Friday, January 22, 2021

Weeds in Bloom: Autobiography of an Ordinary Man by Robert Newton Peck

 I love the Soup books by Mr. Peck.  Recently my eleven-year old read most of this series.  Since aspects of his Soup books are based on his childhood in Vermont, I decided to read this biography to understand this humorous author better.

Each chapter is an essay about a person who influenced him.  The book is divided into three parts-Vermont Boyhood, Early Manhood, & Florida Years.  The writing is beautiful, concise, usually humorous and always thought-provoking. He also included a section at the end titled, "Just As I Am" which lists various beliefs and opinons he has. 

I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know this man.  Sadl, he died last June, 2020, at the age of ninety-two.  

Warnings-This book is labeled as "young adult"-YA- for good reason: An entire essay is about how he and Soup attempt to secure a condom from a machine at the truck stop.  He visits an establishment that has prostitutes.  He talks about a waitress with an amble bosom.  In "Just As I Am", he exalts Dr. Jack Kevorkian above other doctors who keep the elderly "alive, suffering and paying doctor bills". 



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