Praise
I am humbled and honored by the kind words many of my writing colleagues and associates have offered about There Are No Answers Here, Only Questions.
And I’d love to hear what you say once you’ve read it – the good and the not-so-good (I can take it, I promise). Let me know.
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What makes this memoir stand out are the memorable nuggets of wisdom that McIntyre imparts. There Are No Answers Here; Only Questions is a highly readable and sagacious account of overcoming obstacles and building success. – Kirkus Reviews
Readers seeking a wide-ranging memoir that elevates beyond business or personal adversity to reach into community circles and opportunities for growth and transformation will find There Are No Answers Here, Only Questions astute, hard-hitting, and unexpectedly inclusive in its move between business and personal pursuits and personal choice and perspective’s impact on other circles. – Midwest Book Review
Through a mélange of determination, humor, curiosity, delight, and humility, Bruce pulls the reader in to accompany him on a journey that leaves an everlasting mark on everyone and every place he encounters. The book is memoir at its best.
— Dr. Lyndall Hare, PhD gerontologist, harvester of stories, and cocreator of Acting Our Age.
In his richly entertaining memoir, McIntyre writes, “I’m careful not to give advice, but only tell my story.” That’s no small thing. Stories are the common language of humanity, reflecting the true heart of being alive. When told honestly, with humor and wisdom, stories carry all the meaning that we can wish for. They’re also fun to read. I enjoyed every page.
— Jeremy Schmidt, National Geographic writer, photographer and author of Himalayan Passage
Writing with honesty and humility, Bruce McIntyre pulls us into his world where unexpected events create transformational consequences. McIntyre skillfully portrays a personal story that will have readers reflecting on how his life lessons resonate with their own lives. He has given the reader a wonderful gift.
— Mark de Castrique, author of Secret Lives
Bruce McIntyre had two life-altering issues to confront at the same time. His meticulous account of how he worked through them both is a useful and compelling guide for anyone with a big decision to make.
— Tommy Tomlinson, author of The Elephant in the Room and host of the podcast SouthBound
As the waves of change ebb and flow, McIntyre shares an essential truth, and a valuable lesson learned: “loads are lighter when the lifting is shared.” This is a book to which I will surely return, to spend time with its brightly wrought characters, and to contemplate the many lessons offered and apply them to my own life. These are words that linger, planting seeds for personal and universal understanding—a hallmark of a great memoir. Read full testimonial.
— Bess Kercher, author of Now and at the Hour
As a narrator, Bruce McIntyre is at once pragmatic and fun-loving, no-nonsense and empathetic, confident and humble. In the course of selling a successful business and contending with cancer, he discovers, as many of us do, that despite our abilities and determination, we are never truly self-sufficient. We require inspiration from the universe, and we need other people, through whom the universe often speaks. McIntyre has hit on important themes, perhaps the defining themes of our age: namely, capitalism, humanitarianism, and their reconciliation. His story is accessible, inspiring, and instructive.
— John Amen, author of strange theater, editor of Pedestal Magazine
McIntyre has taken on the task of memoir with eloquence, honesty, and insight that will resonate with all. It takes guts to share your life with strangers—and his struggles, particularly his harrowing bout with cancer, are profound. His thoughtful words will allow readers to find meaning and hope in their own time of crises. The scenes in this story that describe how he built and eventually sold a successful business hold fascinating lessons, and those detailing his work with the poor and homeless in Charlotte and El Salvador are truly humbling and inspirational. His is unquestionably a life well lived.
Beth Howard, health and psychology writer for AARP Magazine, Prevention, The Wall Street Journal, and others
Most people would be laid low when an offer to buy their business comes simultaneously with a cancer diagnosis. Not Bruce McIntyre, innovative Charlotte, North Carolina, business owner. Not Joyce, his wife, who stuck it out during the worst-case scenario. Now having survived both and extending his retirement endeavors with the homeless in Charlotte and Habitat for Humanity in El Salvador, he tells his compelling, highly readable, interwoven story of personal survival. And what a story! This memoir gives us a fascinating playbook of Charlotte’s names and places and shows how things got done in this city with transcendent lessons for the future.
— Mary Kratt, author of Legacy: The Myers Park Story and Remembering Charlotte
Bruce McIntyre is a man of unfaltering fortitude, who has the wisdom to give up control, and has clarity as he weaves his way through the dark wood and beyond. His story is a spiritual journey of transformation, and a guide for any human who needs a muse along the way.
— Barbara Conrad, author of Wild Plums and There Is a Field
In this honest and authentic memoir, Bruce McIntyre, true to the title of the book, makes no pretense at providing pat answers. This is not a how-to book. It is something much more — the story of a real-life journey of a corporate nomad turned business owner who learns hard lessons in hard situations. A compelling, well-crafted account, written by a good man. I wholeheartedly recommend it.
