When I do read, it’s usually books about my favorite actors, actresses, directors, or movies in general. But every now and then, a book will pique my interest, and I’ll pick it up. Back in the late spring of 2024, my partner on the “This Week in Charles Bronson” podcast, Eric Todd, made me aware of a book called WHY NOT ME, a memoir from Lindsay Ireland, the niece of Jill Ireland and Charles Bronson. Eric had made contact with Lindsay and the two had some preliminary discussion about her appearing on the podcast. Eric told me that she shared stories of her own life, which included her spending summers as a child on the Vermont ranch of her famous aunt and uncle. As a lifelong Bronson fan, it seemed the book could offer some valuable insight into the life of my movie hero. I figured I could spend some time trudging through Lindsay’s personal life if it allowed me to get those valuable nuggets of information on Bronson and Ireland. I went ahead and bought WHY NOT ME and took it with me when my wife, Sierra, and I were on a relaxing weekend in Eureka Springs, Arkansas. I settled in on the balcony of the New Orleans Hotel, which overlooks a section of the beautiful downtown area and started reading. Here’s a quick summary of the book taken directly from Amazon:
“Lindsay Ireland enjoyed an idyllic childhood. She spent her summers in Vermont with her movie-star relatives where she rode horses, played detective with her cousin, and drank ice-cold lemonade. After the summer months, Lindsay returned to her loving family where her biggest worry was getting good grades in school. Then one day Lindsay noticed blood in her stool. Suddenly instead of carefree afternoons swimming in a lake or dressing her Barbie doll, Lindsay spent months in a sterile hospital room receiving intravenous fluids and, eventually, a life-saving ostomy surgery. At age eleven, Lindsay was diagnosed with her first autoimmune disease, and her life was never the same. In this candid memoir, Lindsay evolves from a girl living with an autoimmune disease into a young woman struggling to love a body that has continuously failed her, and, eventually, into a mother and wife who has fought to make herself visible despite her invisible illnesses.”
As alluded to above, I was interested in WHY NOT ME because I wanted to read Lindsay Ireland’s stories about Charles Bronson & Jill Ireland. And I was certainly in awe as Lindsay spoke of her times with her Uncle Charlie, Aunt Jill and her cousins in Vermont. Reading about my movie hero from her perspective was something I appreciated tremendously. But what really blew me away with this book is how connected I became to Lindsay’s personal life events, struggles and triumphs. Lindsay funneled her memories and writings through a lens of “the power of perspective.” It’s through this perspective that Lindsay speaks of how important her family has been to her over the years as she’s faced the fear of serious health issues in both her childhood and again as an adult. She spoke of the importance of making a good match with a therapist, and how that has helped her over the years. She spoke of how important it has been for her to learn to speak of the difficult things in her life, even if they make her uncomfortable. Lindsay’s strength in writing is her ability to share her own insecurities, the ways that she has been able to overcome them, and then make you believe that you can overcome them to! I was able to relate to so many of the things she shared, and I can see how much my own life could have improved if I had done these things earlier.
The one thing that probably stuck with me the most, however, is when Lindsay spoke of how hard it was when she was dealing with some very difficult issues in her life, yet she felt unseen and unheard, even from those people who loved her, wanted the best for her and had good intentions. This is where I decided I need to make the most improvement in my own life. It seems we can get so caught up in our own feelings and concerns that the needs of others, even those we love, can be neglected. Sadly, I know that there are times that I don’t show the concern, empathy or compassion that I should to other people. After finishing WHY NOT ME, I am determined to make sure that the people I love never feel unseen or unheard, especially my wife. I fail at times, mainly because I can be a smartass, and my wife might even roll her eyes or tease me if she reads this, but I truly never want her to feel unseen or unheard again.
If you want to hear more directly from Lindsay, or maybe even hear me or my buddy Eric bare our own souls, I’ve attached our podcast episode again for your viewing / listening pleasure!
Through the Shattered Lens 
***”After finishing WHY NOT ME, I am determined to make sure that the people I love never feel unseen or unheard, especially my wife.”***
Bradley, really appreciate your sharing opinion/sentiment/insights with us. The way you speak about your wife lets us readers know that you really value each other. Nice to read your review, and thanks for sharing your thoughts on the book, and episode of THIS WEEK IN CHARLES BRONSON.
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Thanks so much for the kind words, John. I screw up so much that I get a lot of opportunities to improve, and I thank God that I have a patient lady!
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What a wonderful impact Lindsay Ireland has had on all of us. It’s amazing when you reflect on your life and what impact some people have on it. I, like Brad Crane, have been a Charles Bronson fan for 50 odd years but it is only been in the last year or so that I’ve discovered there are so many other wonderful people out there who share my passion. It was a wonderful day when I discovered a podcast entitled This Week In Charles Bronson and thought I’d have a look at it. I think it was e second podcast I watched was Hello & Goodbye: an interview with Lindsay Ireland. I fell in love with it, watched it over and over. I fell in love with Lindsay, her passion, her zest for life. I also became very drawn to the two compares Eric Todd and the author of this review Brad Crane. I think I mentioned on a comment after watching the podcast that I was going to go out and acquire the book Why Not Me immediately. I began my search throughout Brisbane in every bookshop I knew with no luck. It was suggested I look on Amazon online. which I did. And to cut a long story short 🙂 with the cost of postage, and the exorbitant Aus/US exchange rate it was over twice the price of the actual book. In my stubbornness, I was determined & adamant I would exhaust all my avenues in Queensland and surrounding states before resorting to the overseas online market. I must have mentioned this somewhere down the track on a FB post or one of my many long conversations with John C. Next thing I know, this beautiful man contacted me, asked for my details and said he could help. Not long after that, just before Christmas I received a parcel in the mail. Not only was there this beautiful, as new (looked untouched) copy of Lindsay’s book, there was a novel by Burt Keans (who was on another TWICB Podcast) & this amazing book on ‘Love, Loss & Loud Music’ by Bill Sassenberger. which was also promoted on the show. Needless to say, I was in shock and speechless. This show of generosity & kindness John C. touched me deeply. What it showed me was not only how soft & gentle this man must be, his generosity and caring spread so far and wide, around the world in fact!!. In his attached letter he wrote about how he was also touched by Lindsay, and found her attitude and storytelling very compelling. He went on to say how he supported Eric-and-Brad and the gang, had acquired the books for that reason, but he believed in ‘Paying it Forward’. He had read them and was happy to find a new & appreciated re-home. I hope you are not upset with me for sharing this John C., but your goodwill and kindness shouldn’t go unnoticed. In closing this (brief) response to Brad’s awesome review I took from it many things – from Lindsay, ‘Have a Happy Heart’ from Brad, “Just be Kind’ from John C, nothing can describe his act of kindness to me, but it will never be forgotten. Happy Holidays & Much Love and Goodwill to you all.
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Wow! What an amazing story, Max! In today’s time, we just almost automatically think everyone is just out for themselves and then you share a story like this about generosity and kindness. That John C.’s a heckuva guy. And so are you, Max! Thanks so much for sharing that.
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Thanks, Max! Thanks for your generous note! fwiw, everything I know and share has been learned from a friend, stranger, book, teacher, etc. so it is always great when I come upon somebody that also has a common interest. That is how I feel about the #TWICB podcast, and Eric Todd and Brad Crain, too, just like you.
My internet skills are just basic and have no social media presence, and I was unaware of this note, so thank you for telling me about this post! It made me feel great, on a day when I was feeling like the ‘thick end of useless’ to borrow an Aussieism! Friendship is born at the moment when one person says to another, “What! You too? I thought I was the only one.” – C.S. Lewis
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