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2 Burnside Self Help- Memoirs

Do-Over!: In Which a Forty-Eight-Year-Old Father of Three Returns to Kindergarten, Summer Camp, the Prom, and Other Embarrassmen

by Robin Hemley

Do-Over!: In Which a Forty-Eight-Year-Old Father of Three Returns to Kindergarten, Summer Camp, the Prom, and Other Embarrassmen Cover

ISBN13: 9780316020602
ISBN10: 0316020605
Condition: Standard
Dustjacket: Standard
All Product Details

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Synopses & Reviews

Review:

"When Hemley, a writing professor at the University of Iowa, decides that he wants to do over some of the experiences he flubbed as a child, he isn't just dreaming. The 48-year-old father of three makes a list of times and places he'd like to revisit, including kindergarten, the prom and summer camp, doggedly pursuing all the contacts and background checks necessary to 'storm the walls of childhood' as an adult. Surprisingly, the kids and teachers he meets along the way accept him in his overgrown state; some even express envy. The complex logistics of Hemley's quest — including endless e-mails and phone calls to convince others that he's legit — can be tedious, but Hemley is endearing, funny and more than a bit courageous (the night before his first day of kindergarten, he's too nervous to sleep.) As he tackles his part in the school play or sits with the popular kids at lunch, Hemley philosophically ponders the lessons of the past. While some experiences don't pan out quite the way he hopes (after crashing his car into the ACT center, he ditches the idea of a standardized test repeat), others fall serendipitously into place (a crush from high school now works as the school's alumni director and agrees to be his prom date). A big kid at heart, the author draws readers in with just the right mix of humor and tenderness. 22 b&w photos." Publishers Weekly (Copyright Reed Business Information, Inc.)

Synopsis:

Robin Hemley's childhood made a wedgie of his memory, leaving him sore and embarrassed for over forty years. He was the most pitiful kindergartner, the least spirited summer camper, and dateless for prom. In fact, there's nary an event from his youth that couldn't use improvement. If only he could do them all over a few decades later, with an adult's wisdom, perspective, and giant-like height...

In the spirit of cult film classics like Billy Madison and Wet Hot American Summer, in DO-OVER Hemley reencounters paper mache, revisits his childhood home, and finally attends the prom--bringing readers the thrill of recapturing a misspent youth and discovering what's most important: simple pleasures, second chances, and the forgotten joys of recess.

Synopsis:

Hemley reencounters kindergarten, revisits his childhood home, and finally attends the prom--bringing readers the thrill of recapturing a misspent youth and discovering what's most important: simple pleasures, second chances, and the forgotten joys of recess.

What Our Readers Are Saying

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Average customer rating based on 1 comment:
Brian Goedde, May 18, 2009 (view all comments by Brian Goedde)
This book has a zany "dare me to do it" premise that makes for many laugh-out-loud moments, but like all great comedy there is something very true and essential about us being shown. In this case, with each "do-over" it's something about childhood and adolescence, how we remember them, and how our memories of failure affect us as adults-- and parents. By going straight into the contexts in which his past flubs and failures occurred, Robin Hemley becomes more aware of what his own kids are going through (and have gone through). It's a very entertaining and thoughtful book.
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Product Details

ISBN:
9780316020602
Subtitle:
In Which a Forty-Eight-Year-Old Father of Three Returns to Kindergarten, Summer Camp, the Prom, and Other Embarrassmen
Author:
Hemley, Robin
Publisher:
Little Brown and Company
Subject:
Authors, American
Subject:
20th century
Subject:
General
Subject:
Authors, American -- 20th century.
Subject:
Hemley, Robin
Subject:
Personal Memoirs
Publication Date:
May 2009
Binding:
Hardcover
Language:
English
Illustrations:
Y
Pages:
319
Dimensions:
8.30x5.80x1.30 in. .95 lbs.

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