Where I Belong: Small Town to Great Big Sea

I had started this audiobook back in the spring and finally finished it. It is not to say it was a bad book, but rather, I have a very short attention span when it comes to audiobooks and absent of a long car-trip (like the one I just finished this week from DC to New Mexico), they just take a long time to finish or they fall to the wayside.

I bought this because I love Great Big Sea. Surprisingly, despite the subtitle of the book, Doyle doesn't really speak much of his life with GBS, though there are small vignettes scattered through. Instead, he focuses on his boyhood and youth in Petty Harbor. He has a New Foundland accent, and while at first, it was a little difficult to understand, I seen grew accustomed to it and really liked to hear his story in his own voice. Doyle's book showed a culture I had never before even knew existed. It was a harder life than I can imagine, but it sounded to be a full and happy life. And throughout it all, music played a huge part.

I hope he might write a second book one day, about his GBS years, but I'm happy if this book is it, because I enjoyed it. I loved learning about the boy on the bridge. ( )

This book gave me 6 straight hours of joyful entertainment. I had a smile on my face the whole time. The guy is a natural born story teller.👍 ( )

Alan Doyle grew up to become lead singer of Great Big Sea. He grew up in a small town, just outside St. John’s, Newfoundland with 3 siblings and a very musical family; in fact, they were known as “The Doyles from Petty Harbour” and everyone knew they were musical. The book is told as a series of stories, and include stories of his family and friends, music, religion (Catholic vs. Protestant), fishing, and more.

I listened to the audio, read by Alan himself. I loved it! The accent and the phrases, and he’s so funny! I laughed out loud many times (people on transit probably stealing odd glances toward me?)! Oh, what a great storyteller! Listening to the audio, he actually played a recording of a brief conversation with his mom, and when there were lyrics in the text of the book, he sang them. Sigh…

I had a roommate/best friend in my 20s who was from Newfoundland (in fact, from The Goulds, near Petty Harbour, where Alan went to high school) – the accent and phrases and funny stories all made me think of her. He’s only a few years older than me and my friend, so I recognized many things/places that she talked about, as well. Oh, I even remember her mentioning the high school band he was in – I think she showed me a yearbook photo of them with the FA on the drums (for First Attempt).

I really don’t think people would need the personal (or in my case, secondary) references to enjoy this, though. I highly recommend the audio! ( )

The book has a stunning presentation and really started out nicely. It was nostalgic and made me laugh and squirm in all the appropriate places. Around the last 3rd of the book my interest was dying off. I couldn't relate to all the specifics about making music, which made the chapters hard to read. I liked the book overall, but found the end a bit lackluster. ( )

The book has a stunning presentation and really started out nicely. It was nostalgic and made me laugh and squirm in all the appropriate places. Around the last 3rd of the book my interest was dying off. I couldn't relate to all the specifics about making music, which made the chapters hard to read. I liked the book overall, but found the end a bit lackluster. ( )