Tucker & Me: Growing Up a Part-Time Southern Boy

Reviewed by Jessyca Garcia for Readers' Favorite I enjoyed reading Tucker & Me: Growing Up a Part-Time Southern Boy by Andrew Harvey. In it he describes what it was like growing up in two very different worlds. At times, he was a city boy and at other times, a country boy. Anyone who has lived a double life like this will understand and enjoy these stories. I chose to read Tucker & Me because I too have lived a double life. I grew up in Chicago and spent my summers in Haleyville, AL, a little town that is famous for the first 911 call ever made. Just like Harvey, those summers spent in the country are my fondest memories. Naturally, I was able to relate to many of Harvey’s stories. I too have fed squirrels, only I have made them peanut butter sandwiches. This book is not just about Harvey growing up in the country part-time, but about Harvey growing up in general. I really enjoyed Harvey’s memories. I liked the explanation of oranges in the stockings. That is something I did not know about. Harvey had me laughing at his story about his teacher, Miss Johnson. That was very clever of him! Harvey also talks about living with difficult parents and the things he has experienced in his life. He obviously has a fondness for movies and compares many events in his life to them. The book reads as if Harvey is sitting next to you, telling his stories. My favorite thing about this book was the pictures that Harvey included throughout. It made his stories come to life for me. I am glad to have read Tucker & Me: Growing Up a Part-Time Southern Boy, and thank Harvey for helping me to regain my own fond memories of the south.