When Joseph Jerry Levesque gazes out the window, he never sees ugliness-only the beautiful, blue sky filled with soaring birds. This view of the world is what allows him to live such a rare and remarkable life and accomplish all that he has. After coming of age and developing into an elite athlete, Joseph embarks on what he believes will be a lifelong devotion to Catholic monasticism. Written as a documentary-styled look at a monastery's inner workings, Joseph first shares sketches of the various brothers and events that may be surprising and unconventional.
Then comes his shocking transition from monk to world traveler, spending a decade touring Europe on a moneymaking endeavor based on his passion for liquor. He becomes the sole US producer of the illegal Viper Brandy and smuggles various alcoholic beverages between Andorra, France, and back again.
This revealing book is much more than a memoir-it is a transparent and candid telling of a free, wandering spirit's lifelong journey from birth in prohibition America, to joining the monastic life, to becoming one of the greatest alcohol bootleggers in the world.
About the Author: Joseph Jerry Levesque was born in Maine during the Prohibition era. He spent two years in the navy and returned home to become a snowshoe-racing champion. He earned the key to the city of Montreal for snowshoeing three hundred miles to attend an international snowshoe convention.
Levesque is founder of the Brothers of St. Joseph and the Resurrection Memorial Cemetery, both in Oklahoma City. Resurrection Memorial boasts North America's most unique cemetery chapel.
He published and edited the Cognac Club Newsletter for eight years and traveled Europe for a decade, bootlegging liquor. Ever unconventional, Levesque discusses his original Viper Brandy with his doctor, delivers beer to his dermatologist, and chats with his urologist about the sex of snakes.
