No Palm Trees on Cuttyunk

In this coming-of-age story based on the author’s own experience, fourteen-year-old Geoff sets off with his friend to camp on the tiny island of Cuttyhunk in Buzzards Bay, Massachusetts, for three weeks during the summer of 1959. Despite his youth, Geoff’s natural curiosity and eagerness to learn help him blend in with the island community and its culture.

But just as he begins to experience the freedom to think and make decisions for himself, his authoritarian, fault-finding father arrives and threatens to end his camping trip. Protective islanders tend to Geoff’s father and quietly send him off the island as Geoff, relieved yet certain that he has betrayed his father, watches the ferry take him away. His idyllic summer adventure has been shattered, and he is left to come to grips with his shock and guilt, and the painful reminder of his home life.

Geoff extends his visit, immersing himself in island life as he struggles to find his identity and his place in the world. His guileless nature continues to win over crusty old-timers who nurture his budding confidence and maturity. He lands a job, learns to sail, and experiences the rush of first love. He befriends a foul-tempered, knife-wielding cook who teaches him about the power of believing in himself and encourages him to not give up on his father. As he leaves the island at summer’s end, not knowing what awaits him, he wonders, “Will my father recognize me when I get back home?”

"Throughout, Denning excels at describing the island’s scenery....A winsome, nostalgic portrayal of adolescent life." — Kirkus Reviews

Sweet and Nostalgic Memoir – This is a love song written by Mr. Denning to his coming-of-age years, written in a straightforward and unassuming but wonderfully descriptive style. His protagonist, slowly emerging from awkward and uncertain youth, displays a basic decency and capacity to learn from others as his time on his own camping among a remote island community triggers his emergence into young adulthood.

Touching and poignant memoir – No Palm Trees On Cuttyhunk: Surviving My Adolescence is the touching story of 14-year old Geoff's life-changing summer spent camping on an island worlds away from his loving but tyrannical father. The story captures the exquisite emotional roller coaster of a 1950s era adolescent who experiences love and freedom for the first time. The cast of supporting characters is brought to life via vivid dialogue and the author depicts the devastating effects of alcoholism with honesty and courage, as seen through the eyes of a curious, likeable and buoyant teen on the cusp of manhood.

Voice, growth, and redemption - I know the author, which gives me a unique perspective. As the story unfolds I can hear the authors voice. He successfully transported me back to that brief coming of age time we all experience. His life experiences that first summer on the island and the redemption of the relationship with his father.