1967: A Coming of Age Story
This is a great book, but don’t take my word for it. Read some select reviews below.
A triumphant, emotionally insightful debut.
A Canadian boy struggles to fit in after his family relocates to a new town in this beguiling debut memoir by Doornink … Doornink possesses the rare ability to depict the precarious moment between childhood and adolescence … The division of the memoir into a series of anecdotes gives it a staccato feel. However, through each tale, it’s possible to discern Doornink’s gradual coming-of-age, which naturally propels the narrative.
A Canadian boy struggles to fit in after his family relocates to a new town in this beguiling debut memoir by Doornink.
In 1966, Doornink was “not quite a teenager.” Raised in Winnipeg, his life changed dramatically when his father accepted a job at the Rexall Drug Company and the Doornink family relocated to the small Canadian prairie town of Yorkton. The author was an immediate outsider. He acquired the unfortunate nickname of “donkey” on his first day of school and was mocked for picking the Winnipeg Blue Bombers as his favorite football team. The book, which begins in September 1966 and ends in August 1967, is a series of vignettes that capture the journey toward teendom. In this time, he forged a friendship with Mark, a boy of similar age who, to Doornink’s disbelief, also hailed from Winnipeg; landed in all manner of amusing predicaments, such as when he was caught taking down laundry from a lady’s line to collect clothespins to attach to his bicycle wheels; and weathered the awkwardness and exhilaration of the school dance. Doornink possesses the rare ability to depict the precarious moment between childhood and adolescence. For instance, while his dad was driving, the boy was eager to help him light a cigarette. The lighter fell to the car floor, and as Doornink reached to retrieve it, his father accidently stepped on his hand, pressing it into the burning coil: “My brain screamed every swear word I’d ever heard but my mouth only managed a quiet, ‘Sorry, Dad.’ ” The division of the memoir into a series of anecdotes gives it a staccato feel. However, through each tale, it’s possible to discern Doornink’s gradual coming-of-age, which naturally propels the narrative. Reminiscent of Holden Caulfield’s defiant first-person narrative in The Catcher in the Rye, and with echoes of the mischievous schoolboy escapades of Richmal Crompton’s Just William, this is a thought-provoking, fun read that captures the mood of the era.
Kirkus Reviews
Thrilling… a candid, poignant coming-of-age tale.
A beautiful, gentle coming-of-age tale set in a small Canadian prairie town, 1967 chronicles the emotional journey of a young boy … The book’s … prose top-notch as it captures timeless rhythms of Doornink and his friends’ adventurous year in the small prairie town in Canada, brilliantly bringing out the forgotten era of 1960s. Doornink’s tale is heartening and engaging, and at times quite funny. Told with sincere honesty, this detailed, tender coming-of-age story is sure to touch readers’ hearts.
A beautiful, gentle coming-of-age tale set in a small Canadian prairie town, 1967 chronicles the emotional journey of a young boy. Raised in Winnipeg, young Doornink is forced to leave behind his friends and extended family after his father accepts a job offer as a traveling salesman at Rexall Drug Company and moves his family to the small town of Yorkton in Saskatchewan. Told in young Doornink’s voice, the book covers a period of one year from September 1966 to August 1967 and captures Doornink’s transition from a young child to a wiser boy entering his teenage years as he forms close friendships, gets in all sort of messy jams while recollecting a long-forgotten memory of his childhood. As told from Doornink’s perspective as a young boy, it concentrates on his recollection of a long-buried childhood memory and his coming to terms with the truth after he becomes aware of it.
