Article: A Most Humorous Book to Escape With (imho)

By A. Young on October 7, 2013

Does today's world sometimes weigh heavily on you? Then take a vacation to Long Island in the 1950's, a time and a place where kids still played outside all day far from TV and video games, where the woods were always within walking distance of anyone's home, and conversation between friends flowed free and easy. This is a world where relationships flourished far from the electronic distractions of today.

When I began reading Summer with Freeman, I wasn't sure if the adventures of two adolescents would hold my interest, yet the character of Joey, the narrator of this story, drew me in immediately. I fell in love with Joey and took him to heart as one of my favorite fictional characters.

This is Joey's summer of coming of age and he has many firsts this particular summer. He finally has a friend who lives nearby with whom he can share these long summer days, his first friend who doesn't attend Catholic school. He falls in love for the first time with a girl who is the motivation behind his and Freeman's adventures, and he meets his first antagonist who always seems to loom nearby and appears when Joey least expects it. There are even adults in this story who have the potential for danger and who give Joey a glimpse into the somewhat coarse world of grown ups.

Joey's narration made me both worry and laugh. His character transcended both gender and age. It is a book I will keep on my shelf for when I need another reprieve from the world of 2013.

2 people found this helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A delightfully entertaining book

By ERIN on September 20, 2013

Format: Paperback|Verified Purchase

A Summer with Freeman was one of those rare books that caught me by surprise. Extremely well-written, hold-your-belly laughs throughout, great story and character development, up there with Thunderbolt Kid (Bill Bryson), but story rather than vignettes. A latter-day Huckleberry Finn, taking place on Long Island, N.Y., 1959. A wonderful escape from the horrors of the daily headlines, superb "bell-ringing" incidents that so many baby-boomers and older can well relate to. Great insights into early environmentalism, questioning of religious beliefs, being alone, having a friend, dealing with bullies, the opposite sex, and much more. Perfect to pass to your teenagers, and them to pass to friends. Ideal script for a much-needed movie about real lives, that shouldn't cost much to make.

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