This book offers a glimpse of Post-World War II, small town American life in Southern California. The reader journeys back to the 1940's through episodic descriptions of the author's childhood. Mr. Wallace's powerful, poetic, alliterated style, triggers haunting, poignant memories of the reader's own familial past. When read silently or aloud, it's a sensory treat for the reader.
Michele M.
I loved reading your book ...really enjoyed some of
the family phrases, especially "settlelence powder." Poor Dwainie...Gary was an interesting character, sad in
another way...makes you wonder what happened to him...The episode about the snow was fun. Of course, Miss Kingsley was a hit for me. Loved the narrator/voice ...really rings through. The book is truly lovely.
Barbara Y.
Wonderful details bring alive the life of a boy moving toward young manhood. Billy ceaselessly observes from tragedies and triumphs in his local neighborhood - from severely handicapped Dwainie, to men unable to cope with their experiences of war, to the heroes of the barber shop and the generosity and compassion of his own family and the "mom and pop" grocer. School days records inspiring teachers and those who were not. But it is his adventures in the vacant lot with friends and enemies that cement his own realization of the connection between pain and compassion, right and wrong.
Randa S.
A warm and satisfying return to childhood; a story rich and full of life. Wallace delivers characters that are convincing, giving each a distinctive voice. They will remain in the mind of the reader long after the end of the book. The skillful use of language yields a freshness that makes the "Ghosts of Gordon Street" a unique and pleasurable read...I know I will never forget Dwainie.
Anna A.
I love it! You just threw a rotten orange at Miss Fitch’s back . . . and she let it slide—I won’t say why! I am really enjoying the book! I look forward to reading it and sometimes stay up too late. . . I just read the part where Grandma made you tape up poor little Dwainie’s trike seat. I am loving the book and the memories it brings back of Grandma and Grandpa (a wonderful unexpected surprise!).
Tiffany H.
I like your book a lot. I enjoyed reading it (and I am not one of your classmates). I think you may very well find a market for it elsewhere. The book is charming and more than that it offers a unique look at a particular time in history. You’ve done it very well and the public should be interested. I urge you to do a few public readings and see what reaction you get. You should submit it to a “first book, independent publishers competition.”
Patricia H.
I just finished reading Ghosts. What a wonderful rendition of life from the view of a growing young boy. It was interesting to read your observations of Commies and the Red Menace. I was on the edge of that—my parents storing food in the garage—just in case! I flashed back to my youth in San Gabriel where we too had a Mom&Pop corner market. I was the kid who was bullied and didn’t have a friend like Gary in my life.
Jim Y.
I very much wish I knew the publishing business and could help you promote your book. Sorry, I can’t do it, but I can resonate with your Ghosts of Gordon Street. No, I didn’t go to Lincoln School. That was “north of the tracks” and I grew up “south of the tracks.” You mention “smudging” a couple of times. I made what we thought was really big money at age 16 by smudging in groves near Laverne on some really cold winter nights. Your mention of Ganesha Park, San Dimas Park, and the LA County Fair sure brought back memories. I could go on and on, but it’s time to just say I very much enjoyed your book. Good luck with it!
Dean W.
I loved your book. I laughed and cried throughout. I sobbed when the mask came off. But we all wear masks don’t we? The ending was emotional for me!! I kept wondering is this real or is it fiction?
Sharon E.
The world is now left into two categories – those who have read Ghosts and those who haven’t. Despite your desceptions everyone in East Pomona could recognize me knowing my nickname was “Boner”. I wondered if the Patricia in the book was Ann E. or Ann O? I used to toss Coke off the front balcony at the Fox Matinee onto the audience below. I really enjoyed the trip down Memory Lane.
Dave N.
I finished and REALLY enjoyed the book. I did it in two reading sessions. It was difficult to put down. It is an excellent read. You should sell all the copies you have!
Bob G.
It gives me great pleasure to add to the comments about your novel. Several things captured my attention . . . One, was it took me back to simpler days as seen thru the eyes of a child. Two, to see discrimination and stereotyping thru the eyes of children and adults. Three, to see a child like Dwainie, who because of his illness/disability, was ignored as though he were a ghost in societies’ eyes. Throughout his disabilities are seen as very ugly and sad, yet his enduring smile shows the beautiful spirit of this special child. Each chapter left me eager to find out what would become of Dwainie.
Thank you for writing such a special novel about people we can relate to.
Ana Maria P.
I would like another book or two. Maybe you remember George and Marg B., I would like to give them a copy.
I really loved the way you finished the story. I was right there with you during your last year at Lincoln, in spirit anyway. Thanks for a GREAT story.
Bob S.
Just finished your book and it did bring back a lot of memories. Even though your formative years were in Pomona and mine were in North Hollywood there was a certain commonality about the time of life and that period of history. I remember dirt clod fights in a vacant lot and a dog that lived at a nearby gas station. I hadn’t thought of those pleasant times in a long while so thanks for bringing them back with your book.
Bob A.
Ghosts of Gordon Street is a heartfelt journey to a place and time where the reader experiences the realities of life through the voice of a child. In the novel we experience the strong bonds of friendship and love, the cruelties of hatred and death, and the awakening of self-knowledge. Through his tight, descriptive prose style and meticulous powers of observation, Mr. Wallace has created a series of vivid photographs: boyhood friends, school days and community events that left their mark on the character, "Billy", and changed his life forever.
Cheryl S.
Planned to start your book after trip, however, I was looking it over, reading back cover, and the next think I knew, I'd read it. You did a wonderful job of making me feel like I was right there. I found myself recalling so much from my childhood in Pomona. You painted so many word pictures throughout the book I felt transported back in time.
