Memories of the Soo
Some Sunny Day
In this touching collection of childhood reminiscences Tom Douglas manages to capture the world of a Northern Ontario smelting town as it existed at the end of World War II. A storyteller by nature and a journalist by trade, Douglas’ keen memory for details allows him to bring these poignant episodes from his childhood to life with remarkable clarity.
Borrowing humourist Stephen Leacock’s technique of fictionalizing the names of the towns where the stories are set, Douglas substitutes Magpie Bay for Wawa, with the occasional reference to the big town of Stackton, also known as Sault Ste. Marie. The stories all feature Tom as the narrator and his view of the world as seen through the eyes of a young boy. Tom’s tales like life, cover a broad range of emotions from the hilarious to the heartbreaking. Young Tom’s daring rescue of his friend Rocky from the bowels of a school outhouse in the middle of winter had me laughing out loud. Some of the more heartbreaking moments involve watching Tom and his family cope with his father’s unjust treatment at the hands of his employers after returning from the war that fuels his father’s battle with alcohol.
A treat to read, Some Sunny Day provides a rare glimpse into one man’s childhood and a by-gone era. While Tom Douglas’ skill as a storyteller allows him to share this personal history, his true gift is the honesty and frankness with which he opens his life and that of his family up to the reader. Reading Some Sunny Day I was struck with how many other personal stories like Tom’s exist throughout the world and what a tragedy is that few of us are blessed with the skill or the patience to document these stories for future generations to share and appreciate.
Copies of Tom Douglas’ Some Sunny Day are available by mail from the author directly for $15 (including GST and shipping). You can reach him via snail mail at:
Tom Douglas
Alternatively, email soomemories@yahoo.ca and I can put you in touch with the author via email.
Click back cover for larger view
by Tom Douglas
Book Review
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