Novel Published by Local Author Fred Garth
The latest effort by Fred Garth was recently published to rave reviews. The novel "A Good Day to Live" is about three 12-year-old boys growing up on the Florida/Alabama Gulf Coast in the 1960s. It’s fiction according to Fred but somewhat autobiographical.
Here is what else Fred had to say:
Why did you write this book?
I wanted to share some of the great stories of the Perdido area when I was a kid. That was back when Ono Island was nothing but sand dunes and we considered Perdido Key as the middle of nowhere. Times have changed but this is still a great place to live.
So the book is set in the 1960s?
The 1950s and ‘60s. We had a little cabin on Perdido Bay with no telephone or TV. We didn’t get a newspaper. We had no idea what was going on in the world. We were only concerned about catching enough fish, shrimp, and crabs to feed all my siblings and cousins. We picked vegetables from local farms. It sounds simple but we were going full tilt all the time.
No TV? How did you survive?
We played cards, charades, did plays, hide and go seek, all the fun stuff kids did back then. My uncle brought an old black and white TV down from Montgomery so we could watch the moon landing in 1969. I don’t think it ever got turned on again after that.
What’s next?
I’m working on the sequel to this book. The main characters are a few years older and have turned 16 so they’re driving and exploring beyond their home turf. That’s why I’m calling it Expanded Horizons because they’re literally able to travel further and they’re also growing personally – dating girls, trying beer, being teenagers. It’s a little darker than the first book but still true to the era and the area.
Fred is deeply involved in the Perdido area with a strong commitment to the Chamber of Commerce as Chairman of the Board, and the Perdido Bay Youth Sports Assoc. amongst other things.
Here is a mini-bio from his web site where you can learn more and purchase the book.
The Author
Starting out as a sport’s writer for the Times-Daily newspaper in Florence, Alabama, Garth later landed a position as editor for Scuba Times magazine and spent the next fifteen years writing about the ocean environment. Garth went on to serve in editorial and publishing roles for Gannett Inc., the world’s largest newspaper publisher. He is currently the Editor-in-Chief for Guy Harvey Magazine.
In 2005 Fred published his first novel, The Cure, and followed that with Press Trip. Perdido I: A Good Day to Live is his third novel. He lives in Florida with his wife and two daughters and is currently working on his fourth book, Perdido II: Expanded Horizons.
Comments