Review of The Cape We Were:
3 posts
[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The Cape We Were:" by Irv Broughton.]
In this memoir the author recounts decades on Cape Cod. He discusses the Broughton family and their experiences, which include their businesses, beach adventures, music, love, and painful departure. He talks about his hardworking father, Dick Broughton; his mother's love for music; complex older family members; their tourist cabins; the family Sunoco station; and how all these shaped his childhood. He shares stories of childhood adventures around old boats on the beach, strange local Cape characters, and his celebrity encounters. He also talks about the family's struggle, long Florida trips, and memories of the generations of the Broughton and Bavis families. The book got emotional when discussing the writer's first love, Lynne Ruth, whose memories appear through songs, poems, and dreams. After the family leaves the Cape in 1965, the writer talks deeply about memories, loss, and whether a person can ever truly return home.
The Cape We Were by Irv Broughton was very emotional to me, and what made the memoir stand out was how alive it all felt. The author can move from something very funny to something emotional, and it never feels forced. The author's creativity is clear in the way the author added poetry and songs to this story seamlessly. The narrator thinking about Lynne Ruth for years was emotional to read about. I smiled for parts where the boys were scrambling for Marlene Schmidt's cigarette butts and the motel floors were overheated when they were moving to Florida. The author was able to make me understand the feeling of loss and how deeply these memories affected him. Dick Broughton was not described as perfect but his generosity, humor, loyalty, and sense of responsibility stood out. The author made Cape Cod feel less like a setting and more like a living part of the family itself. One expression that stayed with me was Eleanor saying, "He's not at all like my darling daddy," and I was also happy seeing her dream of her sons earning college degrees fulfilled.
There was nothing I disliked about this book, and I rate it 4 out of 5 stars because of the grammar errors I encountered while reading. The book is recommended to anyone who loves memoirs based on reflections and enjoys family stories and nostalgic memories.
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The Cape We Were:
View: on Bookshelves |
In this memoir the author recounts decades on Cape Cod. He discusses the Broughton family and their experiences, which include their businesses, beach adventures, music, love, and painful departure. He talks about his hardworking father, Dick Broughton; his mother's love for music; complex older family members; their tourist cabins; the family Sunoco station; and how all these shaped his childhood. He shares stories of childhood adventures around old boats on the beach, strange local Cape characters, and his celebrity encounters. He also talks about the family's struggle, long Florida trips, and memories of the generations of the Broughton and Bavis families. The book got emotional when discussing the writer's first love, Lynne Ruth, whose memories appear through songs, poems, and dreams. After the family leaves the Cape in 1965, the writer talks deeply about memories, loss, and whether a person can ever truly return home.
The Cape We Were by Irv Broughton was very emotional to me, and what made the memoir stand out was how alive it all felt. The author can move from something very funny to something emotional, and it never feels forced. The author's creativity is clear in the way the author added poetry and songs to this story seamlessly. The narrator thinking about Lynne Ruth for years was emotional to read about. I smiled for parts where the boys were scrambling for Marlene Schmidt's cigarette butts and the motel floors were overheated when they were moving to Florida. The author was able to make me understand the feeling of loss and how deeply these memories affected him. Dick Broughton was not described as perfect but his generosity, humor, loyalty, and sense of responsibility stood out. The author made Cape Cod feel less like a setting and more like a living part of the family itself. One expression that stayed with me was Eleanor saying, "He's not at all like my darling daddy," and I was also happy seeing her dream of her sons earning college degrees fulfilled.
There was nothing I disliked about this book, and I rate it 4 out of 5 stars because of the grammar errors I encountered while reading. The book is recommended to anyone who loves memoirs based on reflections and enjoys family stories and nostalgic memories.
******
The Cape We Were:
View: on Bookshelves |
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