Bob B.
Reading Ghosts was like stepping "back to the future." The story was sad but told from the perspective of a child, with a child-like humor. Wallace is a master story teller and I found myself waiting to hear more about the people, places and products that we grew up with during that era. I look forward to reading many more William Wallace novels.
Carol S.
Well written, well developed characters, and narrated with a consistent voice. The description was so vivid that I could visualize the people and places, but it never overwhelmed the narrative - not an easy balance to reach. The story elicited all kinds of emotions - joy, sorrow, fear, outrage - without slipping from genuine to contrived - another difficult balancing act.
Betty C.
Just want you to know I think you are a fantastic writer and you should continue with more books. Your book keeps my interest and I can relate to things like the day it snowed.
Lois S.
From Facebook
Marilyn to Lois> I thought the book was amazing. I looked forward each night to reading it. I loved hearing about Lincoln school and all the boyhood antics, etc. The day it snowed . . . and without ruining it for anyone, a chapter in the book really tugged at my heart. Such an enjoyable book. I found Bill’s parents so interesting. . . He is an amazing writer. If anyone wants a great read, I highly recommend it. A must read if you grew up in Pomona.
Lois to Marilyn> Yes, I agree the book is amazing; although I didn’t go to Lincoln, I did go to Kingsley. There were orange groves across the street from our house, so, I remember smudge pots and the snow day we had, too. It was such a carefree time when we grew up in Pomona. I think this book is a good read to all who grew up in the “good ole days” . . . And yes, Bill did grow up having great parents and grandparents. I recommend this book to all young and old; it truly is a great read.
It was a grand time yesterday morning! Bill’s reading certainly makes the “Ghosts” come alive, leading me down avenues to familiar places, both figurative and literal, that reside in my mind. Perhaps a CD is next—before the movie. Best I could count, there were 28+ in attendance. Robin reports that they sold 30 books plus 2 promised. Bill has another “gig” at the Village Book Store in Glendora. . .
Lavon U.
Wow! What a trip into the past, to any town, anywhere in America during the post-War 40’s. As chapter after chapter unfolds, the author skillfully reveals the characters and experiences that made up his life on Gordon Street. Readers are transported back to that time and place and cannot help but recognize pieces of their own past as the narrator’s family, friends and neighbors are brought alive by vivid descriptions woven through-out the novel. When the sirens went off, I trembled suspecting something I didn’t want to happen had happened. After finishing reading it, I’ve noticed that things from the book keep popping up in my daily life and I frequently discuss them with my husband. I’m looking forward to the next book, hoping there will be more about the girl in the white shoes. Thank you, Mr. Wallace, for this special journey into the past.
Carol M. S.
I thought Ghosts of Gordon Street was an awesome book that everyone would love. I loved how it sucked you in and you don’t want to put it down. The details make you feel like you’re there and can see everything.
I have a hard time getting interested in books, but I didn’t have a problem with that at all when reading this book. I also liked how I never saw what was going to happen at the end coming — that made it very exciting.
Being the writer’s granddaughter it was really cool because I got to learn about his childhood. Ghosts makes you laugh and cry. I love this book and couldn’t be more proud of my grandpa.
Samantha H.
Your writings are mesmerizing. I’m so there on Gordon Street… you capture each and every detail. Dwainie left such an impact on me. Each and every night I must read some of this treasured book. I pray this book touches others the way it has me.
Marilyn W.
In Ghosts of Gordon Street, William H. Wallace, Jr. honors and echoes that “good rip-roaring storyteller…Mark Twain.” With his own delicious dollops of dramatic irony for readers, Wallace provides his narrator Billy with a distinctively young, believably ungrammatical voice and a rigorously self-deprecating conscience. Billy’s post-WWII world is as ordinary as a pair of Penney’s pants and as monstrous as reality. Two wise and loving parents and a wisecracking Gonga are among his anchors. Gordon Street’s adventures and phalanx of richly diverse characters--Dwainie, Boner, Miss Kingsley, Gary, the Captain, the Middletons and so many others--promise to haunt our memories and entertain us endlessly.
Judy H.
It made me angry at first, until I realized that a good book should bring out strong emotions and feelings. It brought back memories of my own early years. I could see myself doing some of those things.
Lenny E.
I loved the book. It is just my style. Each chapter was its own individual treasure making the whole book completely wonderful.
Nicole B.
The book gave me a chance to see and hear my grandparents as they were when they were young parents. Like a mirror I came to see myself as a parent raising my own child. As I read I had a sense of tragedy, but the image of the butterfly gave me hope that something beautiful would happen and it did.
Bill W.
I finished reading your book, . . . couldn’t put it down! Knowing (it) was your first book, I must admit I wasn’t expecting such a brilliantly written masterpiece. I asked myself if my unfettered praise wasn’t largely attributable to just being a fellow Lincoln classmate but my answer was “ABSOLUTELY NOT!” In all honesty, I would have been equally impressed with the entirety of this book had I not known the author, the school or the neighborhood.
Early into the book, I began to make a mental list . . . of personal memories and I soon discovered many of my recollections were included in your book. I truly believe your writing skills rival those of the best authors and your detailed character descriptions and unique ability to draw the reader into intimate participation is simply uncanny. It’s just so hard to believe this is your first book.
Bob R.
I enjoyed your book, Ghosts of Gordon Street. It brought back so many memories; I couldn’t help but smile as I read it. People probably thought I was nuts laughing to myself. I especially liked the part about Toni Perms and I remembered the good feeling I felt with my family as a child going to Mt. Baldy.
Irene G.
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