If you have any Prairie roots, or if you would like to know what it was like going to school in the WWII years or if you have an interest in the 40's and 50's or if you would just enjoy an entertaining read.....this book is for you! We would like to introduce you to this just published book entitled “Flashbacks of a Prairie Kid” by Merv Letts ISBN 978-0-9867490-2-5
Flashbacks of a Prairie Kid
The book, consisting of 25 Flashbacks (or Chapters), is an historical narrative of the author’s growing up in small towns in the Prairie province of Manitoba during the war years of the forties and the ebullient 50’s, elaborating on health issues, Metis history, education and sports activities and Ukrainian ethnicity. These are a series of vignettes that reflect Prairie life anywhere in Canada or the USA and will relate warmly to those who have experienced life in small Prairie towns or small towns anywhere!
The towns he lived in were Killarney, Minnedosa, Alexander, Strathclair, Wasagaming and Treherne, MB with Minnedosa being where he obtained his public and high school education.
Many typical Prairie subjects are covered such as berry picking, playing hockey on rivers, dugouts and sloughs, life as a paperboy, riding bikes as well as things experienced by children in the war years such as curfews, collecting silver paper for the war effort, Victory gardens, and at school corporal punishment in the form of the Strap as well as the importance of teachers as role models!
The author was an avid collector of many things which are elaborated upon in the book such as Meccano sets, Dinky toys, Lionel trains, BB guns, Sling shots , Cats eyes (marbles), stamps and later 50’s cars! The author went on to graduate in Medicine , became a Pediatric Orthopaedic Surgeon, a UN Peacekeeper in the United Nations Emergency Force in Egypt and a University Professor at two major Canadian Universities, University of Manitoba and the University of Ottawa.
He has elected to donate all proceeds from the book to the Rotary World Eradication of Polio Charitable Fund dedicated to the elimination of poliomyelitis which he himself was inflicted as a child.
This book would be a unique gift for anyone ......but particularly for those who grew up in a small town, lived on the Prairies, are interested in life on the home front in WWII or simply are enamoured with the '50's lifestyle.
To order this book for your Library please Email rotary.botanica@gmail.com
requesting the number of copies you wish to purchase. You will be invoiced by
IOC Publishers for $30 per copy.(subsidized shipping charge $15)