Once a Man—Twice a Boy

George Boldt was born in Clayton, New York, a village with approximately eighteen hundred citizens, nearly as many dogs, and two seasonsAugust and winter. Throughout his childhood, George learned to rely on advice from his grandmother and her brother to help him navigate through the challenges of growing up. But everything changed the day his great uncle unexpectedly gave him the title to his beloved houseboat and asked him to transform it into a clubhouse for local boys.

In a life story that he proclaims is sixty-seven percent true, George leads others down an amusing path through his memories as he plays on his inherited houseboat, learns about girls, and meets a lively band of characters that include Captain Prunes Percy, Woodchuck Monoe, Flashlight Fulton, and Cowboy Unmanly. As he details his move into adolescence and beyond, George provides a glimpse into a life full of adventure and his determined pursuit to keep his uncles dream alive.

In this fictionalized memoir, one man chronicles his unique, often humorous coming-of-age journey through life as he grows up, attempts to find his place in the world, and contemplates whether he can really ever go back in time to his enchanted boyhood!