My Story
Hello
As a family systems coach and consultant, I have spent years listening to the ways that people approach life’s mix of turmoil and joy. I owe my ongoing curiosity to the study of Bowen Family Systems theory, a way of thinking about our interconnectedness that inspires wonder.
When I’m not consulting or writing you can find me enjoying the Shenandoah National Park, kayaking the gentle North Fork of the Shenandoah, or making road trips to visit and learn more about family.
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For information about readings, contact: janisnorton@gmail.com
About What the Red Oak Saw
When I look out my back window every morning I see the rounded curves of the Blue Ridge Mountains. I moved to the Shenandoah Valley in my early thirties for work as a family therapist and soon began listening to the stories of people whose relatives had once lived deep in the mountains.
Many of them told of forced eviction from their farms and cabins as the state cleared land and built the Shenandoah National Park. Often the reaction to the loss of homes, neighborhoods and a way of life was being felt generations later.
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Out of these stories and in a spirit of intrigue for how families navigate challenge over generations I wove this novel. I had been writing for years, mostly academic articles and talks for audiences interested in understanding family life.
Living in the valley below the mountains, I developed an affection for the hazy blue hills. As I spent more time hiking the winding, rocky trails I thought a lot about the people who had lived in the hollows and ridges, not so many years ago. It seemed their story should be told.