FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Robert Louis DeMayo
3640 Moki Drive, Sedona, AZ 86336
(928) 300-3225
rdemayo07@aol.com
www.robertlouisdemayo.com
Fictional tale about Theodore Roosevelt as young adult makes compelling coming-of-age story for teenagers, adults.
Robert Louis DeMayo shows one of the most influential presidents in a different light in “The Making of Theodore Roosevelt”
SEDONA, Ariz. –Author Robert Louis DeMayo was fascinated when he first learned how the wilderness of his native Maine shaped the character of young Teddy Roosevelt. An explorer and traveler himself—and an Explorers Club member—DeMayo captures the experience in his novel, “The Making of Theodore Roosevelt” (ISBN 0983345317). Roosevelt had already traveled through Europe and the Middle East when he arrived in Aroostook County, but it was in Maine where he was tested—and tested himself. The author believes that this adventurous tale will shed new light on what would one day make Roosevelt a great president.
DeMayo depicts Roosevelt as a twenty-year-old trying to find his way in the world, and the novel follows the three journeys he made to northern Maine in 1878-9. His father had died six months before his first visit, and on that journey he simply hopes to escape his life and receive some type of guidance, but he finds much more.
Upon arriving, he meets Bill Sewall, a wilderness guide who explores the woods of Maine with him. Life in these woods—and the woodsmen that inhabit them—have a significant impact on Roosevelt as he continues to develop into a young man. It is there that he determines to battle his feeble physique; and it is in these woods that he first states his intention to one day be the president of the United States. After he returns to Harvard, he commits to sharpening his skills in all aspects of his life. He also meets Alice Hathaway Lee with whom he falls madly in love. She encourages him to pursue politics over natural history.
Back in Maine, Roosevelt finds the wintery woods exhilarating as he hunts and travels through them. When he goes to a place called The Oxbow, he is exposed to hardened and uneducated men who take a strong liking to him. He later claims that this experience gave him the confidence to pull together the Rough Riders. He comes back to school more powerful and determined, and on his last trip to Maine, his life is changed forever.
“It’s not just about what made Theodore tough enough to stand on his own two feet, but what makes us all strong: integrity, and the ability to overcome strife and personal challenges,” DeMayo says. “I think anyone can relate to the obstacles Roosevelt faced during these early years.”
“The Making of Theodore Roosevelt” is available for sale online at Amazon.com and other channels.
About the Author: Robert Louis DeMayo left his career as a bio-medical engineer to explore the world as a writer for the travel section of The Telegraph, out of Hudson, N.H. In the years that followed he became infatuated with overland journeys and travelled through close to 100 countries. His six novels have collectively won eight awards. He lives in Arizona with his wife and three daughters.
