"The Whole Forest for a Backyard" by Timothy McDonnell. I liked the book because it was a true story of what it was like growing up in the 1950s and '60s. The author's parents owned a resort on the North Shore. I loved reading about the responsibilities that he and his siblings were given to keep the resort running. In contrast, they were given endless freedom to play in the North Woods.
The author had a hearing impairment that went undiagnosed until he was older. He learned to compensate and thrive, eventually teaching hearing-impaired children. After reading the book, I found myself wondering what happened to the author as he got older. To me, that's a sign of a good book — when you keep thinking about it after you're done reading.
Anne Wager, Bloomington
What are you reading? Send us an e-mail or a jpg of the TBR pile on your nightstand to books@startribune.com.
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