William Adolphus Turnpike

William Adolphus Turnpike’s first political meeting begins with his father calling Russia a free country—and soon sends a pineapple flying toward the orchestra.

In early-20th-century Toronto, William goes with his father, Joe, to a Ward Eighteen political gathering packed with people, speeches and competing bands. William’s lively eye catches every absurdity: Joe’s deadpan teasing, Jimmy Duggan’s frantic efforts to keep order, and a minister promising work just as tempers begin to flare. When the hall erupts, father and son have to find a way out—and William discovers that city politics can be a good deal noisier than the speeches suggest. With his first job as an office boy ahead, what other commotions is this quick-witted youngster about to encounter?

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