There Is A Generation

by W.H. Buzzard

In 1950’s West Texas best friends Tim and Hect happen upon an abandoned auto junkyard. Hunting rabbits loses its appeal for a game of war with their .22 rifles. The fun abruptly ends as their boyish prank goes awry. They set fire to an empty shack which turns out to be home to a hapless drifter, or so they believe.

Hect has the idea to set fire to the shanty. Tim readily agrees, although he thinks the target is a wasp nest in a mesquite bush. Hect fills a bottle with fuel from a wrecked truck and hurls the Molotov cocktail at the shed. The sun-dried wood bursts into a fireball. Shocked at his friend’s aim, Tim gapes as a blazing figure peers out a fiery window. He and the human torch gaze at one another for a long moment until sirens from town interrupt. The boys, believing their prank will land them a seat on “Sparky,” the pet name for the electric chair in Gatesville Prison, become fugitives from the law.

Armed with a forehead-slapping sense of naiveté, the two run into the harsh desert. Because of pampered lifestyles, they could not be less prepared to endure hunger, an unforgiving sun, life on the road, con artists, wily street people, and a world of poverty and slums, plus the mean streets of Juarez, Mexico.

Genres: Fiction, Historical Fiction, Humor, Historical, Young Adult

242 pages, Paperback

First published January 3, 2015

About the author

As a troubled unmanageable teenager headed for self-destruction, the author once complained to an an older gentleman who had taken an interest that he was out of control, addicted, full of anger, and in constant trouble. "For thirty days," the wise old gentleman replied, "do one thing everyday for one hour you don't want to do for someone else. After a month you'll be self-disciplined." Lo and behold, his advice worked. This began a lifelong pursuit of effectual wisdom.

WH Buzzard has reached an age when he would like to pass along such hard-won wisdom to following generations in tongue-and-cheek adventure books. A West Texan at heart, he now lives in central Texas with his wife and spends his time writing, reading, swimming laps, and taking walks while thinking up "stretchers", to quote Mark Twain.

Reviews

[Kate The Book Addict · Rating 5 out of 5]

Huckleberry Finn-like fun read. 😊

[Amy Bruestle · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a funny book. Not laugh out loud hilarious, but definitely funny. I only read it because I won the sequel from a giveaway and wanted to start from the beginning to better understand the characters. I am glad that I did too! This isn’t typically my type of book, but it was a nice refresher! W.H. Buzzard is a wonderful storyteller. I could picture each scene with near perfect clarity in my mind! You can’t trump that! 4 stars! ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

[Sharon Huether · Rating 2 out of 5]

Stories of children and adults trying to get something for nothing.
I won this free book from Goodreads First reads.

[Stephanie Fitzgerald]

DNF. Just couldn’t get into the story.

[Lori · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won a kindle version of this book. It takes place in the 1950s. Best buddies, Tim, and Hect. are out in a field. They spot a shed and other junky stuff and decide to make a homemade bomb. it sets the shed on fire and Tim thinks he sees a human in the shed burning. They think they have to run. Most of the book is Tim and Hector trying to get to Mexico so they won't be arrested. Through out the book they get separated experience their own problems with those who picked them up. Reunited, etc. This book is supposed to be funny. But really I did not find myself laughing. I actually did like the story and found myself wanting to find out what happened to the characters. a pretty good story. would give a 3.5.

[Glen · Rating 2 out of 5]

I won this book in a goodreads drawing.

A prank goes bad for a couple of idiot baby boomer kids, and go on the run.

They have no idea what they're doing, and have some funny adventures, though I'm sure they weren't funny for the participants.

[Becky Stanley · Rating 3 out of 5]

I won a free copy of this book in a Goodreads Giveaway.

First, I will confess that I signed up for the Spanish copy of this version to improve my Spanish skills. So, I may have lost a bit of the story due to reading this in a language in which I only have a moderate reading proficiency.

I did enjoy the story, though. It was entertaining and funny at times.

