Ebook270 pages5 hours
Lost in Cabbagetown: A Memoir of Surviving Boyhood in 1960s Toronto
By Terry Burke
Rating: 0 out of 5 stars
()
About this ebook
A poignant memoir of a rough-and-tumble boyhood on the streets of Toronto’s Cabbagetown.
When the Burke family left Ireland, in 1959, they thought they were leaving the trials and tribulations of the Dublin slums behind. Instead, Molly, Bill, and their nine children found the same poverty and hardship awaiting them in the east end of Toronto.
For their sixth-born son, Terry, growing up in Cabbagetown was a daily struggle to survive. Whether it was the bullies on the street or the gangs in Regent Park, fights were an everyday occurrence. School should have been a refuge, but some of the priests and nuns were more terrifying than any street bully. The only escape for Terry was to find his way down into the Don Valley, where he could search the river for muskrat or imagine himself escaping on one of the freight trains, chucking north, up the valley floor.
But a childhood in Cabbagetown didn’t seem to last very long. Forced into adulthood and driven from home in the wake of tragedy, Terry struggled to survive on his own and find a way back to his family.
In this touching memoir, Terry Burke tells a poignant story of hunger, pain, love, and loss, and the enduring bonds of family.
When the Burke family left Ireland, in 1959, they thought they were leaving the trials and tribulations of the Dublin slums behind. Instead, Molly, Bill, and their nine children found the same poverty and hardship awaiting them in the east end of Toronto.
For their sixth-born son, Terry, growing up in Cabbagetown was a daily struggle to survive. Whether it was the bullies on the street or the gangs in Regent Park, fights were an everyday occurrence. School should have been a refuge, but some of the priests and nuns were more terrifying than any street bully. The only escape for Terry was to find his way down into the Don Valley, where he could search the river for muskrat or imagine himself escaping on one of the freight trains, chucking north, up the valley floor.
But a childhood in Cabbagetown didn’t seem to last very long. Forced into adulthood and driven from home in the wake of tragedy, Terry struggled to survive on his own and find a way back to his family.
In this touching memoir, Terry Burke tells a poignant story of hunger, pain, love, and loss, and the enduring bonds of family.
Author
Terry Burke
Terry Burke immigrated to Toronto’s Cabbagetown in the late 1950s. His two previous books, Cold War Soldier and Under the Blue Beret, deal with his time in the military. He is retired and living in London, Ontario.
Read more from Terry Burke
Cold War Soldier: Life on the Front Lines of the Cold War Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Under the Blue Beret: A U.N. Peacekeeper in the Middle East Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5
Related to Lost in Cabbagetown
Related ebooks
The Cowkeeper's Wish: A Genealogical Journey Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe New England Country Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsOnce upon a time: The Stories of a Loyal House Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSorry, I'm British!: An Insider's Romp Through Britain from A to Z Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Amazing Tales of St. Lawrence Neighbourhood in Old Town Toronto Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsColonel Jonathan: An American Story Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsIf You're Going to Live in the Country Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Other Side of Notting Hill: From Wartime to the Westway Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Krays' London: A History and Guide Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsFrom John O'Groats to Land's End: Or, 1372 miles on foot; A book of days and chronicle of adventures by two pedestrians on tour Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Story of Garfield: Farm-boy, Soldier, and President Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsA Portrait of Old George Town Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Little Book of Dublin Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Duke of Stockbridge: A Romance of Shays’ Rebellion Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsToronto Between the Wars: Life in the City 1919-1939 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsCuyahoga Falls Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsAround Aledo Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsBig Timber Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsDisaster in Paradise: The Landslides in Johnson's Landing Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsHidden History of Old Lyme, Lyme & East Lyme Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsBrigus: Past Glory, Present Splendour Rating: 1 out of 5 stars1/5Thetford Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsCabbages and Kings Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Minute Man on the Frontier Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Minute Man of the Frontier Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsBristol: Montaup to Poppasquash Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsAn Unrecognized Contribution: Women and Their Work in 19th-Century Toronto Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsBerwyn Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings
Personal Memoirs For You
Dry: A Memoir Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5I'm Glad My Mom Died Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A Stolen Life: A Memoir Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Glass Castle: A Memoir Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A Child Called It: One Child's Courage to Survive Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Lost Connections: Uncovering the Real Causes of Depression – and the Unexpected Solutions Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Just Mercy: a story of justice and redemption Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Bad Mormon: A Memoir Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry Into Values Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Maybe You Should Talk to Someone: A Therapist, HER Therapist, and Our Lives Revealed Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Mommie Dearest Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Maybe You Should Talk to Someone: the heartfelt, funny memoir by a New York Times bestselling therapist Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Diary of a Young Girl Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Stash: My Life in Hiding Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Pity the Reader: On Writing with Style Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Mediocre Monk: A Stumbling Search for Answers in a Forest Monastery Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Becoming Sister Wives: The Story of an Unconventional Marriage Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Taste: My Life Through Food Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Solutions and Other Problems Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Son of Hamas: A Gripping Account of Terror, Betrayal, Political Intrigue, and Unthinkable Choices Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Becoming Free Indeed: My Story of Disentangling Faith from Fear Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5I'll Be Gone in the Dark: One Woman's Obsessive Search for the Golden State Killer Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A Billion Years: My Escape From a Life in the Highest Ranks of Scientology Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5My Story Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Too Much and Never Enough: How My Family Created the World's Most Dangerous Man Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A Man of Two Faces: A Memoir, A History, A Memorial Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Choice: Embrace the Possible Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Whiskey in a Teacup: What Growing Up in the South Taught Me About Life, Love, and Baking Biscuits Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Related categories
Reviews for Lost in Cabbagetown
Rating: 0 out of 5 stars
0 ratings
0 ratings0 reviews
Book preview
Lost in Cabbagetown - Terry Burke
Enjoying the preview?
Page 1 of 1