When I Was a Child is described on the back cover as History/United States/20th Century but I have to disagree. It's not history but rather the story of one family and their determination to make it through difficult times. Needham himself describes it as a work of creative nonfiction.
Needham set out to tell the story of his mother's family in a work that almost reads as a memoir (except it's from his uncle's perspective). It combines scenes from World War II where Louis (his uncle) recounts his time in Europe juxtaposed with scenes from his childhood in Kansas. We learn not only about his Uncle Louis but also his grandparents, mother and other family members.
The part I don't get is the title - it just doesn't seem to fit for me since it's not about times when the author is a child and much of the story line is not about Uncle Louis' childhood.
Tale of Sheer Grit to Survive:
When I Was a Child
Veteran author T. L. Needham's historical work, based on actual events, documents the inner strength, courage and sheer grit that carried the remarkable Louis Pfeiffer through the depression, tornadoes and dust storms, and World War II.
About the author: T. L. Needham, a native of Kansas City, grew up with the tales of survival of his mother's family, who endured life during the 1920's and 1930's in western Kansas. Needham's publishing background is extensive and includes his poetry collection, Pesky Poems and Winning and Keeping Relocation Business. He also founded and wrote for Relocation/Realty UPDATE magazine. Needham was a national speaker and trainer for two decades on corporate relocation and real estate issues. He lives in Illinois.
This book was provided to me through Bostick Communications; I received no monetary compensation for my review.
2 comments:
Hi Renee, it doesn't sound like a great read. I wanted to thank you for passing on the Catholic Company info to me. I really appreciated it and hopefully it'll go well!
It wasn't great; it was just an okay story.
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