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Where I Belong: Small Town to Great Big Sea
From the lead singer of the band Great Big Sea comes a lyrical and captivating musical memoir about growing up in the tiny fishing village of Petty Harbour, Newfoundland, and then taking to the world stage. Singer-songwriter and front man of the great Canadian band Great Big Sea, Alan Doyle is also a lyrical storyteller and a creative force. In Where I Belong, Alan paints a vivid, raucous and heartwarming portrait of a curious young lad born into the small coastal fishing community of Petty Harbour, Newfoundland, and destined to become a renowned musician who carried the musical tradition of generations before him and brought his signature sound to the world. He tells of a childhood surrounded by larger-than-life characters who made an indelible impression on his music and work; of his first job on the wharf cutting out cod tongues for fishermen; of growing up in a family of five in a two-bedroom house with a beef-bucket as a toilet, yet lacking nothing; of learning at his father's knee how to sing the story of a song and learning from his mother how to simply "be good"; and finally, of how everything he ever learned as a kid prepared him for that pivotal moment when he became part of Great Big Sea and sailed away on what would be the greatest musical adventure of his life. Filled with the lore and traditions of the East Coast and told in a voice that is at once captivating and refreshingly candid, this is a narrative journey about small-town life, curiosity and creative fulfillment, and finally, about leaving everything you know behind only to learn that no matter where you go, home will always be with you.
338 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 14, 2014
67 people are currently reading
1655 people want to read
About the author
Alan Doyle
4 books138 followersALAN DOYLE is a Canadian musician and actor, best known as a lead singer in the Canadian folk-rock band Great Big Sea. In 2012, Doyle released his first solo album, Boy on Bridge, which made the top twenty on the Canadian Albums chart. Alan lives in St. John's, Newfoundland.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 395 reviews
August 4, 2014
I had the pleasure of getting to sit down with Alan, his editor and a sales rep from Random House to hear a bit about the process of putting this book together. As a fan of Doyle's band (Great Big Sea), I was, at first, a bit nervous to meet him. But his down to earth manner and friendly disposition put me immediately at ease.
And that's when the fun started. Part of the pleasure of reading this book was that I could hear Doyle's voice in my head as I encountered such interesting and memorable characters as tough as rock (and sometimes thick as rock) Frank whose no-nonsense and no-B.S. approach to life and work was both inspiring and disturbing. Another part of the fun was the open and honest nature by which he shares both the triumphs and mishaps of growing up in, what his grandfather believed, was a unique country that sat right beside Canada.
In many ways this book struck a chord in me and the small Northern Ontario mining town that I grew up in. Petty Harbour, in this way, plays the role of many a small town; and some of its cast of became some of the characters from my old small and beloved town. Doyle makes the experience even richer by including a step by step tutorial on cutting out cod tongues or his mother's delightful home-made bread ("Alan, honey, I don't know how to make a loaf of bread. I only knows how to make eight.")
The book is filled with an intense and rich passion for Doyle's home town and its people that merges with his creativity, curiosity and thirst to explore the world beyond. I really did capture an image of that boy on the bridge, a young man not simply caught between the divided Catholic and Protestant sides of his remote fishing village, but realizing the warmth and familiarity of home while searching for the entire world, that "great big sea" that existed just beyond the town.
It didn't feel like I had read this book. It felt more like I was standing around in a kitchen, perhaps even in Petty Harbour, listening to Alan holding court and sharing incredibly stories with a group of home town friends and Mainlanders alike, all while the laughter, hockey-laced arguments and traditional folk music streamed in the background from the adjoining rooms.
And that's when the fun started. Part of the pleasure of reading this book was that I could hear Doyle's voice in my head as I encountered such interesting and memorable characters as tough as rock (and sometimes thick as rock) Frank whose no-nonsense and no-B.S. approach to life and work was both inspiring and disturbing. Another part of the fun was the open and honest nature by which he shares both the triumphs and mishaps of growing up in, what his grandfather believed, was a unique country that sat right beside Canada.
In many ways this book struck a chord in me and the small Northern Ontario mining town that I grew up in. Petty Harbour, in this way, plays the role of many a small town; and some of its cast of became some of the characters from my old small and beloved town. Doyle makes the experience even richer by including a step by step tutorial on cutting out cod tongues or his mother's delightful home-made bread ("Alan, honey, I don't know how to make a loaf of bread. I only knows how to make eight.")
The book is filled with an intense and rich passion for Doyle's home town and its people that merges with his creativity, curiosity and thirst to explore the world beyond. I really did capture an image of that boy on the bridge, a young man not simply caught between the divided Catholic and Protestant sides of his remote fishing village, but realizing the warmth and familiarity of home while searching for the entire world, that "great big sea" that existed just beyond the town.
