An intimate, powerful memoir of growing up in the Pacific Northwest when it still had the characteristics of a frontier society in a sometime war zone. From birth on, Darrell Reeck had the support of two dedicated but conflicted parents, transplants from their beloved Spokane to the multi-cultural, economically booming Puget Sound region. Darrell's adventures take us from 1939 wartime in a working-class neighborhood in Tacoma, to 1960 in Seattle and its preparations for the Seattle World's Fair. He sobers and cheers us with stories of grandparents, peers, adult friends, and teachers. Told with humor, warmth, and insight, Growing Green Two Ways! recaptures the challenges and pleasures of a youth's experiences on the second-to-last American frontier.
Read what critics are saying about "Growing Green Two Ways!"
Dennis Flannigan, Tacoman, says, "Historians memorializing Tacoma overlook Oakland, a forgotten patch of fewer than 500 homes, just south of Center Street. Darrell reflects on this, his neighborhood, and how it influenced his life and dreams. It was a cap-gun, cowboy childhood in a world without soccer moms, movie blockbusters, or too-busy dads. This memoir illustrates how place and family affect lives, how community counts. Thoughtful and fun; a good read for sure. Recommended."
Bonnie J. Messer, Ph. D., Psychologist. "Growing Green Two Ways" invites us to join a young man on his journey to adulthood. One walks with Darrell as he develops his deep love of nature--fording streams, climbing mountains, scouting for bears and rattlesnakes. The floundering adolescent emerges into young adulthood with a strong sense of self, constantly seeking to understand the world through new adventures."
H. D. Pease, Retired Presbyterian minister: "Wow! This book transported me back in time. I, too, grew up in the Pacific Northwest and had many similar experiences. I wish my memory were as crystal clear as Darrell's in remembering so many details. Was this a captivating read? It was for me!"
Donald E. Messer, President Emeritus at the Iliff School of Theology and Executive Director of the Center for the Church and Global AIDS: "Darrell's close encounter with two killer whales, capturing rattlesnakes, and hunting bears in the magnificent Northwest along with is portrayal of being raised in a stable, conservative, religious family provides a unique insight into what it means to be Growing Green in America. Written with grace, crispness and modesty, his memoir demonstrates how his basic ethical and religious values were shaped at an early age. Reeck reflects on how family, friends, church, school, and the environment helped him to explore the deeper meaning of his Christian faith and morals, kept him from being restricted to narrow perspectives, and motivated him toward a more global vision."
