Description

YOU CAN YELL IT! - Coming of Age in Small Town Leeds, Iowa, 1938-1957. Imagine what it would have been like to live and grow up in a small, intimate town where kids went barefoot in summer and explored nature all year long, freely swam in farm ponds and rivers, attended schools with less than two dozen in their graduation class and as few as three students in a high school class, and felt safe for miles around. Also, what if it was a place where everybody knew everyone in town, you could ride your bike to any destination in town in less than 20 minutes, and the local general store sold Tootsie Rolls for 1[ each? Moreover, your family could go fishing for a couple of weeks in Minnesota, leave your home unattended and unlocked, and come home to find everything undisturbed. It sounds like a magical place, and it was. After 7 1/2 decades of nostalgic remembrances, the author wrote this book to describe the euphoria of growing up in Leeds, Iowa, a detached part of Sioux City, in the middle decades of the 20th century. You Can Yell It! is about a place where life was the epitome of social warmth, friendliness, fun, learning, and happiness. Leeds was a blue collar neighborhood about five miles from the city, with an enthusiastic spirit, rough-hewn sophistication, and enthusiasm for the future - and all who shared its energy and vigor still carry memories that warm their hearts. It was then, it was real, and it IS unforgettable. It is still worth yelling about.