The Valley of Innocence Lost

With an exacting, hauntingly simple prose, famed American sculptor, poet, and memoirist Donald Haugen revisits his childhood in "The Valley of Innocence Lost", a remarkable and splendid portrait of a child's vulnerability and resilience. As a small boy, Donnie Haugen is fully indoctrinated into the Roman Catholic Church and he believes God is omnipotent and omnipresent. However, he is not blind to the sins of his mother and father, or the world around him. So Donnie prays for things to get better. It is this faith that fuels Donnie's anxiety and his fears are fanned into flames by the unfathomable sins in the valley of the Devil. In a Midwest setting, during the 30's, 40's, and 50's, Haugen weaves his incredible story leaving the reader with hope and proof that, no matter the horror, survival is a grand reward.

Donald Haugen has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Minnesota and a master’s degree in Social Work from the University of Michigan. He worked as a social worker in Ann Arbor, Michigan for many years. There, he and his wife, lived in and operated a group home for delinquent teenagers for the Washtenaw County Juvenile Court. He also worked as a caseworker and community organizer for Catholic Social Services and the Council of Churches in Ann Arbor. Don loved art as a child and was particularly gifted in figurative sculpture. He began pursuing his passion in the early 80’s. Today, he is considered one of the most notable American figurative sculptors of his time. He is the author of ＂Mom, Dad, Lawrence and Me＂ and ＂a collection of poems＂. Mr. Haugen lives with his wife, Teena Stern, also a sculptor, in Atlanta, Georgia.