Customer Reviews

California Boomer: Keeper of the Story

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Because I too am a California boomer, I approached this book with the hope that it would convey something of what it was like to grow up in this golden state during its most golden period. And I was not disappointed. What a wonderful book!

The title of the book says it all: "Keeper of the Stories". And what stories! The author has been fortunate to know a fascinating assortment of characters - ranging from his "Auntie Mame" of a grandmother to a blond surfer whose story reads like a Greek tragedy. And he lived or witnessed it all - growing up in 1950's suburbs, the San Francisco "summer of love", the loss of friends to AIDS - and he has survived it all.

These stories are funny and sad and heartwarming and chilling - and they're all fascinating and they're all true.

A great read.

California Boomer has layers of meaning, some simple and others bold, and brave. The author gives us so many life lessons, insights, and details, many times overlooked by individuals but ever so important. If you get past the sweet and touching first few stories you'll be pulled into an ever more complex set of people, and at times, almost surreal situations. This book is never dull and will make you think about your own life. I'll be looking for more works by Don Noyes-More. Totally enjoyed this read.

I've waited to write a review until I fully digested what I have read. Boomer is unlike any other biography or time based book I've read before. It is a deeply honest book that demands and commands attention from the reader. There is no place to hide after reading this book, if indeed that is your reaction to raw truth! Boomer hits on many life themes and topics in ways that to me were unexpected. The message at the end is clear and concise yet with an edge of joy mixed with pathos. The second time I read the book I read it backwards, somehow that made the book come doubly alive. If you're into reality reading Boomer will be a great experience.

Sometimes, just sometimes something very good comes in a small package. This 162 page book is just one of those sometimes. "Boomer" is sometimes sweet, sometimes stark and disturbing; a panorama of Boomer California; human vistas and depths.Trust me you'll not read anything near this saga of human emotion, of life at its rawest anywhere! I was deeply drawn into this personal journey and found myself wanting answers to many questions at the end of the book. This is Americana at its personal best. The author's brave and good spirit is an example for us all. "Boomer" will last in your thoughts, it has in mine.

As a media person I found "Boomer" an exceptional work. The book offers a tour de force of the California Boomer years with deeply etched personalities, emotional environments, and political-social life. This book is personal and yet cuts through many topics and insights. Any one story stands on its own, but all the stories together provide exceptional reading. Being in Hollywood media I was interested in the stories about Hollywood personalities, some mentioned by name others renamed (but I knew who the author was writing about). Yet the entire work has given me great pause, reflection and a thankfulness for the author's message. Boomer is a good read.

Totally enjoyed Boomer. It is hard to define a book with so many important parts, so many insights. You can't but be touched by this author's journey through life. Boomer is a collection of stories about the author and the many people of his life. This book is striking in both its softness and then hard hitting, gut wrenching experiences. The book at times seems almost odd for its inclusiveness and acceptance of at times seemingly different insights and life positions. But it all comes together and we are left with a profound message of Life, Love, and Hope. This is more than a California story, it is a story of the human condition; good, bad and inspiring. I believe that Mr.Noyes-More has written a book for us all. Boomer is a book of courage and honesty well worth the time and money.

-California Boomer: Keeper of the Story- was both a joy and trial to read. A joy because it touched me so deeply and showed me how important life truly is. A trial to read because it hits at the marrow of personal emotions; sometimes difficult to look in the mirror! This book is a gift of grace and dignity in its positive outlook, concerned nature, and ability to express at times conflictual themes in a profoundly honest way. "Boomer's" self exposure can, and no doubt will, make some feel very uncomfortable. If you've been hiding out in life this book will just scare the hell out of you. If you have a tidy, well tended emotional life you will be challenged by this book. Easy to read short stories that confirmed one thing for me, "never give up on life!" The author is unique, not easy to define, and just when you think you've figured him out BAM up comes something else. This book is worth your time and money.

This is a book on many different levels, the historical level, the personal level, the psychological level. Boomer is a book of a soul searching and wandering through so many different situations, people, and emotions. There is a key element here though, as the author put it so frankly, HOPE. And it is this alone that makes true sense of all these small novellas of life (and death), as so starkly and deeply written by the author. This book is you, me, and everyone. I saw myself in-between words and in the different flavors of emotions that cascade off the pages. This book is not for the faint of heart. Boomer deals with life perceptions, personal lifestyles, and even politics in a disarming manner which can (and will) catch you off guard. This is not a big book nor an intellectual's book, it is a book for the rest of us. Buy it.

I was given a copy of California Boomer by a friend. Frankly I usually don't like people to buy me books. But this time it turned out to be the exception. I'm not a California Boomer, but a Boomer none-the-less. This book hit me deeply. I find it even now, two weeks after finishing the book, difficult to talk about "Boomer" without feeling emotional. This book offers many unique insights and life lessons. As a dad of 4, (3 boys and 1 girl,) I have taken a new and fresh look at them, our relationships, our lives together, especially as regards one of my sons. The author writes with an almost uncanny honesty and candor which seems to strip away all the fluff of life. This book has also taught me a lot about people from different backgrounds and lifestyles. It has opened me to a new level of compassion and care. This is a gem of a book, a bright soul, a book we all should read. I now have begun to reflect on my own life, and my own stories. I'm grateful to the author.

OK all us Baby Boomers are getting older and the books and services are starting to hit us from every direction. I bought California Boomer with the main thought, "Gee I'm a California Boomer, I'll get the book." I read the book over a couple of days. I now feel this book will be with me the rest of my life. I rarely have been so moved by a book. The depth of honesty is profound. The people of whom Mr. More writes covers the gamet of humanity. The message of California Boomer is life affirming. This book has made me stop and take a look at my life, my journey, the people of my journey, and how I too am "The Keeper of the Story." Blessings on you Don Noyes-More, you have touched my soul. Get this book, it's a keeper!