It didn't feel like I had read this book. It felt more like I was standing around in a kitchen, perhaps even in Petty Harbour, listening to Alan holding court and sharing incredibly stories with a group of home town friends and Mainlanders alike, all while the laughter, hockey-laced arguments and traditional folk music streamed in the background from the adjoining rooms.
November 28, 2016
This is one of the best books I read so far written by a Newfoundlander. The stories are interesting. Funny and witty. Alan shows that he indeed can write a good story.
Things I like about the book
1. There is map of Petty Harbour and a glossary of terms for the mainlanders.
2. The chapters are funny. Usually relate to one idea.
3. The inserts about Great Big Sea.
Things I didn't like much:
1. There was a lot of not in chronological order. The last few chapters should have been in the beginning, especially the ones that dealt with the Doyles from Petty Harbour.
2. There wasn't much about Great Big Sea... but does that mean that there is a second book ?
Things I like about the book
1. There is map of Petty Harbour and a glossary of terms for the mainlanders.
2. The chapters are funny. Usually relate to one idea.
3. The inserts about Great Big Sea.
Things I didn't like much:
1. There was a lot of not in chronological order. The last few chapters should have been in the beginning, especially the ones that dealt with the Doyles from Petty Harbour.
2. There wasn't much about Great Big Sea... but does that mean that there is a second book ?
September 27, 2014
Where I Belong
5 Stars - A wonderful tale of growing up, learning to 'be good' and question the world around you. Showing how much money in your pockets does not shape a man, but how the people and places around him do. About a boy with a lot of questions and a good heart, going from a small town and exploring the world around him.
I received this book in the mail from Random House Canada on Friday September 12th, I was really excited as this was my first book to review that has yet to be publicly released and from none other then Alan Doyle of the amazing Canadian band, Great Big Sea! As a Canadian, and one with most of my paternal linage still living on the East coast, let me be forthright in saying I have my fair share of Great Big Sea songs on my playlist.
Its important to understand that though I really enjoy the music, I have been let down before by a singer/musician whom wrote a book, needless to say, just because we love your music, does not mean we love your writing! However I was truly blown away by Where I Belong.
Saturday morning I started this book, and within the first chapter, I had told two friends stories that Alan had already started to share in this book. I do not want to take from it in any way, but lets say that I was not expecting to be laughing out loud so quickly in any book.
I had figured it was going to be a story about Great Big Sea itself, however it is about a boy, a boy whom had characters one can only imagine, living and working around him day and night. Alan is from a small town (included in my copy was a diagram of just how small the town is), with a small population (most relatives by some account). This is a collection of stories that brings your from his home on Skinners Hill, to his first job outside the fishing industry and into St. Johns, to the gigs and schools he attended, to he girls he dreamed of and the religion he never truly understood. The folks he introduces are almost unbelievable at times, but if you ever been to Newfoundland, well, it makes sense.
Alan grew up in a hard place with no silver spoon, but what lacked finically, was made up in double by imaginative thoughts and a group of family and friends that enjoyed music to the very core of their being. I never would have guessed at the actually amount of hard work and labour that was Alan's life, beginning at a fairly young age. This is a man that understands hard work, better than most people today and is fortunate enough to have kept his good soul with him on his life road, always respecting labourers everywhere still.
I could go into stories of daring attempts to scale cliffs to find nudie magazines, or how dog attacks were a daily ordeal, perhaps reflect on stories of deadly fishing hooks and throwing 8-balls into the bushes, but that would ruin the fun of this book for you. Needless to say, there will be some stories that you will most surely share with those around you.
As a Canadian, I loved this book. As a person with family on the East Coast, I understand. As a young boy once, I relate and laugh. As a fan of GBS, I am amazed. However, trying to look outside any attachment, I find myself simply and gratefully humbled by this book. Where I Belong is everything I did not expected, and yet everything I would have wanted from Alan and his experience's in life growing up.
I can almost see another book coming out, as I can easily imagine there is many more stories to come from Mr. Alan Doyle from Petty Harbour, however I am thinking this was perfect in itself and perhaps a second would take away from this.
I would recommend this read to anyone whom once was a child and enjoyed life (which I am hoping is most people???), its a feel good book about a legendary Canadian whom has been there and done that on the coast, and took his passion and love of music into the world. It reflects on his first guitar and with pictures to match, shows the hard work (even though his Nan may disagree on the 'work' aspect) that Alan has put into making music his life. However the book is more then just about music, its about how enjoying life and learning from the people around you can really teach you anything if you are a willing student. Alan is someone that can be really looked up to as a Canadian and more simply, as just a great person.