[Mary Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won the Kindle edition as a Goodreads Giveaway, and thoroughly enjoyed it! I look forward to more from this author.

[Steve · Rating 3 out of 5]

Disclaimer: I received this as part of the GoodReads' First Reads program

This book is a story, set in 1950s Texas, of 2 boys who think they may have accidentally killed someone after burning down an abandoned building. They go on the lam, taking off in different directions for a while, and gradually re-uniting in Mexico, where they end up in jail. After a jailbreak, they lose track of each other again, and the narrator finds himself back in Texas, returning home to face the music. This is an entertaining and pleasant bit of fluff that reads quickly. Nothing too deep, but a nice diversion for a summer read.

[Pat Doucett · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was different - not my norm. It started rather slow I thought and our author sure knows a lot of schemes and ways to fool innocent people. But his characters Hect and Tim were different too and fit their rolls very well. I did like the ending however and poor Tim sure could have saved himself a lot of grief if he had only come forward earlier and "confessed" his crime. My thanks to the publisher, author and goodreads for selecting me to win this copy though - I appreciate it. Thanks again.

[Sara · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was ok, it's not really my kind of book--so probably not the best to judge it. It was a little slow connecting to the characters in the beginning, but as I approached the end it did get a little more exciting.

[Cheryl · Rating 2 out of 5]

I won a signed copy of this book on GR, for which I am grateful, but I cannot honestly say I enjoyed or identified with it. I think Mr. Buzzard should have presented this story in either a first- or third-person point of view (not both), or possibly even in graphic novel or play format.

[Tena · Rating 3 out of 5]

I won a kindle version #GoodreadsGiveaway

[Eva · Rating 5 out of 5]

The 29 stories in "There is a Generation: Kids of the Greatest Generation" by W.H. Buzzard remind readers of another time in the 1950s when life was simpler and children got into all kinds of usually harmless trouble in their daily life. I definitely enjoyed enjoyed "Amateur Scammers", "A Fast One on Fast-One", but the others are just as interesting.

Thank you GoodReads for the book.

[Nana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not sure this was a book I'd like. But as I kept reading it revealed incidents both humorous and heartfelt as the characters moved from one struggle to another. Unique book and worth a read.

[Chockletter · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. I won a free edition of this book and was asked to give it an honest review.
This book turned out to be better than I thought. I enjoyed some of the stories, but some were just plain too far-fetched to believe. At some points I couldn't decide if this was a true account or fiction, but even if it was a bit exaggerated it was a fun read.

[Tony Parsons · Rating 3 out of 5]

1950's, West TX. Hector “Hect” (Tim’s BMF, Hick, orphaned, aka Full Moon, aka Charlie Brown
school dropout) was taking pop-shots with his rifle at the shack while Timothy “Tim” Collins (adventurous, mischievous) watched.
Mrs. Collins (single mom) was pretty upset with Tim.
She gave him $10.00 to buy a candy bar but he spent it all.

A search plane had been going back/forth.
Close by the Sheriff had just shot a huge rattler. Mauler (Sheriff’s 1/2chow/Irish setter) brought it back to him.
Mauler was chasing Tim & Hect.
The Old man (murder mystery buff, reader of detective magazines reader) didn’t know that & shot the dog dead.
The Sheriff was hollering for Mauler.
The 2 guys got a ride with the old man in his ‘48 Chevy.
Zelda (17, girl) gave them a ride next.
She even bought them each lunch.
T.J. (Becca’s father, scam artist, trucker), & Rebecca “Becca” (T.J.’ s daughter) picked up Hect & were giving him a ride.
Sophia (El Paso bandleader, mother), & the band had found Tim who was stowaway.
Pines Diner Ruidoso, NM. Tim was allowed to wash dishes for his breakfast that Eli (husband, cowboy owner), & Snowball (Eli’s wife, waitress) furnished him.

