Introduction
IntroductionAlthough fictitious, some of the stories in View from the SideRoad are loosely based on tales I heard throughout my youth. My Dad was an Irishman who never missed an opportunity to embellish something his buddies had told him. Set in Goetzville, “The Premature Passing of Howdy Blanks” was one of his favorite tall-tales. Mom was also a storyteller and her rendition of Barbeau’s “Vance and the Venison” was repeated every Thanksgiving. “The Upstairs Renter” was inspired by my trip to Ireland. It’s about a Sault Ste. Marie man who slowly sinks into madness as he writes his novel. Gardenville’s “Summer Will Not Come Again” is a story that epitomizes the love between a husband and wife and the innocence of their young granddaughter. Les Cheneaux’s “Long-Suffering Edith”