The tone of the book is meant for most ages, as Alan is a kid himself in most of the pages. The diagram of the town, and the pictures throughout the book are great additions. The humorous and serious points in the book are perfectly timed. You got to enjoy one whom can laugh at himself, just as much as he is willing to laugh at others around him. The point I enjoyed about the book mostly however, was the fact that Alan let the Newfoundland accent and style of speaking into the pages, it really had me rereading parts with my own version of a Newfie accent which was hilarious into itself.
5 Stars. I finished this novel Saturday, the day after I started, not because I wanted to get a review in quickly (I was going to give myself until the end of September), but because I got stuck in the book, the characters and the description of the places surrounding the stories, have left me wanting more, perhaps even a visit out Petty Harbour itself one day.
"Don't be afraid of tough guys. You need them and they need you. Let them have their moments in charge if it buys you order and civility where there might be madness." - pg. 109
5 Stars - A wonderful tale of growing up, learning to 'be good' and question the world around you. Showing how much money in your pockets does not shape a man, but how the people and places around him do. About a boy with a lot of questions and a good heart, going from a small town and exploring the world around him.
I received this book in the mail from Random House Canada on Friday September 12th, I was really excited as this was my first book to review that has yet to be publicly released and from none other then Alan Doyle of the amazing Canadian band, Great Big Sea! As a Canadian, and one with most of my paternal linage still living on the East coast, let me be forthright in saying I have my fair share of Great Big Sea songs on my playlist.
Its important to understand that though I really enjoy the music, I have been let down before by a singer/musician whom wrote a book, needless to say, just because we love your music, does not mean we love your writing! However I was truly blown away by Where I Belong.
Saturday morning I started this book, and within the first chapter, I had told two friends stories that Alan had already started to share in this book. I do not want to take from it in any way, but lets say that I was not expecting to be laughing out loud so quickly in any book.
I had figured it was going to be a story about Great Big Sea itself, however it is about a boy, a boy whom had characters one can only imagine, living and working around him day and night. Alan is from a small town (included in my copy was a diagram of just how small the town is), with a small population (most relatives by some account). This is a collection of stories that brings your from his home on Skinners Hill, to his first job outside the fishing industry and into St. Johns, to the gigs and schools he attended, to he girls he dreamed of and the religion he never truly understood. The folks he introduces are almost unbelievable at times, but if you ever been to Newfoundland, well, it makes sense.
Alan grew up in a hard place with no silver spoon, but what lacked finically, was made up in double by imaginative thoughts and a group of family and friends that enjoyed music to the very core of their being. I never would have guessed at the actually amount of hard work and labour that was Alan's life, beginning at a fairly young age. This is a man that understands hard work, better than most people today and is fortunate enough to have kept his good soul with him on his life road, always respecting labourers everywhere still.
I could go into stories of daring attempts to scale cliffs to find nudie magazines, or how dog attacks were a daily ordeal, perhaps reflect on stories of deadly fishing hooks and throwing 8-balls into the bushes, but that would ruin the fun of this book for you. Needless to say, there will be some stories that you will most surely share with those around you.
As a Canadian, I loved this book. As a person with family on the East Coast, I understand. As a young boy once, I relate and laugh. As a fan of GBS, I am amazed. However, trying to look outside any attachment, I find myself simply and gratefully humbled by this book. Where I Belong is everything I did not expected, and yet everything I would have wanted from Alan and his experience's in life growing up.
I can almost see another book coming out, as I can easily imagine there is many more stories to come from Mr. Alan Doyle from Petty Harbour, however I am thinking this was perfect in itself and perhaps a second would take away from this.
I would recommend this read to anyone whom once was a child and enjoyed life (which I am hoping is most people???), its a feel good book about a legendary Canadian whom has been there and done that on the coast, and took his passion and love of music into the world. It reflects on his first guitar and with pictures to match, shows the hard work (even though his Nan may disagree on the 'work' aspect) that Alan has put into making music his life. However the book is more then just about music, its about how enjoying life and learning from the people around you can really teach you anything if you are a willing student. Alan is someone that can be really looked up to as a Canadian and more simply, as just a great person.
The tone of the book is meant for most ages, as Alan is a kid himself in most of the pages. The diagram of the town, and the pictures throughout the book are great additions. The humorous and serious points in the book are perfectly timed. You got to enjoy one whom can laugh at himself, just as much as he is willing to laugh at others around him. The point I enjoyed about the book mostly however, was the fact that Alan let the Newfoundland accent and style of speaking into the pages, it really had me rereading parts with my own version of a Newfie accent which was hilarious into itself.
5 Stars. I finished this novel Saturday, the day after I started, not because I wanted to get a review in quickly (I was going to give myself until the end of September), but because I got stuck in the book, the characters and the description of the places surrounding the stories, have left me wanting more, perhaps even a visit out Petty Harbour itself one day.
