ABOUT THIS BOOK

Munro’s stories were born five decades ago in a small English village where children were seen and not heard, fathers were wacky, neighbors were snoopy, and maiden aunts were beautifully crafted artifices. Her original stories, dolloped with characters reminiscent of those from her childhood, telling of domestic shenanigans and outings gone revealingly awry are written with meticulous timing. Rich in details about the frailty and strength of the human spirit, her stories resonate with the truth of what is means to be human.

AUTHOR BIOGRAPHY

From the Hartford, Courant: Born in a small English village "where children were seen, but never heard," Munro said this is how she learned the important arts of listening and watching. "I was fascinated by the power of the individual voice." Munro's career as a professional storyteller has included appearances as a feature teller at the National Storytelling Festival in historic Jonesborough, Tennessee; the Connecticut Storytelling Festival in New London; and R. J. Julia Booksellers in Madison. Other performances include Madison Lyric Stage.

REVIEWS

"Jennifer Munro's stories take us to her charming English childhood in a way that reminds us that we are all really in the same world. We find ourselves hiding in Jennifer's stories while we are at the same time visiting another world through her English childhood."

— Donald Davis, author and storyteller

“Unerringly witty, joyfully droll stories of an English childhood from a beloved American story writer and spoken word artist.”

— Carol Birch, storyteller and former Westchester County NY librarian

“These stories are witty and charming, just like Ms. Munroe herself. Curl up with these stories and perhaps a cup of tea, to pass an enchanted afternoon, or chuckle yourself to sleep of an evening.”

— Jim May, Emmy Award winner, storyteller, and author of Trail Guide for a Crooked Heart

"Brings us inside the mind of a delightful child, living in a quirky world that we are eager to explore, populated by fascinating and eccentric characters, as told with a fresh, witty, and authentic voice. This is exactly the magic that we hope for in a collection of growing-up stories!"

— Doug Lipman, author of The Storytelling Coach

"Jennifer Munro introduces us to the endearing yet unabashed…characters of her working class English childhood, those folks who have helped make her the funny, salty, and wise storyteller she is. Before the book’s end, we get to know her as the adult child of an aging parent, and the intentional mother who uses story to instill compassion in her Chicago kids. This is a delightful read!”

— Andy Offutt Irwin, humorist, storyteller, and recording artist

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Contents

Preface

Map of Thurmaston

The Wicket Gate

A Real Friend

Gone Fishing

Aunty Lily

The Revenge of Stuart Smith

The Arrival

The Adventure

Sundays

Home Delivery

Paying Homage

Earnest

Read My Lips

The Fisher King

Acknowledgements

Reading Group Extras

Author’s Essay

Biography

Q&A with Jennifer Munro