Blueberry Summers: Growing Up at the Lake

"I would begin thinking about summer on our lake as early as Easter. Yes, it was our lake, not just the lake."

In this classic story of a midwestern boyhood, Curtiss Anderson takes readers into the colorful lives of his robust Norwegian family and their wonderfully familiar summerscape in northern Minnesota: the lake place. Sweet childhood reminiscences comprise this coming-of-age memoir set in the poignant summers of the 1930s and '40s. Conversations on the porch with Dear Old Aunt Ingaborg, a heavily accented relative from the Old Country. A budding romance and heartbreak with young Sarah, who lived across the lake. Wild blueberry picking behind Turnaround Island. Joyful tales devoted to the cherished dogs he had outlived—old Shep and Mickey, Nebby, and feisty Bunny. And fond memories of Clara and Leigh, the loving couple who treated the budding writer as if he was their own child.

Anderson revisits the notes and letters he scripted as a boy, originally recorded on his hand-me-down Underwood typewriter—his first foray into what would become a distinguished publishing career—to offer Blueberry Summers. Here, the nationally recognized editor offers a funny and warm story of experiences that inspire the imagination.