"Don't be afraid of tough guys. You need them and they need you. Let them have their moments in charge if it buys you order and civility where there might be madness." - pg. 109
July 28, 2016
I loved this book…for so many reasons. For one, Alan Doyle, whom I’ve seen perform many times, but never met, seems to be such a great person. His childhood in the seventies in rural Newfoundland is not so different from mine in the eighties (although there were thankfully no cod tongues present in my youth). His success and experience give him a unique and entertaining perspective that I thoroughly enjoyed. Also, this book is just plain funny, and it’s funny because it’s true. Not just true as part of his own story, but the concepts and nuances present in Newfoundland culture are entirely accurate as well. His focus on Townies and Baymen, Catholics and Protestants, and where someone “is belong to” are fabulous because they’re precisely how things were here (and still are, to some extent). I suggest the audiobook if you can get your hands on it, as Alan narrates it himself.
October 28, 2014
THIS BOOK SHOULD COME WITH A DISCLAIMER: DO NOT READ IN PUBLIC FOR FEAR OF LOOKING LIKE A CRAZY PERSON!!!
I have a habit of taking the book I am currently reading where ever I go; you just never know when you're going to need it. Sure enough, waiting for a friend to show up for a coffee date, I get a text saying they're going to be half an hour late. So I decide to pull out Doyle's memoir to kill the time.
Big Mistake.
This book had me SNORTING it was so freaking funny in parts. I got the weird looks and people looking uncomfortable who were sitting near me in the shop, and even grew more alarmed when I tried to tell them exactly what I was reading, why I was laughing.
Ah well. What can you do???
Alan Doyle, for those of you who don't know, is one of the singers from the Newfoundland based band, Great Big Sea. (if you require further explanation than that, first off I am extremely sad. Secondly, go this instant and buy their album "UP" then, once you fall in love with this band, buy the rest of their catalog) Alan has recently released his very first solo album, Boy on Bridge. He has also dabbled into the acting side of things, maybe you saw him in the Russell Crowe version of Robin Hood? Or the Canadian TV show Republic of Doyle?
Alan grew up in a small town called Petty Harbour in Newfoundland. This memoir is all about his childhood up to when he is first introduced to Sean, which would later lead into the creation of Great Big Sea.
When I first picked up the book and I was reading all the blurbs about what everyone thought of the book, and even a bunch of reviews... everyone said the same thing; Alan is a great storyteller. It was said so much that I actually began to roll my eyes and think "Yeah OK guys I get it; Alan is a storyteller. Move on people." But NO. Alan is not just a storyteller. He has managed to rewrite what it means to be a storyteller. He has storyteller SUPERPOWERS. I totally get it now. That needed to be said.
His stories are actually quite relatable to myself, which is a bit odd as I grew up in a Northern Ontario town, no where near the sea; but his stories about his family making the most of what they had, about being poor but having no idea they were poor. Everyone coming together to sing and dance and be merry. It was all so relatablde. In a time before the internet.
His stories about the shenanigans he and his friends would get up too - working on the harbour bay when the fisherman came in for the day, cutting out the tongues (seriously, read this book) it is like reading about another world.
This book is full of nothing but happy feelings. The guy loves his parents, his siblings, his family. You will never read a word of complaint in this whole book. He is humble, and happy to where he is in his life; such a fabulous example of what it is to be a Canadian.
If you're worried about not being Canadian and trying to give this book a read - well don't worry. I'm Canadian and sometimes had to make use of his handy glossary in the back of his book. He does do a pretty good job explaining what the hell he is on about for the most part (he admits his editor had to prompt him these explanations). Just read this book. Just read it. And feel the fuzzies afterwards. Fantastic book. Will definitely be in my top 10 of books I read this year. 100% :)
I have a habit of taking the book I am currently reading where ever I go; you just never know when you're going to need it. Sure enough, waiting for a friend to show up for a coffee date, I get a text saying they're going to be half an hour late. So I decide to pull out Doyle's memoir to kill the time.
Big Mistake.
This book had me SNORTING it was so freaking funny in parts. I got the weird looks and people looking uncomfortable who were sitting near me in the shop, and even grew more alarmed when I tried to tell them exactly what I was reading, why I was laughing.
Ah well. What can you do???
Alan Doyle, for those of you who don't know, is one of the singers from the Newfoundland based band, Great Big Sea. (if you require further explanation than that, first off I am extremely sad. Secondly, go this instant and buy their album "UP" then, once you fall in love with this band, buy the rest of their catalog) Alan has recently released his very first solo album, Boy on Bridge. He has also dabbled into the acting side of things, maybe you saw him in the Russell Crowe version of Robin Hood? Or the Canadian TV show Republic of Doyle?
Alan grew up in a small town called Petty Harbour in Newfoundland. This memoir is all about his childhood up to when he is first introduced to Sean, which would later lead into the creation of Great Big Sea.