The narrative revolves around Doornink and his sister Red’s relationship with their father, whose fearsome demeanor, callous disregard for their feelings, and disciplinary nature make them both fearful and wary of him while secretly longing for his affection. For young Doornink, the growing up happens as he faces up to the unnerving truth about his parentage. Father-son duo’s relationship takes a sudden turn toward the end and that’s what gives the story its winning edge; Doornink’s relationship with his father which is mostly marred by underlying resentment and bitterness and his father’s inability to express himself changes after a traumatic incident and the pair comes to a better understanding. Doornink’s matter-of-fact, unreflective prose does justice to his young age in the story, triggering warm emotions in the reader’s heart. There is a sense of luminous innocence about the young boy, despite his knack for getting caught in all sorts of troubles, and the reader will root for him throughout the book. Doornink’s journey is exhilarating, especially toward the end when the truth as he knew turns out to be a lie. The book’s pace is even-paced and the prose top-notch as it captures timeless rhythms of Doornink and his friends’ adventurous year in the small prairie town in Canada, brilliantly bringing out the forgotten era of 1960s. Doornink’s tale is heartening and engaging, and at times quite funny. Told with sincere honesty, this detailed, tender coming-of-age story is sure to touch readers’ hearts.
The Prairies Book Review
This book was well written and interesting to read and I’m glad for the opportunity to have read it…
These kids were impressively independent and I kept thinking about how their family dynamics really forced them to be mature beyond their years…
I posted a few weeks ago about the memoirs I have on my shelves and how I want to read one a month until I complete them all. This was my October pick: 1967 a coming of age story by @richardwdoornink.
I really had no idea what to expect about this memoir by my fellow Canadian, but when Richard reached out to offer me the opportunity to read his book I was happy to give it a chance. I’m glad to say that I really enjoyed his story. It centers around one year in his life, 1967 when he is 8 years old and his family has just moved from Winnipeg to Yorkton. Richard and his friends were tough little guys’ I enjoyed reading about the scrapes they got into and I found myself cheering them on along the way in hopes that everything would get sorted out without them getting in to too much trouble. These kids were impressively independent and I kept thinking about how their family dynamics really forced them to be mature beyond their years.
I was particularly amazed by how well Richard was able to remember this year of his life but by the end of the book I realized why he did, as this was a really formative year for him based on what transpired. This book was well written and interesting to read and I’m glad for the opportunity to have read it. Thanks to the author for sending me a complimentary copy, all thoughts are my own.
@books_onmymind (Instagram)
A fantastic debut novel by a fellow Canadian…
A fantastic debut novel by a fellow Canadian and I am so glad that he reached out and offered me a chance to read this story. Well written and well-paced, I truly enjoyed it…
I had the opportunity to read 1967 – a coming of age story by Richard W. Doornink and I was surprised that I enjoyed it as much as I did.
Okay, I’m not sure what to expect when I got this book in the mail. Would I have picked this book up myself? Honestly, no. Am I glad that I received this book? 100% yes. This book had parts that were nostalgic, sad and overall, a story about a young kid growing up in 1967.
I was brought back to some parts of my childhood while reading this book. Even though I graduated elementary school decades after the main character, the education system hasn’t changed that much. I can remember lining up outside the classroom waiting for the teacher to let us in, gym classes, art projects and making friends. Although the teachers have gotten a lot nicer, some things never change (such as the weird relationship between boys and girls). Also, we’re much more aware of mental health and accepting in my days than it was in Richard’s which made me appreciate how far we’ve come.
The neglect young Richard experience broke my heart. So young and so independent. Not only that, but the fear to have a conversation with his parents was dreadful l can’t imagine living a life like this where my parents were so strict. It’s amazing how tough Richard is and how he dealt with this environment growing up.
I love reading all the experiences Richard had. It felt like I was part of his ride. The simple games he plays reminded me of my childhood. When the fair came to town I got that atmosphere. Even when his activities left him in trouble, I feel like that is just part of growing up. All the good and bad was captured in this book.
Overall this was a nice slice of life kind of story, I’m not going to say that this book would fit everyone’s reading style, but I will say to give this book a chance. A fantastic debut novel by a fellow Canadian and I am so glad that he reached out and offered me a chance to read this story. Well written and well-paced, I truly enjoyed it. Thank you @richardwdoornink for sending me this!
@davinareads Book Review 57 (Instagram)
