Memories of the Beach Reflections on a Toronto Childhood [Paperback]

Advance praise forMemories of the Beach:

Lorraine ODonnell Williams has given us a charming and evocative memoir of the Beach district six or seven decades ago, when it was a separate world in the southeast corner of Toronto. Everyone who knew the Beach that was, and everyone who knows the Beach of today, will enjoy her account of growing up in that special place.  Robert Fulford, author ofAccidental City: The Transformation of Toronto

In this richly rendered memoir of a Catholic girl growing up in Torontos Beach community in the 1930s and 1940s, Lorraine Williams not only vividly captures the feeling of a more innocent age, but at the same time touches on a universal truth  that the place in which we are nurtured forms an integral part of the person we become. Simply wonderful.  Michael Bedard, author of the Governor General Award-winningRedwork

In this rare combination of history and memoir, Lorraine ODonnell Williams details life within Torontos Beach community in the 1930s and 40s from the vantage point of her front verandah, which abutted the boardwalk. Her extensive research has uncovered numerous hidden facets of the heritage of this exceptional neighbourhood, including the stories of what was in its time one of North Americas most remarkable amusement parks, the popular dance hall, and how the area was transformed from cottage to urban living.

Regular Irish American Post contributor, Lorraine O'Donnell Williams grew up in the storied Beach district of Toronto, with its amusement park, racetrack and other entertainments. Her fun glimpses into 1930s and 1940s Toronto and its residents leave a delightful impression of one of Canada's major cities. Her family, with all its lovable quirks, brings the tale to life through its familiar-to-all cycle of daily life at school, dance classes, parties, weddings and advice from the elders.

Lorraine O'Donnell Williams details life within Toronto's Beals/