Janet Vass Sarjeant to Present Book Talk at Ratcliffe Transportation Museum
Author Janet Vass Sarjeant will present a book talk on her recently published book, Half Year, Half Life, at the Ratcliffe Transportation Museum in Pulaski, Virginia, on Saturday, October 11, at 2:00 p.m.
Sarjeant’s novel explores the parallels of historical events and personal life following a teenager’s senior year of high school in small-town America during the historically tumultuous year of 1969. The narrative covers a six-month time span framed by major events that rocked the globe during that time. The story weighs heavily on her young protagonist Edna “Eddy” Walters who grapples with first love, high school graduation, and the rapidly changing state of the nation. As Eddy maneuvers through her 18th birthday, her final year of high school, and the countless historical events that dominate the news, she finds herself drawn to a boy who is also struggling to bridge the gap between childhood and adulthood.
An interesting twist in Sarjeant’s book includes a train set owned by the local dentist, Dr. Meyer. Anyone from Pulaski reading the book surmises that character must be Dr. Milton Brockmeyer. The Ratcliffe Transportation Museum was chosen as the location for the book talk as Dr. Brockmeyer’s antique train set is proudly displayed in the museum in his honor.
Half Year, Half Life puts small-town problems in conversation with national dialogues, grounded by Sarjeant’s lyrical storytelling. Readers will undoubtedly recognize the monumental events spread throughout the story, from the Beatles infamous rooftop concert to space launches, to the University of California-Berkley’s Bloody Thursday, either through personal experience or familiarity with the media frenzy around them that has continued to circulate decades later.
As Sarjeant says herself, “I am gratified this story resonates with so many readers, both young and old, both women and men; and then there is the universal connection with music. Always the music as the soundtrack of our lives.”
A native of Virginia, Sarjeant spent her high school years in Pulaski. After a BA in English from Roanoke College and a MA in English from the University of North Carolina – Charlotte, she taught English at Central Piedmont Community College for 25 years. Her first book, Deep Calls Unto Deep, a biography of three towering presences in her life, was published in 2021. In 2024, she finished this novel set in 1969, concerning life in small-town America.
Sarjeant has lived for 50 years in Charlotte, North Carolina with her husband Dale and with her sons and their families nearby. She hopes to welcome her high school classmates and community friends at the October 11 event at the Ratcliffe Transportation Museum. Returning to Pulaski for the October event feels, in many ways, like coming home.
The book talk is free and open to the public. There will be a limited supply of books for purchase, and Janet will be glad to sign books at the end of the Book Talk.” Readers can find Sarjeant online at Facebook@JanetSarjeantAuthor.
Submitted by the Ratcliffe Transportation Museum
October 4, 2025 @ 2:32 pm
This book takes you back to a more innocent time growing up in a small town surrounded by close friends and great music. If you grew up with Janet, you may recognize some of the characters in her story. For all readers, it offers a nostalgic glimpse into the fun and formative years before social media, when life’s lessons were learned through real experiences that prepared young people for life beyond high school. Enjoy!