T.J. had an accident & was in jail.
Becca & Hect were hoping they could get him out of jail.
He finally got out.

I did not receive any type of compensation for reading & reviewing this book. While I receive free books from publishers & authors, I am under no obligation to write a positive review. Only an honest one.

A very awesome book cover, great font & writing style. A very well written hillbilly satire book. It was very easy for me to read/follow from start/finish & never a dull moment. There were no grammar/typo errors, nor any repetitive or out of line sequence sentences. Lots of exciting scenarios, with several twists/turns & a great set of unique characters to keep track of. This could also make another great hillbilly comedy movie, or better yet a mini TV series. It was just OK for me so I will only rate it at 3/5 stars.

Thank you for the free author; Goodreads; MakingConnections; Making Connections discussion group talk; Createspace; 1 edition; Amazon Digital Services LLC.; book
Tony Parsons MSW (Washburn)

[Emily-Jane Orford · Rating 5 out of 5]

The children of the 1950s were a generation whose parents were survivors: survivors of the Depression and the Second World War. Their parents knew how to make do with what they had and how to defend what was theirs. The children mirrored their parents. So, when two boys, Tim and Hect, take weapons and plan an onslaught, as boys will do, on a deserted cabin in a junkyard, they mimicking the battles their parents fought. But, when things go wrong and they manage to blow up the cabin, the boys are on the run, afraid that they’re being sought by the law for murder. And worse.

The boys follow a journey south from Texas, confronting one adventure after another, avoiding the law for fear of what reprisals await. Tim, always the jokester, continually discovers that the joke’s really on him.

W.H. Buzzard’s novel, “There is a Generation (Kids of the Greatest Generation Volume 1”, has painted a credible picture of life for children in 1950s Texas. The author has an incredible talent to describe each scene and every scenario. The reader can almost feel the intensity of the Texas sun in passages like: “The West Texas sun hammered our heads like nails. Heat off the metal truck body felt hot as off a stovetop.” And the ingenious mindset of two young boys creating their own adventure: “We’re in a skirmish here, soldier. This ain’t no child’s play. Them cutthroats would die happy as eating pie if they could kill us, so you get serious.” The fascination with the wasp nest, “big as a dinner plate”, is given considerable detail. All this happens in the first chapter, setting the stage for the plot to follow. The dialogue between the boys distinguishes one from the other. Tim, from an affluent family, speaks with clarity, while Hect, a dropout from a poor family, speaks in the Texan vernacular. The entire novel begs one to compare to another great boy’s adventure involving two unlikely friends, Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn. Set in a similar pivotal generation, Tim and Hect make a comely pair of adventurers, not so different from Mark Twain’s pair. A rollicking read.

Reviewed for Reader's Favorite.

[Christie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won a copy of this book through a Goodreads giveaway under the pretense that I would write an honest review. The author, Mr. W.H. Buzzard, was even kind enough to sign the book and address it to me. It made winning the copy that much more special. I feel guilty, because I started the book as soon as I received it in the mail, but then had some health problems that made reading books difficult so I was listening to audiobooks only for a time. I have finally finished the book and far behind schedule, which in no way was a reflection of the book.

My review will be without spoilers, so maybe not as detailed as some would like in a review, but I know I always like to be surprised when I read books.

The story, in a nutshell, is about a young boy named Tim and his friend Hect who get into some trouble one day, run away, and inadvertently go on a major adventure. Tim, who comes from a rich family and is lazy and entitled, suffers trials on his adventure and throughout the story is learning the value of character, integrity, and hard work. He realizes pretty quick that he had it pretty good at home before he went and got himself in trouble.

The story goes back and forth between Tim and Hect as sometimes they’re together and sometimes they get separated from each other while on the run. Both boys meet some really interesting characters along the way, both good and bad. The characters they meet along the way we’re actually my favorite. The main characters were great with good development, but I personally got a kick out of the new people they met along the way.

