Dunce Hat King: When Life Is Pass or Fail, A Memoir

by Don Prichard

School was a one-story, one-room frame building that sat all by itself on an empty hillside. We had to walk on a gravel road for a mile and a half from our house to get there. A coal shed stood to one side of the school, and in back were two toilet sheds, one for the girls and one for the boys. Man, was I excited! I was four years old, and I finally got to go to school, just like my four siblings! All the grades, kindergarten through eighth, were together in the same room, and we shared the same teacher. My desk was right against Teacher's. How cool was that? I turned around and waved at my siblings. This was a big day. My first day at school! Who else did I know? I wanted to look at everything, hear everything, be a part of everything. And I was going to learn lots of stuff! Or was I? Before a week had gone by, Teacher marched me up front to a corner near the blackboard. "Face the wall and don't turn around," she commanded. I shrank back as a pointed dunce hat landed on my head. Honestly, I was trying to learn my ABCs, but how could I sit still that long? If I even wiggled, Teacher's eyes shot to me and she shook her head. My chest snuffed in a sharp breath. I hung my head when I heard my classmates giggle.

210 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 18, 2021

About the author

Don Prichard is a Viet Nam veteran who served in the Marine Corps Reserves for thirty-two years before retiring as a colonel. He is also a career architect, whose specialty in government work includes the design of prisons, courthouses, and military facilities. Stephanie is an army brat who lived in many countries around the world and loved it. She met her husband at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa, where she majored in English/Literature. She and Don have lived in Indianapolis, IN, for forty years, and in retirement have turned to co-authoring novels.

Reviews

[Brenda S Anderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

An inspiring and encouraging memoir!

I finished Don Prichard's memoir, Dunce Hat King, in one sitting, as I couldn't put it down. No, it's not a large book, yet it delivers a powerful message. Don's early years will resonate with anyone who's been bullied, picked on, made to feel less than, or feeling unseen. And the Viet Nam chapters shed light on the war that is rarely seen or talked about and that all should know. And finally, his honest faith journey will open eyes and hearts to see our Savior. I loved seeing how God used Don's struggles in formative years to shape the incredible man he became.

Highly recommended!

[Juanita Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Couldn’t put it down.

This book kept me spellbound from beginning to end. I loved the way the story segued from one life lesson to the next. Very good book.