Raspberry Wars: My Boyhood through Berries, Bullying, and Bravery

by Sherwood De Visser

Born into a family with special needs in a small, Dutch Michigan town in the early 1960s and raised by his deeply religious grandmother, Sherwood De Visser navigates the horrors of bullying at home and at school. He tries to create safe spaces wherever he goes in attempts to stave off the bullying.


Respite comes when summer vacations with family friends open his world to the joys of farm life. He gains a sense of order and self-esteem. Until he’s forced to choose between living with family friends or his grandparents. Here he must learn what it means to choose a life of faith, love, and joy in the midst of chaos. Raspberry My Boyhood of Berries, Bullying, and Bravery is the story of a kid who navigated bullying and thrived.

294 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 16, 2023

Reviews

[Steve Hemmeke · Rating 4 out of 5]

We need more books like this. Personal and local histories written by normal people, describing real life.

I know the author personally. His family story drips with dysfunction, bitterness, injustice, envy, complaint, and malice. So it is astounding to me that he is the happy man he is today through it all.

How do we respond when we are unwanted, rejected, and hurt by those closest to us? Some shrivel and curl up into themselves, nursing the bitterness with pettiness like the “raspberry wars.” Others trust God and look to His goodness, finding joy and life on the other side.

[Tina · Rating 5 out of 5]

An inspiring story of hope and perseverance

An engaging read that takes you through the many lows and the poignant highs of a little boy's varied and colorful upbringing in a family fraught with... Well, they're just fraught! There's a lot to unpack, and we get to experiences each formative adventure with entertaining detail, and reflection as to the marks these early years leave us with. I look forward to reading of Sherwood's next chapter hanging out with hippies and traveling the US.

[Christy Erickson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting read. I also grew up in Fremont, MI so hearing this author's story in my hometown was interesting. Mostly, this book was sad, but that's the way life is sometimes.
I found that many parts were repetitive and it was not exactly written in chronological order which made things confusing and hard to follow.

[Megan Parisien · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm not usually a memoir fan, but this was written so everyone could enjoy it. It definitely had me flipping through the pages quickly. I do wish the events told throughout the book were a tad more linear, but other than that it was beautifully written and easy to read!

[Becca Harbert · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quite good! Fascinating hearing his insights as a private investigator into his childhood.