Bill Stallings | Reedsy Discovery

commented on about 2 months ago

about 2 months ago

Terror at the Sound of a Whistle is a fascinating new memoir. Caroline Shannon Davenport brings to life her childhood, growing up in a most unusual household in mid-20th-century Toledo, Ohio. Caroline and Jimmy were the same age. They and their parents lived in a large house with three floors and a finished attic on the outskirts of Toledo, with Caroline and her parents occupying the third floor, Jimmy and his parents the second floor. The first floor was an illegal casino run by the two fathers, kept in business by graft payments to the local police. Growing up in this environment set Caroline and Jimmy apart from their schoolmates, who did not know what their parents did or what went on in the house. In this hothouse setting, Caroline and Jimmy were able to observe and form opinions about a colorful cast of characters who moved in and out of their lives, including uncles and aunts, hangers-on at the casino, and a changing group of tenants in cottages on the property, some likable, some unlikable, and some downright scary. The author and Jimmy were almost constantly in each other’s company, watching and interacting with this piebald ensemble, eavesdropping on their parents’ conversations, and creating their own world of play and wishes for the future. You won’t be disappointed by this book.

started following over 3 years ago

over 3 years ago

upvoted Ride the Wild Pony and Other Stories From 57 Steuben Street almost 4 years ago

almost 4 years ago

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