"A funny and upbeat remembrance" - Kirkus Reviews
"A rocketship to your happy place" - Bruce Lewis, Author of Angel of Mercy series
"A hilarious, heartfelt standout among coming-of-age memoirs." - Nick Pirog, author of the 3:00 AM series
The Blunder Years: A Humorist's Memoir of Growing Up with Undiagnosed ADHD in the 1950s on Long Island, Where Life Lessons and Hilarious True Tales Collide
Step into the wildly entertaining world of The Blunder Years, a laugh out loud debut memoir by San Francisco Comicle editor and award-winning writer Phil Caragol. Growing up in the 1950s and '60s, Caragol's boyhood stories capture a comedy of errors fueled by undiagnosed ADHD, a strict Catholic family, and a knack for turning everyday life into awkward, clumsy, mortifying moments...all set in historical events of the era like the JFK assassination, the Moon Landing, the British Invasion, and the counterculture movement.
Caragol shares 31 true tales that capture the coming-of-age joy, chaos, and life lessons of a scatterbrained kid-like a botched Maypole dance in kindergarten, a Boy Scout Cuban Missile Crisis prank gone wrong, an embarrassing first-crush encounter with heartthrob actress Jayne Mansfield, and psychedelic trips (one involving an imaginary pterodactyl) in the hippie years. Through his missteps, Caragol reveals universal truths and life lessons that shaped him into the person he became-showing readers that even the most comical moments can carry deeper meaning.
Perfect for fans of David Sedaris (Me Talk Pretty One Day) and J.R. Moehringer (The Tender Bar), and complete with vintage family photos, this memoir is a time capsule of a generation and a must-read for anyone who loves a good laugh with a side of life's valuable lessons. Rediscover the innocence, mischief, and meaning of youth in The Blunder Years-a memoir where things go hilariously wrong, but life always finds a way to get it right.
