An Ottawa Valley Childhood

By Gordon G. Henderson

This memoir might have been entitled "A boy's memory of climbing out of poverty on his way to an Ivy League education." The narrator, Gordon, recalls how it was to grow up in the Great Depression, and what his 7th grade teacher told him to make him believe he would win a scholarship to go to college-something no one else in his family had ever done. We meet his mother and father, his mother's nine siblings, uncles and aunts and all those cousins. And so very importantly, we meet the teachers who were always ready, indeed eager, to listen, give advice, give help and yes, love.Meet Uncle Sam who trapped beavers and sold their pelts. Meet Uncle Frank who never drove faster than 30 mph and found four leaf clovers. Meet Miss Stevenson who hung Gordon's portrait bu Horsdal behind her desk in the library. Meet Miss Jackson who had a peg leg. Did she ever take it off and conk someone with it? Meet Miss Conn. Did she ever taste that cod liver oil she had to give the students? Meet Mr. Pocock. Did Marilyn know what he was saying about her? Meet cousin Inez who brushed her legs to make false silk stockings in WW II. Meet organist and choirmaster Hewitt who loved the music of Marcel Dupre.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1548479241
• ISBN13: 9781548479244
• Release Date: July 2017
• Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
• Length: 134 Pages
• Weight: 0.51 lbs.
• Dimensions: 8.5" x 0.3" x 5.5"