| A Mind of One's Own |
| Memoirs of an Albany Boy |
| John Eldon Green |
Like many of us, John Eldon Green lived through the
massive changes of the Twentieth Century. Gone is the
Albany of his boyhood years - the forge, the general
stores, the two-room schoolhouse, the butcher and barber
shops, and the railway station; gone St. Dunstan's
University where he graduated in 1947; gone the days
when Catholics and Protestants lived in two separate and
often warring camps; and gone the era of community
self-sufficiency, when families, churches and
neighbourhoods partied together and looked after their
own.
All gone, but remembered with both fondness and
frankness in this memoir.
During a long pioneering career in the field of Social
Services, as civil servant and Deputy Minister, Green
was in frequent contact with Premiers, Ministers, and
senior officials, both nationally and on P.E.I., but also with
the poorest of the poor. His dealings with both groups are
recalled with candour and sympathy, and in the case of the
former, with an occasional flash of steel.
The reader will discover here a mix of courageous
self-disclosure and penetrating insight into the society, all
written with charm and vigour, and adorned with the
wisdom of a reflective mind, and much self-effacing wit.
There is a toughness here, and much tenderness,
especially concerning his wife Mary the their family of
seven sons and daughters, and ten grandchildren, who
have been the inspiration for his life.
massive changes of the Twentieth Century. Gone is the
Albany of his boyhood years - the forge, the general
stores, the two-room schoolhouse, the butcher and barber
shops, and the railway station; gone St. Dunstan's
University where he graduated in 1947; gone the days
when Catholics and Protestants lived in two separate and
often warring camps; and gone the era of community
self-sufficiency, when families, churches and
neighbourhoods partied together and looked after their
own.
All gone, but remembered with both fondness and
frankness in this memoir.
During a long pioneering career in the field of Social
Services, as civil servant and Deputy Minister, Green
was in frequent contact with Premiers, Ministers, and
senior officials, both nationally and on P.E.I., but also with
the poorest of the poor. His dealings with both groups are
recalled with candour and sympathy, and in the case of the
former, with an occasional flash of steel.
The reader will discover here a mix of courageous
self-disclosure and penetrating insight into the society, all
written with charm and vigour, and adorned with the
wisdom of a reflective mind, and much self-effacing wit.
There is a toughness here, and much tenderness,
especially concerning his wife Mary the their family of
seven sons and daughters, and ten grandchildren, who
have been the inspiration for his life.
|
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ REVIEWS |
| "Filled with compassion for the weak, contempt for the powerful, and laced with much good humour, John Eldon Green's head-strong narrative of his journey across the shifting landscape of the Twentieth Century is a compelling read." - Donna Morrissey |
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ TABLE OF CONTENTS |
Dedication Acknowledgements Chapter One: The unintended patrimony Chapter Two: Family life in Albany Chapter Three: The village years Chapter Four: Surviving through university Chapter Five: In pursuit of happiness Chapter Six: "Breaking the roads" for a profession Chapter Seven: Bridging the Island's great divide Chapter Eight: A different kind of Catholic Chapter Nine: Bringing up father Chapter Ten: Working with "those bastards from away" Chapter Eleven: Late discovery of the world of women Chapter Twelve: Choosing one's poison Chapter Thirteen: Following Matthew 25 Chapter Fourteen: The farther you go, the worse it gets Chapter Fifteen: Hoping to get old, preparing for good care Chapter Sixteen: "In case of accident of illness . . . " Chapter Seventeen: "I wish I wasn't retarded . . . " Chapter Eighteen: "Suffer the little children . . . " Chapter Nineteen: Getting out alive Chapter Twenty: Finally, a career that fits Chapter Twenty-one: More about women Chapter Twenty-two: John Eldon Green has horses? Get along! Chapter Twenty-three: Wrapping it all up Appendices Appendix 1: Green Family Lineage Appendix 2: Sydney Speech on Family and the Catholic Church Appendix 3: Social Services Management Team Appendix 4: Family Outcomes |
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ RELATED INTEREST |
| ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ HOME | NEWS AND EVENTS | LINKS | MAIL ORDER FORM | ORDERING INFORMATION | TERMS | CONTACT US We reserve the right to make changes to pricing, quantity and conditions at any time without prior notice. By using our services, you are subject to our terms and conditions. Copyright 2008, Prince Edward Island Books and Publications. All rights reserved. |
peibooks.ca
Box 1541, Charlottetown, PE C1A 7N3 Canada
| Sharing Prince Edward Island books with the world. |
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ SEARCH THIS SITE |
| Canadian Addresses: |
| U.S. Addresses: |
To search this site, enter a book title,
author's name or keyword in the white
box, then click the "Search" button.
author's name or keyword in the white
box, then click the "Search" button.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
| An Island Owned and Operated Business |