When I first picked up the book and I was reading all the blurbs about what everyone thought of the book, and even a bunch of reviews... everyone said the same thing; Alan is a great storyteller. It was said so much that I actually began to roll my eyes and think "Yeah OK guys I get it; Alan is a storyteller. Move on people." But NO. Alan is not just a storyteller. He has managed to rewrite what it means to be a storyteller. He has storyteller SUPERPOWERS. I totally get it now. That needed to be said.
His stories are actually quite relatable to myself, which is a bit odd as I grew up in a Northern Ontario town, no where near the sea; but his stories about his family making the most of what they had, about being poor but having no idea they were poor. Everyone coming together to sing and dance and be merry. It was all so relatablde. In a time before the internet.
His stories about the shenanigans he and his friends would get up too - working on the harbour bay when the fisherman came in for the day, cutting out the tongues (seriously, read this book) it is like reading about another world.
This book is full of nothing but happy feelings. The guy loves his parents, his siblings, his family. You will never read a word of complaint in this whole book. He is humble, and happy to where he is in his life; such a fabulous example of what it is to be a Canadian.
If you're worried about not being Canadian and trying to give this book a read - well don't worry. I'm Canadian and sometimes had to make use of his handy glossary in the back of his book. He does do a pretty good job explaining what the hell he is on about for the most part (he admits his editor had to prompt him these explanations). Just read this book. Just read it. And feel the fuzzies afterwards. Fantastic book. Will definitely be in my top 10 of books I read this year. 100% :)
April 3, 2021
A wonderful book about growing up in Newfoundland. Funny, easy to read, and thought provoking, this memoir brings us the years just before Great Big Sea and Alan Doyle became such a massive success. I really enjoyed reading this book and had difficulty putting it down. A must read!
September 24, 2014
A GoodReads Giveaway
Mostly this autobiography is Alan Doyle’s account of his boyhood in Petty Harbour, Newfoundland. His childhood was not unlike that of many other bay-boys, except that he was part of a musical family — the Doyles from Petty Harbour. Not all bay-boys were.
This scribbler’s bay-boy childhood wasn’t particularly musical unless listening to the radio counts.
Although of a slightly later generation than mine, Alan Doyle’s “rearin’ up” in many respects resembled that of countless generations of young fellows who spent their formative years on this planet in a Newfoundland outport, in Alan’s case the fishing village of Petty Harbour.
In a hardscrabble existence, Alan earned pocket money down on the wharf cutting out cod tongues, delicacies that sold as a tasty, fried treat for both locals and tourists. Cutting tongues was seasonal employment for many bay-boys around Newfoundland’s coast.
Alan Doyle dreamed of the world outside Petty Harbour. And he dreamed that, perhaps, music would help fulfill his dreams.
As a boy Alan made a brief appearance in a movie being filmed in Petty Harbour. He stands on the bridge spanning the river that divides the village — stands alone, dreaming most likely. The film credits list Alan as Boy on Bridge and the image of this boy expresses the essence of the young dreamer.
Doyle writes with honesty — although, as any good storytelling does, I’m sure he embellishes the truth occasionally for the sake of his tale.
He confesses, he owns up, that he had a rough childhood; rough, as in not polished, but happy nevertheless. So what if for the first four or five years of his life his family had no indoor plumbing and he had to poop in a five gallon bucket? That’s simply the way it was.
And there was always music — his mother’s piano; his father’s and uncles’ guitars; all hands singing. And loaves, loaves, loaves of his mother’s homemade bread.
What else was needed?
Oh, by the way, Alan has grown up to be the front man in one of Newfoundland’s — if not the Mainland’s [Canada’s] — most renown bands: Great Big Sea.
November 8, 2014
This book is the perfect antidote to the whole Jian Ghomeshi nonsense. Not all Canadian celebrities are dicks. It is impossible not to love Alan Doyle - God knows I do - and this book shows him to be as humble, lovely and kind as he seems to be. It captures that "Newfie" voice perfectly and features the same laidback east-coast story telling tradition that Newfoundland is so well known for. Those looking for music gossip or even much on Great Big Sea may be disappointed - the stories all revolve around growing up in Petty Harbor. In fact, the few GBS stories that appear in the book seem like an afterthought, as though the editor or publisher told him to add a few, just to keep the fans happy. Having spent the last three years living in the Maritimes, I am at best a Come from Away, but I love the people and culture here by the great big sea and Doyle is the very best of that. Petty Harbor clearly gave Alan Doyle strong roots, a good heart and a wonderful place to call home, and I thank him for sharing it with us all. Well done, b'y.
