Doing the Charleston: A Geechee Memoir [Hardcover]

Charles E. Breuer (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 15, 2002

Doing the Charleston: a Geechee Memoir is not a novel. It reads more like a young boy's diary: Tinky hates his nickname, and is called instead "Big Boy" by his grandfather. As a result, Big Boy spends as much time as possible with his Grandfather learning the real secrets of life. In his hyperactive dyslexia, Big Boy disconcerts parents, teachers and other sundry authority figures. He bedevils his neighbors and relatives, plays 'doctor' with the girls; and--on one occasion--has to jump into a mud bank from a train trestle to avoid a violent confrontation with a speeding locomotive. Alternatively, Big Boy is out and about in the city of Charleston living, loving and sometimes bemoaning what it is like to be a young Geechee--and up to no good. He interviews a jailbird, joins a bootleg operation and falls in love with Nyoka the Jungle girl, all before reaching his eighth birthday!

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Charles E. (Tinky/Big Boy) Breuer Jr., Ph.D., a fourth-generation Geechee, was born in 1934--in Charleston, S.C.--at a very early age.

One of the most important people in his Jung life was his grandfather John Wilberforce. Tinky was called `Big Boy' by the grandfather he so admired and he spent as much time as possible with JohnnyPa.`

JohnnyPa' was the name Big Boy bestowed upon his grandsire--possibly in appreciation for the special name his grandfather had given him.

Breuer was educated in the public schools of Charleston and Lake City in South Carolina, and in Devon, Connecticut. He completed high school requirements while in uniform (USCG) during the Korean War, and then entered the University of South Carolina in 1954.

During the Cuban Missile Crisis, Breuer was granted a commission in the U.S. Air Force Reserve and served for five years in that branch.

Breuer was a Professor/Educator for most of his life and recently retired from private practice as a licensed Psychologist. He lives with his wife, Ann Williams Breuer, in her old family homestead in Edgefield S. C. They have three children, five grand children and a dog named Jacob Pigpen Muddyfoots, the Third.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 216 pages
• Publisher: Virtualbookworm.com Publishing (June 15, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1589391845
• ISBN-13: 978-1589391840
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,259,011 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)