by Bill Bryson
First published 2006
Bill Bryson mines his memories of growing up in 1950s Des Moines, Iowa. Born in 1951 at the height of the baby boom, he transforms his ordinary Midwestern childhood into comedy gold. The author recalls his superhero fantasy life, running around in a football jersey with a thunderbolt and a towel cape, imagining himself leaping buildings and defeating villains. Bryson reconstructs his family's world during this era of expanding prosperity, when cars and televisions grew bigger each year and DDT was considered beneficial. He draws loving portraits of his eccentric parents: his father worked as a sportswriter and practiced isometric exercises, while his mother served as home furnishing editor but rarely applied domestic skills at home. The memoir features memorable characters including Stephen Katz and the destructive Willoughby brothers, who channeled their scientific talents toward mayhem. Through concrete details and sharp observations, Bryson captures both the familiar comfort and strange distance of 1950s America.
Genres: 20th-century, american, autobiography, memoir, biography-memoir, comedy
Vibes: affectionate, humorous, nostalgic, warm, witty
Tropes: coming-of-age, eccentric-characters, found-family
Setting: Des Moines, Iowa, Midwestern America
Period: 1950s, baby-boom-era
268 pages · Paperback · BROADWAY BOOKS
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