January 3, 2020
I enjoyed learning about Alan Doyle's early life. I was hoping to read more about the band, "The Great Big Sea" as I love their music, but perhaps that will be in the next book. I had no idea what growing up in a small town in Newfoundland was like. The Doyle family had a reputation of being great musicians, so it is no surprise that Alan became a wonderful one. His early life had me laughing and cringing in equal measure. His story was told in a humorous way, but I am sure there were times in his young life that he probably wasn't laughing. His many trials and tribulations, mentors and experiences made him the man he is and it doesn't sound like he regretted one bit of it. A very enjoyable read.
January 15, 2015
I don't often give 5 star reviews, but I would give this a 10 if I could. It's one of those books you just want to keep reading, soak in every word as quickly as possible, but at the same time, you don't want it to end. I laughed out loud, sometimes until I had tears in my eyes. The book will strike a cord with anyone who grew up in Newfoundland, I caught glimpses of my own childhood through Alan's tales as a young lad in Petty Harbour. This book brought a comfort I can't quite describe, reading it was like getting a great big hug from Newfoundland, while sitting at the kitchen table with a cup of tea and slice of homemade bread. I can't tell you how much I loved this book. Read it, you won't regret it.
March 6, 2015
This book was so well written and was so fun to read. Alan captures the uniqueness of Petty Harbour and the people that I felt I knew everyone. This book was like sitting down next to Alan and hear him spin tales of his formative years. I love Great Big Sea and was hoping to read about them getting together and their music, but I can see that it may be another book. I've always been a fan, and I'm an even bigger one now. What an enjoyable read!
June 13, 2017
I loved this book! We are planning a trip to Newfoundland this summer and we are actually staying in Petty Harbour, so it was great reading a book written by one of my favourite performers who was born and raised there. Alan Doyle is a member of the band Great Big Sea, but he's still Alan Doyle from Petty Harbour. He grew up on Skinner's Hill, which is one of the highest hills in this little community, and he and his family (mother, father, brother and sister, and the old family dog called Pal), lived in a little house at the bottom of this hill. Skinner Hill was one of his favourite playgrounds while he was groiwing up. The book is funny, warm and totally Canadian, although Alan's grandfather never thought of himself as Canadian. He was a Newfoundlander to the core and wanted nothing to do with Canada. Alan's childhood was rough and tumble, but there was much love there and his family allowed him to grow up the way that he wanted to. He always wanted to play and sing, and his family was very musical, so he got a lot of support from his own family and numerous uncles and cousins. Alan is a storyteller in his music, and that talent is very much apparent in this book. He still considers himself a "Petty Harbour Dog." who realizes he was lucky to learn all his life lessons which he still follows to this day, in a little town of 500 souls or so. The sea is all around the town, and it's through and through in Alan's writing. Without the mighty Altlantic Ocean, there would be no Alan Doyle from Petty Harbour. If you take the time to read this book, you will laugh out loud in many places, you will pick up some very colouful Newfoundland language and you will appreciate the rugged beauty of Canada's newest province. And, with any luck, you will fall in love with the beautiful music of Great Big Sea and Alan Doyle.
April 24, 2018
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!
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!
February 8, 2024
this was so fun to listen to as an audiobook since Alan narrates it himself - his comedic timing is amazing, and you can hear the smile on his face recounting some of his childhood experiences.
what stood out to me is that while he grew up with his fair share of difficulty - without indoor plumbing or any privacy for much of his childhood! - he never once refers to himself as poor because he didn’t see himself that way. he focuses on the good, emphasizing his closeness with his family and his love for his hometown. I also learned a lot about newfoundlander culture and activities - the harvesting of cod tongues was really something 🐟
I’ve been a great big sea fan forever, and this read pretty much confirms what I’ve always suspected - alan doyle is the gem of Canada
what stood out to me is that while he grew up with his fair share of difficulty - without indoor plumbing or any privacy for much of his childhood! - he never once refers to himself as poor because he didn’t see himself that way. he focuses on the good, emphasizing his closeness with his family and his love for his hometown. I also learned a lot about newfoundlander culture and activities - the harvesting of cod tongues was really something 🐟
I’ve been a great big sea fan forever, and this read pretty much confirms what I’ve always suspected - alan doyle is the gem of Canada
January 23, 2019
Another great memoir from Great Big Sea frontman Alan Doyle. This one focuses on growing in small town Newfoundland. I liked this almost as much as his second memoir, about the early days of GBS. My only complaint was that I found the organization of the book a big jarring at times with jumping back and forth in time. Doyle is a gifted story teller and listening to this as an audiobook in his Newfoundland accent made it even better.
July 29, 2024
3.5 ⭐️ a wholesome book with more fish tongues than expected
September 8, 2024
Loved it. Love Great Big Sea. Love reading stories about Newfoundland.
September 29, 2020
As a fan of both GBS and Alan Doyle, I was excited to read his story. It was like being at a kitchen Party. The stories were many as were the laughs. Really an enjoyable read.
