Memories That Linger
Primal yearnings tempt fourteen-year-old Sean McGinnis. Centerfold Marilyn Monroe and rock-‘n’-roll drive him to unthinkable actions, but the nuns at Our Lady of Angels Grammar School are not amused. Although a reprieve is granted, Sean continues to challenge the boundaries of his recent Confirmation Ceremony. With two of his buddies by his side, Sean embraces his newly ordained adult status while vacationing along the banks of the lower Russian River in northern California. Apple Ripple, marijuana, and carnal cravings provide new found horizons as the trio explores the play land of Rio Nido. Then one day a gut-wrenching crisis makes an uninvited visit to the McGinnis clan, and Sean paddles downriver to escape the heartache. His buddies catch up, but a nine-foot water creature, a four-story pagan owl, government Black Coats and a mysterious island waylay them. With renewed resolve, Sean scraps his way back to Rio Nido only to discover that his family’s plight has deepened. Homeless and with few financial resources, Sean navigates his mother and younger siblings through the tumultuous summer of 1953.
Praise & Reviews
“In Memories That Linger, the author combines those bygone days with a sweet, coming-of-age tale of loss and renewal. A must read.”
– Robert Digital, Press Democrat
“Memories is a nostalgic trip back to the day when the Big Band sound did battle with Rock ‘n’ Roll. A grand accomplishment.”
– Benny Barth, drummer for Peggy Lee, Mel Torme and Barbra Streisand.
“John McCarty’s novel, Memories That Linger, is set in a small pocket town along the banks of the Russian River, transporting the reader back to the Fifties with delightful and colorful characters. Memories is a great escape and a fast page turner.”
– Jeane Sloane, national award winning author.
“John McCarty writes with a descriptive flare that is easy on the eyes and tickles the nostalgic bone. His novels turn pop-culture and local antiquity into a fun and informative journey, a canny blend of lunatic farce and self-assured banter.”
– Russian River Times
The author offers a fascinating peek into the minds and activities…from another time period.”
– The Windsor Times
“John McCarty’s Memories That Linger renders a wonderful insight into the early 1950’s and this intriguing part of the world known as the Russian River. Passages in this novel have propelled a movie project of my own. Thank you, John McCarty, for your inspiration.”
– Johnny Venetti, music and film producer
Click to read the first two chapters