I really felt like I was reading an old classic I would have read in middle school. Maybe it was the era the story took place or the style the story was told -I’m not sure. Yet, I had nostalgia from the moment I started reading. The story was overall fun and a quick read and definitely captured the essence of the era. I was unaware the book was a first in a series and am excited to read the others now.

[Ruth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I laughed and cried "Oh no ,not again" so many times throughout the book. The characters of Hect(or) and Tim are hilariously naïve and unlucky. Their view of the world is so small that their consequences seem worthwhile at the time. Nope, wrong again. I enjoyed this romp through the 1950's era in a West Texas town. Tim is the son of an upper-class oilman and lives a very pampered life. His mother, coming from the background of Depression era, wants to make things easy for him to make up for the long absences of his business man father. Country club lifestyle and servants are really unnoticed from Tim's view of the world. Hect, his friend is from the poor section, life is a struggle and fantasy plays an important role to him. Hect dropped out of school in the 7th grade rather than a third attempt to pass. Hect and Tim do everything they can together, especially "trouble" for their mischievous behavior and adolescent destruction. Both have been in trouble for some of their pranks already, but bailed out by Tim's family, with warnings from local sheriff. Playing in the junkyard on the outskirts of town, Hect brings along his uncle's guns sneaked away in the night. Tim joins him for some war games and target shooting. Tim is feeling low and tired. Hect does the "just one more time" routine and Panic runs the rest of the tale. Alcohol laced pranks, hallucinagenic drugged drinks, a junkyard fire after throwing a Molotov cocktail at a deserted shack at the junkyard, human silhouette in the fiery damage are jump-starting a hilarious escape from "prison" for murdering an old hobo. A got to read story as good as Mark Twain. I received this free book and have no connection to anyone involved. I'm ready for the next adolescent "Huck Finn and Tom" adventure!

[Marji Morris · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this story of a west Texas kid growing up in the 50's. It was sort of Huck Finn meets Opie Taylor with alcohol and drugs. Tim, our middle class narrator, (think Tom Sawyer) hangs out with his friend lower class Hect (think Huck) at a local junkyard where they enjoy shooting windows out of cars. Then comes the idea of a Molotov cocktail into the shack and their epic journey is launched.

As they flee the area, convinced they are wanted men, they end up all over Texas and New Mexico and enjoy some in a jail in Juarez, Mexico, where all sorts of other interesting characters are introduced. There's no raft and no river representing freedom, but there are cars that pick the boys up as they hitchhike and one set of folks that reminded me very much of the Duke and the King.

I'm not thrilled with dialect, but it worked here. Parts of the book were really funny. I think it was worth reading and sharing.

[Susan Chow-Dukhan · Rating 3 out of 5]

The misadventures of Tim and Hect, two friends living in West Texas in the early 1950's, as they hitchhike to Mexico, while avoiding the local police authorities. The interaction between the two friends and the problems they encounter brings to mind the antics of Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn. Their personalities, thoughts and action makes this a fun book to read, especially when the story focuses on the two together, or on Tim.
The section of the book that involves two of the characters, T.J. and his daughter Becca seemed out of place, as they were not as believable as the other people in the story. There is also a bit of confusion regarding the two main characters. Hect dropped out of school after failing the 7th grade the year before, therefore the two boys should be about 13 years old. Some of the people and situations they encounter seems to imply that they are perceived as being older than 16 years old.

[Sharron · Rating 4 out of 5]

WHAT A TRIP - TIM & HECT!

This was a boyhood adventure with lots of action & suspense. The main characters Tim & Hect being typical boys, doing boy things such as playing war, mischievous things really get themselves into a whirlwind of adventuresome challenges, trouble, suspense & self evaluations. I appreciated the characters being identified at the being of the book. The book started out being a little confusing, but just hang in there, it gets somewhat clearer as you continue reading. I do recommend this book for young adults (teens). I really enjoyed it & couldn’t wait to see what each chapter had in store for Tim & Hect. It even had me thinking that there may be a crazy twist in the storyline as I continued reading & sure enough, it did. I thank the author for making the ending positive & uplifting. Good read.