May 25, 2015
“You must be shaggin' all the girls in Petty Harbour, are ye?”
“No, b'y,” I said. “All the Petty Harbour girls my age are my first cousins.”
“Jesus, that never stopped anyone in Petty Harbour. The closer the kin the better the skin.”
I decided to fight fire with fire. “I heard there's a Townie or two going around with an extra toe or finger,” I said.
He sniggered. “I'm just effing with you, b'y,” he said, impressed that I'd had the gall to rib him back.
Petty Harbour is twenty kilometers outside of St. John's, Newfoundland; a fishing village of five hundred people, divided by a river into a Protestant and a Catholic side. In this community, the Doyles were known for generations as the best singers around, and in 1969, Alan Doyle was born into this family; into this community. Eventually, he would become a founding member of the Celtic Rock band Great Big Sea, and in his memoir Where I Belong, Doyle charmingly relates how it was his Petty Harbour background that gave him the tools he would need to make his dreams come true.
This isn't the carefully scripted memoir of a practised wordsmith, but all of Doyle's best stories have the polish of well-worn tales; you just know he has repeatedly told the story of Frank and the fishing hook or of his and Perry's dangerous trek in search of skin mags – probably hundreds of times before – and Doyle's warmth and good humour shine through each tale. He may be the same age as my younger brother, but it was amazing to me that he seemed to have a childhood that was very similar to my mother's, a generation before in Charlottetown, PEI: both were born into Catholic families, with lots of kids sharing small bedrooms; both had mothers who baked fresh bread daily (but my own Pop taught me to eat it with both butter AND molasses); both were shot at by a cranky old man with a salt-loaded gun as they attempted to steal crabapples; and both were punished by Nuns when they earnestly asked unanswerable questions. My mother, however, didn't need to poop into a beef bucket on the back deck until she was six. Such a Townie.
Where I Belong tells Doyle's story right up until the founding of Great Big Sea, and I found that very satisfying (and if he has a sequel in mind, I'd happily read that, too). What he did wonderfully here was to illustrate how a Petty Harbour childhood – cutting cod tongues, learning guitar for Folk Masses, performing hundreds of solo gigs in St. John's' pubs while attending Memorial University – was the best possible training for a rock star: Doyle paid his dues many times over and it's easy to root for his success. It's also easy to be charmed by someone who so obviously loves his family and his humble roots – someone who never thought that pooping in that beef bucket meant his family was poor – and what he captured here of life in a slightly simpler time in rural Newfoundland is definitely worth reading.
February 1, 2015
I must confess, I am not a fan of Great Big Sea. I could not hum one of their songs—even under torture. However, I do enjoy great settings. When I read a humourous excerpt on Alan Doyle’s autobiography featuring his mother’s bread recipe, I decided to give the book a try.
This book is completely charming and hilarious. The setting in a tiny village in Newfoundland is seems to be from a very innocent time, when kids wandered freely and did dangerous things, all the while recognizing the authority of the adults in their lives.
Doyle is one of those storytellers who doesn’t mind being the brunt of a joke, and every time he seems on the verge of a victory, it’s snatched away by fate or bigger boys. Except for music, which turns out to be his talent, his passion, and his road to success. For me, the best part was his endless optimism about a life that others might have found hard going. As long as Doyle had music, his loving family, and that delicious homemade bread, he was happy.
I may not be a fan of his music, but I am a great big fan of his writing.
This book is completely charming and hilarious. The setting in a tiny village in Newfoundland is seems to be from a very innocent time, when kids wandered freely and did dangerous things, all the while recognizing the authority of the adults in their lives.
Doyle is one of those storytellers who doesn’t mind being the brunt of a joke, and every time he seems on the verge of a victory, it’s snatched away by fate or bigger boys. Except for music, which turns out to be his talent, his passion, and his road to success. For me, the best part was his endless optimism about a life that others might have found hard going. As long as Doyle had music, his loving family, and that delicious homemade bread, he was happy.
I may not be a fan of his music, but I am a great big fan of his writing.
May 6, 2015
Whether you know who Alan Doyle is or not, this book is a hilarious string of stories about growing up in a fishing town in Newfoundland. I was trying to pick a "best part" but there are too many: that it was written in his newfie accent so I could imagine exactly how he told each story, his comments under each picture poking fun at his geeky young self, the glossary of newfie terms at the end of the book, and the list goes on. Loved it from start to finish and wish I could sit in a bar with this man just listening to his childhood stories.
October 3, 2015
This is a wonderful, funny, affectionate look at a time and place like no other. A celebration of music, hard work, family, Newfoundland, and how the simple lessons learned in childhood shape your life. Easy to read, very funny at times, and thought-provoking and introspective at others. I loved this book and didn't want it to end. I hope he is even now hard at work on a follow up.
