Up River

Growing up in the small town of Lyman, Washington, author Wayne Coggins created lasting memories. This marvelous set of essays reveals Coggins' gentle wit, wisdom, and humor as he shares his life. Growing up in the 1950s and 60s was an amazing experience for many "boomers." It was the age of pellet guns, crabapple grenades, fleeing killer bees, and more. Boomers weren't bubble-wrapped for protection and only the strong survived.
Wayne Coggins' essays about growing up in a small logging town about ninety miles north of Seattle, nestled at the foot of the North Cascade Range with a river running through, is absolutely delightful. As one reviewer remarked, "I grew up in Seattle, and yet I knew the people of whom he speaks. I grew up City; he grew up Country; we both grew up in the heart of Northwest Americana. If you've ever dreaded friends pulling out home movies, rest assured THIS is not THAT.
You feel like you're sitting out on the porch of Koop's Lyman Market, enjoying a chat with a lifelong friend. Your heart is warmed, and a thousand memories come flooding back...his stories resurrecting your own.