[S. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I won this book from a Goodreads giveaway. Tim and Hect are teenage best friends spending an afternood hanging around an old junkyard. One thing leads to another and they start a fire in an abandoned building on the property. They decide to take off before they get caught, but Tim looks back and sees a figure in the burning building. Instead of going back, they keep running - towards the Mexican border. The story takes you on a wild ride of their adventures. They get into some tough spots and while you think that they deserve what they get, you can't help but rooting for them.
This book is written pretty good and the author, W.H. Buzzard, really knows how to write an ending!
"There Is a Generation" is a series of four books and when you finish the first book you will probably want to go on to the next one.

[Andrea Pole · Rating 4 out of 5]

There Is a Generation by W.H. Buzzard is, admittedly, not something that I would typically choose to read, but a case can be made here for the rewards that come from leaving your comfort zone.

A boyish prank gone awry leads two friends, Tim and Hect, to flee their West Texas homes for a life on the run, through various adventures, and leading, ultimately, south of the border to Juarez, Mexico.

This satirical story of boyhood adventures made me nostalgic for a different time. The storytelling is raw and honest, and I could almost hear the author's voice in every page.

Thank you to W.H. Buzzard and Goodreads for gifting me with the opportunity to read and review this book.

[Elaine Esan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you Goodreads Giveaways. I thought this book was OK. The writing was good, but I could not empathize with the characters. I found Hetch and Timmy to be spoiled young adolescents and expected everyone to conform to them. The situations in the book only emphasized their moral and emotional shortcomings. At least Timmy learned from his adventures and matured into a caring individual. Hetch did not showed any real character growth. The adventures that each had, while some were funny and memorable, most were not.

I do think that WH Buzzard should continue writing more in this series. It will appeal to certain audiences, but not me.

[Laurie · Rating 3 out of 5]

There is a Generation, by W.H. Buzzard, is the first book in the Kids of the Greatest Generation series.

It has been several years since I read this book, so I do not remember it perfectly. From what I remember, this book was really not a good match for me. I'm not sure what the author was trying to do with this book, but, whatever it was, it didn't work for me. Was this supposed to be nostalgic? Maybe it was supposed to be satirical? But I just found it a lot of people behaving badly for reasons that didn't make sense to me. Maybe people from this time period would get more out of it than I did.

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

[Marji Morris · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this story of a west Texas kid growing up in the 50's. It was sort of Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn meet Opie Taylor. Tim, our narrator, (think Tom Sawyer) hangs out with his friend Hect (think Huck) at a local junkyard where they enjoy shooting windows out of cars. Then comes the idea of tossing a Molotov cocktail into the shack, and their epic journey is launched.

As they flee the area, convinced they are wanted men, they end up all over Texas and New Mexico and spend a brief time in a jail in Juarez, Mexico, where all sorts of other interesting characters are introduced.

I received this book as a giveaway on Goodreads, and I'm glad I did. It was entertaining.

[Karon Hoffman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyable tale of two boys getting into trouble and hitting the road to avoid arrest. Along the way they face all kinds of perils while trying to survive. The quirky people they meet along the way make for some interesting adventures. I had a hard time reading this because my husband kept taking off with my book. He is from that part of the country, and said it reminded him of home when he was that age. I loved the ending. It was a total surprise.

I received this book free from Goodreads-Giveaways, and this is an honest review.

[Teresa Warner · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a copy from the author that I won off of a blog site! This was a new author for me and I absolutely loved this book! Set in the 50's it's about two friends who find themselves in trouble and decide to leave the place that they are from in hopes of the police not finding them. They hitchhike and go their separate ways with the hopes of meeting at a destination that they agree upon. They both have very different journeys and find themselves in different circumstances! I'm looking forward to the next book in this series to find what else they come across. I recommend this one!