The Way-Back Room: A Memoir of a Detroit Childhood (Working Lives Series)
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | 4.98 (959 Votes) |
| Asin | : | 1933964499 |
| Format Type | : | paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 218 Pages |
| Publish Date | : | 2014-09-29 |
| Language | : | English |
DESCRIPTION:
She also catches up with her son and daughter and granddaughters--scattered from New Jersey to Stockholm, Sweden.Mary has taught at the University of Michigan, New York Institute of Technology, and Wayne State University. Recent awards include: the Gwendolyn Brooks Award from the Society for the Study of Midwest Literature, a Ginsberg Poetry Award, and Finalist status in
Don't let the title fool you. The old neighborhood on Clark Street is working class, first and second generation immigrant families, transplanted Southern folk, all mostly white, mostly Catholic, but starting to lean more and more Protestant. Teenage Mary walks across the Ambassador Bridge to Windsor, as if that Canadian town were a suburb of Detroit. Like millions of kids, Mary idolizes Davy Crockett (her father's originally from Tennessee, too), and later, Mary must choose between heartthrobs: Pat Boone or Elvis. But I connected deeply to this story, and isn't that the measure of a good memoir? Minock has written her story, and ours: the story of those men and women (especially women) who grew up back then, and a story for younger readers who always wanted the secret history that their own mothers and fathers would never share. This book may derive its jibe from post-World War II Motown, but Minock's story is foremost an American
Minock’s sharp, vivid prose, and clear-eyed reflections on the past keep us with her all the way, cheering her on. Full or rich detail and texture, it offers keen insights into the subtle and unsubtle tensions in the life of a young woman coming of age in this era of change, trying to forge her own path to a clear view of her family history. Anne-Marie Oomen is author of Pulling Down the Barn . The Way- Back Room is a beautiful and truly rewarding coming-of-age memoir. Jim DanielsMary Minock's The Way-Back Room will charm and appall you. What is it really like to be the daughter of an undiagnosed hoarder in post-war Detroit? As these captivating characters bungle forward through everything
ReviewerMidwest LS said A human triumph with humor and care.. This book is available Nowand Here's an early review of this fine memoir: "Don't let the title fool you. Mary Minock's new book certainly evokes 1950's Detroit. Her father works for Cadillac, smells of "cigarettes and steel," and dies young of a brain tumor. The old neighborhood on Clark Street is working class, first and second generation immigrant families, transplanted Southern folk, all mostly white, mostly Catholic, but starting to lean more and more Protestant. Teenage Mary walks across the Ambassador Bridge to Win. The Way-Back Room: A Memor of Detroit Childhood Vicky Young Children's lives are shaped by events in their early formative years. Mary Minock's memoir provides insight into how fragile she became in response to the death of her beloved father. Mary's mother is unable to give her the affection she needs because of dealing with her own grief and financial challenges. When Mary's mother's hoards, the ignored Mary turns inward for self-smoothing which breeches the strict behaviors of the Catholic faith. While seeking to be part of a family, Mary enmeshes herself into the lives of the. Sylvia J Treadaway said The Way-Back Room by Mary Minock. .Detroit is my home town. It was fun to reminsce childhood. All the drama with selecting Pat Boone or Elvis Presley, walking every where with my best friend. Wanting parent to be different, yet learning so much.