September 20, 2015
This is quite possibly my favourite book I have read so far this year. I was delightfully astonished my how much I loved reading this auto-biography. I think a large part of that is due to Alan's writing style. His lyrical background shines in this book. This is like one long epic song to his hometown and the people and stories that surrounded him as he grew up.
July 31, 2024
What a delightful, heartwarming, laugh out loud book. I'm a huge fan of Great Big Sea but didn't know a lot about Allan Doyle's early life. Now I do, and I'll be telling everyone who's a fan of East coast music (and even those who aren't) to read this book.
August 11, 2016
Honest, genuine sharing from one of my very favorite musicians. Thank you, Alan, and congratulations on yet another masterfully told tale!
December 15, 2021
The timing of library holds made it so that I listened to all of his books in backwards order, so I am finishing with this one, which was his first. It's another cozy, meandering story from Alan and I enjoyed it a lot. I can tell his writing improved as he continued to write more books - this one was a bit clunky, repetitive, and self-serving in places.
Strangely, somehow his stories of growing up on the coast of Newfoundland feel a lot like my own childhood in landlocked Saskatchewan, so it feels nostalgic to listen to his tales. I also like knowing lots of little details about his town that are so different from my own experience.
As always I will write the disclaimer that I'm a GBS fan so I have a massive bias towards enjoying anything from Alan Doyle. ;) but I do think this is legitimately good - I think he's a fantastic writer of both tunes and tales... from the fishing town stories to details on how he started singing and how he met his band mates. A lovely little collection of stories.
Do yourself a favour and listen to the audiobook. His voice is scrumptious.
Strangely, somehow his stories of growing up on the coast of Newfoundland feel a lot like my own childhood in landlocked Saskatchewan, so it feels nostalgic to listen to his tales. I also like knowing lots of little details about his town that are so different from my own experience.
As always I will write the disclaimer that I'm a GBS fan so I have a massive bias towards enjoying anything from Alan Doyle. ;) but I do think this is legitimately good - I think he's a fantastic writer of both tunes and tales... from the fishing town stories to details on how he started singing and how he met his band mates. A lovely little collection of stories.
Do yourself a favour and listen to the audiobook. His voice is scrumptious.
June 13, 2022
Having seen/heard Alan Doyle in concert twice in Chilliwack, British Columbia and being a fan of Great Big Sea, it was natural for me to want to read this book. Alan Doyle has done his hometown of Petty Harbour, Nfld very proud and made many Canadians proud to call him our own.
The book is written as though Alan has opened his heart and home to anyone who chooses to pick up the book. It is a delightful collection of down to earth stories about living in a very small fishing community and what it means to call a very special place home. Remembering and paying homage to those that have mentored, inspired and encouraged him to become the brilliant musician that he is.
Mr. Alan Doyle, thank you for your gift of music and allowing us, your avid fans, to read your words and hear them as clearly as we hear your songs/stories on stage.
The book is written as though Alan has opened his heart and home to anyone who chooses to pick up the book. It is a delightful collection of down to earth stories about living in a very small fishing community and what it means to call a very special place home. Remembering and paying homage to those that have mentored, inspired and encouraged him to become the brilliant musician that he is.
Mr. Alan Doyle, thank you for your gift of music and allowing us, your avid fans, to read your words and hear them as clearly as we hear your songs/stories on stage.
September 10, 2025
An unforgettable memoir with stories and characters that bring Newfoundland to life that will stay with me. Jann Arden’s foreword captures the feeling exactly about the desire to meet everyone and spend time with the Doyles of Petty Harbour after reading this book. Whether or not you are a fan of Great Big Sea and Alan Doyle, the making of a singing story-teller, the true tales of a childhood in an inshore fishery community and the love of Newfoundland and its unique history with Canada make this a compelling read. And if you need a great recipe for making eight loaves of bread, look no further than the inset and photos with his mother in her kitchen describing the process. This book only takes you from birth to the launch of Great Big Sea, so I’m eager to read the next memoir and learn what happened next.
April 7, 2021
Listening to Alan Doyle narrate 'Where I Belong' on audiotape felt more like chatting with a friend in his living room rather than listening to a memoir. Doyle is a natural storyteller. He's funny, charming, unflinchingly honest, and not afraid to laugh at himself. Throughout his book, Doyle inserts many pearls of wisdom. A quick and easy listen, it's not necessary to be a fan of Great Big Sea to enjoy this book -- but it certainly adds to the pleasure.
December 1, 2017
This was a fast, fun read. Alan Doyle, from the band Great Big Sea, tells his story of growing up in Petty Harbour, Newfoundland. He really paints a picture of that world - you can hear the Newfoundland accent speaking from the page, you can see the twinkle in his eye. Definitely worth a read.
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