—What happened after the young boy told his teacher-minister that “Sinning is fun!”?—Can you imagine a German Prisoner of War camp placed nearly in your backyard during World War II?—How about getting a sooty ride in a train’s steam engine, or—Seizing an opportunity to snatch chips of ice from the iceman’s truck on a hot summer day, or —Rescuing your desk while the school is on fire?These events, and many more, all happened to the author as a youngster in the town of Waterloo, Illinois. Meet My Waterloo is his memoir of those times, more than a half century ago as seen through the eyes of that boy growing up in that Midwestern town, comprised of mostly immigrant German descendants. At the same time, the book documents the creative ability of children to make delightful experiences out of any event or circumstance during that difficult era of the Great Depression and World War II. It presents a realistic and sometimes humorous view of the town’s environment, its influential tradespeople, the author’s family and teachers, his treasured refuge called home, the family rituals, his ideas of fun and adventure, and the growth of his character. And while you read this book, you will not be the first to say, “My town was just like that! I remember….”
Lloyd R. Engelbrecht
(2005), 2007, 5½x8½, paper, 186 pp.
ISBN: 9780788425592
101-E2559
