In these volumes, with warmth and gentle humor, the author recalls his boyhood on a farm near Lanesboro, Minnesota in the 1940s. Many of his essays in earlier volumes portray a childhood structured by chores, family, school and church obligations. In addition to depicting everyday life, he reflects on may special events (Minnesota State Fair, holidays, WWII Òair raidÓ practice, car trips) and recreation (radios shows, townball league, fishing on the Duschee Creek, roller skating).
These charming memoirs capture whimsical details as well as stark realities of Midwestern rural life during that period. Besides giving us a glimpse back into time, on a deeper level William ConnellyÕs writings reveal how his Irish Catholic farm family and small town community shaped the values that would guide him through life.
His later writings, including this volume, focus on and characterize how his values have influenced his thinking about more contemporary issues and events. They, too, come alive in his writings.