A not-always-sentimental vacation to the '50s, '60s, 'and
'70s. Bring your swimsuit.
Downeyoshun
by Art Young
Genre: Recent Historical Family Fiction
Sally Osterhoff is a
genius. When she grows up, she wants to be a mathematician, a teacher, and a
carpenter; and she plans to swim in the 1968 and 1972 Olympics.
Her mother has other ideas, and will emotionally and
physically abuse Sally to fit them. After all, she only wants what is best for
her child. But between her father trying his best, the family next door who
practically adopts her, and her Aunt & Uncle down in Ocean City where she
spends her summers, Sally just might have the support and love she needs to
make all of her dreams come true.
Set against the backdrop of the Civil Rights struggles, the
Vietnam War, and the early Feminist movement, the story explores the power of
found family, and how unconditional love can come from the least expected
places. Downeyoshun is a not-always-sentimental vacation to the '50s, '60s, and
'70s. Bring your swimsuit.
Praise about
the book:
“Arthur Young will introduce you to a special world, East
Baltimore, and its vacation spot, Ocean City, with his
warm Downeyoshun. Not that life is perfect – not all mothers are
kind, and the VietNam war casts a shadow. But you’ll feel as if you’ve met new
friends as you follow his characters through the challenges of growing up. In
his skillful telling, the fabric of a family and a neighborhood comes to life.
You may even find yourself becoming a Baltimore Hon!”
–Pamela Zerba, Contributor Atheists
in America, Writer, Creative York Contest Winner
“Be prepared to fall in love with one of the most
endearing literary characters of the century thus far. Ultimately, this is a
book about family, the one you’re stuck with and the one you make. By the end,
Sally will feel like part of yours. You will thoroughly enjoy your trip
Downeyoshun.”
-Robert Akridge, Writer
Amazon * B&N * Bookshop.org * Bookbub * Goodreads
Art Young is a Baltimore-born U.S. Navy / Vietnam / Agent
Orange veteran and cancer survivor. He was once a carny in a traveling gadget
show, and has worked as a fire-extinguishing-system installer and serviceman, a
brewery’s route delivery salesman, flexographic press operator, licensed
boiler-plant engineer, and a storyteller. He much prefers the last.
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