Customer Reviews

The Summer the Wind Whispered My Name: A Novel

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I don't often give out 5 stars, but I loved this book.

"With hilarious narrative alongside poignant life leesons, Don Locke has captured growing up in the sixties with all its charm as well as its ignorance. Each chapter reminded me of a Wonder Years episode, causing laughter and tears. It saddened me terribly to close the book at the end."

Don Locke's novel, "The Summer the Wind Whispered My Name", is the poignant story of a young boy who confronts his faith in the face of racism on his road to self-discovery during the 1960s. This book impressed me on many levels: its easy readability, the cleverness of the chapter titles, the author's responsible handling of such controversial subject matter with sensitivity and truth, and how the author brilliantly transports the reader back in time to this turbulent era.

The features in this book are incredible, as well. The reader guide includes incredible questions for discussion or contemplation. "The Way Things Were" trivia was fascinating, especially the cost of living statistics. This is a thought-provoking read.

THE SUMMARY: Davy's word revolves around the joys of growing up in his neighborhood--an early morning paper route, street baseball, tree house meetings, homemade fireworks, and quirky neighbors. He emulates his father, and longs to be like him. Yet when a new family moves into the neighborhood, it causes a rift in Davy's family, and eventually, the entire neighborhood, dividing families, dividing neighbors. Davy suddenly doesn't recognize his father and wrestles with defending his father's actions and honestly looking at his dad's flaws.

THE MESSAGE: This is more than a story about racial prejudices in the 1960s. It's the story of a young man who suddenly realizes his father isn't perfect and begins to question many of his foundational beliefs. He longs for his father to be the dad of his dreams and wrestles with finding a balance between doing what is right and also honoring his father. And although Davy comes face to face with the ugly discrimination against a black family, he soon recognizes the many ways his neighbors judge all fringe members of society.

THE PRESENTATION: Author Don Locke writes from Davy's perspective. Thus, all adults are addressed as Mr. or Mrs., the joys of life are Good Humor trucks and Roy Rogers belt buckles, and the best way to seal a promise is with boogers. Most of the time Locke refrains from making Davy sound like an adult, although there are a few times Davy sounds older and wiser than his age. This is Locke's second book about Davy, although this one is a prequel to The Reluctant Journey of David Connors. It probably helps to read that book first as there are scenes in The Summer the Wind Whispered my Name that set up The Reluctant Journey.

THE QUOTE: "Maybe there was no real normal. And maybe that was a good thing. I wondered if maybe that's what God had in mind all along."

THE RECOMMENDATION: 3 out of 5

The Summer the Wind Whispered My Name by Don Locke is a powerful novel about a summer in which a young boy, and an entire neighborhood, are forever changed. Davy Connors has a near perfect life in 1960 Ohio, and he knows it. His father is the director of a popular local children's TV show. His mom ensures that he never has to deal with dirty dishes or clothing, even laying out his clothes every morning before his paper route. His older siblings, Peggy and Bobby, are teenagers and starting to spread their wings. But most of Davy's world revolves around his friends: Sheena, Mouse, Jimmy, and the rest of the neighborhood kids who play Wiffle ball in the street, have a treehouse in a majestic old oak tree, and spend their extra pennies by caps so they can scrape off the gunpowder in hopes of making a massive bottle rocket in time for the Fourth of July. Davy is on the cusp of adolescence and starting to pay more attention to the people around him. When a black family buys a home in the neighborhood, several of the men get together and come up with a plan to drive them out, but Davy's mom instead forms a welcoming committee, and the stage is set for turmoil and conflict in the neighborhood and the Connors home. Locke has a very conversational tone in writing that implies confidence and trust. Davy doesn't always make the right decisions, but his inner battle about what feels right and what doesn't makes for an inspirational read. By the end of the summer, Davy's confidence in his father has been shaken and rebuilt, he sees his mother as a courageous human being, and he has begun to see the hand of God in the world around him. It's a great coming of age story along with a powerful message about loving your neighbor.

It is about a boy coming into the reality that his parent's are perfect... and the changes that hit a neighborhood when a black family moves into a white suburb in 1959.

The book is written in a memoir style as the man looks back on his life and that summer.

What I liked about the book was the fact that it wasn't written from an "all is well" with the world. It looks at the thought process of a young boy - of his slowly waking up to the real world... of his dad falling from his perch and looking at his family... he has 2 siblings... 1 brother and 1 sister and a faithful mom... of his confusion of their changes and the changes of the family dynamics... this isn't "Beaver's" perfect house.

The boy has a paper route that allows him to have interactions with many of his neighbors - some of characters help him awaken new thoughts while others help him enjoy life and learn about the harsh realities that life sometimes presents...

I do recommend this book as it has a nice realistic story - not one where you know the finish before you start... one of a family struggling with the world as it was back then - dealing with racism, the cold war and "perfect" TV families...

The book tells the story of a middle-class American boy living in Ohio and his adventures over the summer in 1960.

I was so excited that I immediately started reading the night I got it. After the first few pages, let alone the first chapter, I knew this one was going to be difficult. Even though it is fiction, which I thoroughly enjoy, it was a period fiction piece from a recent part of history that I did not experience...the 60's. The author seemingly did not take this into account when writing the book, giving no description, or even hint, of the "iconic" characters and events included. Maybe I should have listened more carefully in my history classes. This made it more difficult to really get into the book because a lot of the allusions used went over my head.

I was also a little discouraged when it took so long to get through a small section of the plot due to the numerous side trails the author took along the way. For example, in a section meant to discuss an encounter Davy, the main character, has with his neighbor who is found lying on the front porch, he goes off (in detail) on his Uncle Frank's funeral and his first encounter with a dead body. There is a lengthy section on the cast of Father Knows Best and a four page section on Two-Ton, a kid's comedian that works with Davy's father. None of these add significant depth to the novel or contribute to the movement of the plot.

While I did enjoy the book a little more as I read further, I prefer a book that grabs me from page one, and this definitely was not it. There were some redeeming qualities, though. The overall message of the story is heartwarming. I was reminded of the need to truly be a neighbor to all those around me, even those who may seem different than me, even when it is the unpopular or uncomfortable thing to do.

"The Summer the Wind Whispered My Name", by Don Locke is a quiet emotional look at the progress of America's small-town existence as seen through the eyes of a young boy growing up in the sixties. Although the story develops slowly, the pace quickly escalates when a black family moves into their all white neighbor, which then divides the neighborhood like a demarcation line that brings an ugly element pitying neighbor against neighbor. As you put yourself into the story, "Do you think your own prejudices are in place if you were a part of this neighborhood?" I think that you will be gently reminded about your own views of race, justice, and our struggle to live by the Golden Rule.

For those of you who lived through the sixties, you will enjoy Don's nostalgia return to the simple life: twenty-five cent a gallon for gasoline, the Good Humor Man in white uniforms driving through the neighborhood, fallout shelters, and reminiscence of the days when you rode your bike into town to catch the latest horror film on a one room one screen theater. (I still remember ducking below the seats whenever a scary scene came screaming out onto the large screen.)

Either way, whether you lived through the sixties or not, I am sure that you will enjoy reading this story. Don's writing style draws you in with each advancing chapter. It's a story that you will read and then want to pass on to your friends and family.

You'll enjoy this well written, thought provoking book. And for the older readers among us, like me, you'll take a walk down memory lane. It's quite enjoyable!