Growing Up In ‘70s Wisconsin
Memories of Marshall by Greg Peck
There is a lot of nostalgia in Greg Peck’s collection of stories from growing up in Marshall, WI, and that’s not a bad thing. ‘Memories of Marshall’ is the kind of work that you hope your parent or grandparent will write as a record of what their life was like growing up.
Books of this nature take a different form depending on when an author chooses to sit down and bring them to life. Earlier versions would have contained more details, but might not feature the warm appreciation for bygone years. ‘Memories of Marshall’ is filled with a good combination of nostalgia, satisfaction, and mature reflection.
Shared memories
Greg Peck graduated from high school in 1975, and I found many of his memories caused me to reflect on my own childhood. I was born in 1975 and graduated in 1993, so I experienced firsthand much of what Peck discusses even if some of the situations didn’t have quite the formative influence on me.
Like Peck, I remember carnivals with nausea inducing rides coming to town and setting up in a field. I also remember hunting and fishing trips, and have my own stories about awkwardly approaching girls in my teens. It was fun to take a stroll down memory lane and compare how my experiences matched up to Peck’s.
