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In his first new book in six years, renowned storyteller Donald Davis returns to his recollections of growing up in the southern Appalachians.
The twenty chronologically arranged stories in Tales from a Free-Range Childhood follow Davis from his early years terrorizing his younger brother, Joe, through his teenage travails of getting braces and discovering he isn't quite man enough for Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho.
Readers will cringe as Davis gives Joe's naturally curly, "wasted-on-a-boy" hair its first cut. They'll laugh as he and his second-grade classmates petition the school board to reestablish paddling as their preferred form of punishment, instead of the new policy of "suspension." They'll relive their own memories as Davis falls under the sway of a would-be Elvis in "The Ducktail." They'll appreciate the sleight of hand as he and his mischievous father parlay a blown engine into a considerable upgrade in "The New Old Car."
Donald Davis's stories have been described as "absolutely hilarious and unpredictable as well as emotionally reviving." This new collection reaffirms why he is considered by many to be the father of the family tale.
One rural boy's misadventures with his younger brother in the foothills of Appalachia.
Storyteller Davis conjures humorous tales from his boyhood, packaging them in memoir form. The author's humor often takes on a grandfatherly tone—innocent and innocuous—allowing an older generation of readers to ease into a comfortable nostalgia, and his stories unapologetically sentimental. In "Too Much Hair," older brother Donald tricks his brother Joe into receiving an amateur haircut, though the boys' father soon intercedes on his youngest son's behalf, offering Donald his own amateur haircut as retribution for his crimes. Similarly, in "Responsible," Donald and Joe become addicted to a wrestling show, though their attempts to emulate the burly men leave them far more damaged than the performers on the screen. "Golf Tees" serves as a third example of tough lessons learned. After a 6-year-old Donald thoughtlessly swipes golf tees from a local store, his mother forces him to face the manager and own up to his mistakes. But when his mother realizes that her son's behavior will reflect poorly on her, she alters her allegiance, becoming his partner in crime by distracting the store's employees while her son returns the tees to their rightful place. Davis relies heavily on punch lines delivered from the mouths of babes, offering a collection of homespun stories that will undoubtedly appeal most to those who can relate to growing up in the 1940s and '50s. While Donald and Joe share center stage, perhaps the collection's star is their father, a judicious man often forced into the roles of judge, jury and executioner as he wades through his sons' harmless disputes.
An overdramatic, occasionally clichéd recounting of a childhood in rural America.
Author's Note 1
1 Watch the Baby 3
2 Too Much Hair 13
3 Golf Tees 21
4 Go Look It Up! 29
5 Little Critters 38
6 Boys Are Smarter? 50
7 The Little Rat 59
8 Responsible 72
9 "Watch Where You Step!" 83
10 Pimento Cheese 91
11 Something up Her Sleeve 99
12 The Octopus 112
13 Nothing Works But Her Mouth 124
14 Broken Bones 139
15 Two Red Coats 152
16 The Last Whooping 161
17 The Ducktail 176
18 Braces 188
19 The New Old Car 203
20 Irrational Fear 222
Anonymous
Posted September 21, 2012
Thoroughly enjoyed this book. Easy to relate to if you are of the "baby boomer" generation. Donald Davis writing also crosses generations. Good book, a "must read".
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Posted January 15, 2012
Really enjoyed these stories and often laughed out loud! Can't believe Donald Davis actually survived his childhood. He sure has a way with words and is a great storyteller!
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Overview
In his first new book in six years, renowned storyteller Donald Davis returns to his recollections of growing up in the southern Appalachians.
The twenty chronologically arranged stories in Tales from a Free-Range Childhood follow Davis from his early years terrorizing his younger brother, Joe, through his teenage travails of getting braces and discovering he isn't quite man enough for Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho.
Readers will cringe as Davis ...