Celebrate your Boomer’s birthday with a special gift
"In the Land of Used to Be" uses personal experiences to illustrate what it was like to grow up as a rural Baby Boomer in the 1950s, 1960s, and early 1970s. The book consists of a series of entertaining vignettes on a wide range of subjects, providing a window into a bygone era when unsupervised youngsters used their imaginations to create their own entertainment. It also highlights some of the dramatic societal and technological changes that have taken place since then.
Examples of childhood and teenage recollections in the book
Teenage memories include things like working on farms, becoming a history buff, Boy Scouts, building a barn, car mishaps, chasing girls, collecting pop bottles for refunds, dehorning cattle, drinking moonshine, fist fights, hunting, important adult influences, important educational influences, near-death experiences, novel food trends, overnight field parties, parking in the moonlight, road racing, school shenanigans, swimming and skinny-dipping, smoking, tearing down a house, teenage rebellion, the terror of a local murder, tobogganing, a successful school boycott, youthful clothing styles, police encounters, and the selective service lottery.
About the author
Order today for the perfect birthday surprise!
Give your Boomer parent or grandparent a nostalgic trip down memory lane with the book, "In the Land of Used to Be." An autobiographical look at growing up in rural America, the book is helping Boomers resurrect long-forgotten memories of their own youthful adventures. It is also giving younger readers an improved understanding of the Boomer generation.
Pre-teen recollections include things like a streamliner train, Brethren church services, childhood infectious diseases, chores, climbing trees, collecting fossils, crank telephones, farming with horses, experiences with favorite babysitters, pets, playing in the dirt, raising and growing food, rural colloquialisms, rural Halloween, snowmen and sled riding, the beginning of the space age, tire swings, toy guns, transistor radios, trapping, and more.
Born in 1953, Lannie Dietle grew up in rural western Pennsylvania. Now residing near Annapolis, Maryland after a career as an industrial designer, he continues to share his passion for history through writing. His memoir captures the essence of youth amid the rich heritage of the region, making it an ideal Boomer birthday keepsake.
Don’t delay! Order today and surprise your Boomer parent or grandparent with a nostalgic trip down memory lane for their birthday! "In the Land of Used to Be" is available from the Mercer County Historical Society (119 S. Pitt St., Mercer, PA 16137) and via Amazon. (ISBN-13: 979-8327495098, 365 pages, non-fiction, photo-illustrated.) All proceeds benefit the historical society.
The cover of “In the Land of Used to Be” features a farm pond that was a favorite swimming spot for the author and his teenage friends. This autobiographical book takes its readers back to growing up in rural America, helping them rediscover long-forgotten childhood memories — a perfect gift for a Boomer birthday celebration.