— Frye Gaillard, coauthor of The Southernization of America: A Story of Democracy in the Balance with Cynthia Tucker
There Are No Answers Here, Only Questions is the story of McIntyre’s journeys, and it is a true pleasure to ride along with him. Throughout this skillful and engaging memoir, I was reminded how many people make up a life and how much better off we are for that gift. Read full testimonial.
— Paul Reali, cofounder of Charlotte Center for Literary Arts
What makes a life? If we are lucky, a loving and supportive partner. A meaningful pursuit. A community to help build and shape. An abiding faith. A chance to achieve great things and give back along the way by serving others with one’s gifts, abilities, and experiences. Bruce McIntyre had it all — enough to make a man confident that he had ALL the answers. But, when everything he had hung in the balance, Bruce finds one of life’s great and joyous ironies: the older we get, the less we seem to really know. Come along and walk with Bruce as he shares what matters in any life through breezy, conversational storytelling. You will be glad you did.
— Rev. Dr. John Cleghorn, pastor, Caldwell Presbyterian Church, author of Resurrecting Church: Where Justice and Diversity Meet Radical Welcome and Healing Hope
When a life-threatening diagnosis and the end of his life’s work hurtled toward him on a high-speed collision course, Bruce McIntyre found himself trapped in the dark four corners of pain, fear, discomfort, and self-doubt. Then, like all good memoirists, he emerged to remind us that the feelings about life’s questions are explored best through self-reflection, self-discovery, and self-understanding. Bruce uses his lessons learned to do good for others, allowing us to imagine our call to existence and purpose, as what we do with the rest of our lives is up to us.
— Landis Wade, author of Deadly Declarations and founder of Charlotte Readers Podcast
There is a business to sell and cancer to deal with as McIntyre takes us deep into his story, guided by his parent’s early words, “Work on it for a while, and then I’ll be along.” It’s a brave and compassionate story; I recommend it.
— Amy Rupertus Peacock, coauthor of Old Breed General with Don Brown
Building a business in twentieth-century Charlotte … tackling a tough battle with cancer … helping launch the JobWorks initiative for homeless neighbors … crafting a new type of community-focused development program with Habitat for Humanity, Bruce McIntyre’s highly readable memoir offers a window into the history of Charlotte in our own time.
— Tom Hanchett, author of Sorting Out the New South City: Race, Class & Urban Development in Charlotte
Until reading his book, I did not know the severity of his medical condition and that there were two separate but critical tracks his life was following simultaneously. Ironically, I believe Bruce had adopted the same attitude with his medical professionals, who, like me, might have been unaware of the other meaningful life-altering transaction occurring in his business life. Possibly this reliance on the decisions of his experts in two significant simultaneous life occurrences was the secret to Bruce’s success at mastering the colliding forces. Read full testimonial.
Barry Maloney, Esquire, Washington, DC
Asking questions in life is often more important than seeking answers. Bruce McIntyre’s memoir shows how we can live without answers to some of life’s biggest questions in his honest, vulnerable, and beautiful story of hope and transformation.
— Rev. Michelle Thomas-Bush, Myers Park Presbyterian Church
There Are No Answers Here, Only Questions is a beautifully written memoir full of hope and inspiration. With humor, grace, and the cleansing power of complete honesty, McIntyre writes about two life-changing events and how he found the courage to meet them head-on. This memoir teaches gratitude, humility, and the beauty of the human spirit. So many questions, yet the answers are found between the lines as Bruce shares the stories of people he meets along the way. Through a series of encounters, Bruce remembers what’s most important. It’s more than an inspiring memoir; it’s an invitation to sit for a spell and share the stories that matter most. It is a book I will turn to again and again.
— Mandy Haynes, author of Oliver and editor of WELL READ Magazine
I felt like I was sitting on the weathered teak bench, enjoying the morning with Bruce while I sped through the pages. His vulnerability and genius shine through each scene, and even though I knew the ending, or thought I did, every page had me anxious for the next. I shed tears and felt like I earned an MBA in this gut-wrenching and heartwarming memoir.
— Amy Burkett, General Manager of PBS Charlotte and author of The 7 D’s to Your Destiny
This book is a warm and neighborly invitation to join Bruce McIntyre on the weathered teak bench under the giant oak in his yard and be spellbound by the dual stories he spins—how he sold his successful business at the same time he was enduring debilitating cancer treatments. There Are No Answers Here, Only Questions is beautifully crafted, wise, humorous, touching, and inspiring. Perhaps one of the most heartening questions in the book: “Is it strength that gives hope, or hope that gives strength?” McIntyre rewards the reader with a generous helping of both.
— Judy Goldman, author of Child: A Memoir
McIntyre’s insightful memoir and his transformation after two life-altering experiences will offer hope when life becomes difficult. He is a visionary, catalyst, and man of faith who continues to change the world, not with answers but with questions.