From England to Wyoming via Germany and New York. Raised to follow expected social norms, Yramiris Paul Tracy, forged the life she wanted to live-life on a ranch in the west. As she told her NYC lawyer in 1957, "My children will know the sky, the sunshine, the mountains, the prairie sage! My children will play on the back of a horse, not in a grimy alley." Yry was not just a unique individual, she was elusive. And she was a study in contrasts: a romantic dreamer, yet hard-headed and tough as nails when confronted with obstacles that would have pulled others up short. Her flair for the dramatic, paired with a fear of intimacy and exposure, resulted in a wake of similar, but never-matching stories of her past. Her complex nature drew people to shake their heads in wonder and sometimes in disapproval, but to love her just the same.This book is the author's attempt to unravel the enigma that was her mother and to share Yry's uniqueness beyond the scope of her friends and family. Having inherited a passion for the outdoors, Linda Paul lives and writes from her home in Boise, ID. With a bachelor's in English, and an emphasis on technical communication from Boise State University, most of Linda's writing is utilitarian. Typically she works behind the scenes writing non-fiction content and polishing the writing of others. However, writing is more than a vocation or a hobby. Writing is how Linda orders her life, makes sense of ideas and issues, and communicates her existence. Her writing has appeared in Orion Magazine, The Sun Magazine, and is ongoing on her blog.My Life With an Enigma is Linda's first published book. It is her attempt to unravel the enigma that was her mother, and to share Yry's uniqueness beyond the scope of her friends and family. The book is an homage to the woman who raised her, the woman who put steel in her spine, the woman who fiercely protected her from religious and cultural indoctrination, and who taught her to question everything.When not reading or writing, Linda can be found on the backcountry trails of the great state of Idaho, basking in sun and solitude
