A Washington, DC reader wrote:
Remember Winne Cooper, and Kevin Arnold, in 'Wonder Years'? John Bolinger could have been Kevin's older, Indiana cousin, sharing the secrets of midwester, suburban adolescent-boy-dom. The too short volume ends with John's freshman year, at Ball State U. -- David Letterman's beloved school -- in 1965. In the TV series, Kevin met Winnie around 1968, after her brother was killed in Vietnam. This book, through John's 'adventures, shows what the 1960s were like, and even the hardest of hard stuff, was described with tears running down your cheeks humor. John described his family, and his teachers, and the classmates he did not like, lovingly, and humorously. This book -- which is much too short -- demonstrates the universality of familyness, neighborliness, love, fear, resilience. Can't wait to read what happens next.
An Amazon Review:Delightful, Funny and Nostalgic Childhood Memoir,
By
Sandra L. Batchelar (Wheaton, IL) -
John Bolinger's teen years in Northwest Indiana during the first half, of the 1960's.
For those, who grew up during the 1960's, this book will bring
back so many memories of watching Gunsmoke, Lawrence Welk, American Bandstand, swooning
over the Beatles, on Ed Sullivan, Senior trips to Washington, D. C., "flip" hair-dos, dreaded gym class, and the terror of understanding Algebra!
There are also sad moments, that all of us can identify with, such as when Buddy's grandmother dies, and
that terrible day on November 22, 1963, when President Kennedy was assassinated.
