Publisher's Synopsis
This is a story about my youth growing up in the Catholic Faith in the 1950s and 60s. Being from a large family with very strict rules to abide by, had created many issues and challenges. My ability to tell stories is the key to this book. These stories are humorous, sweet, and with a touch of sadness, but best of all, I keep the reader's interes"Perseverance is not a long race; it is many short races one after the other." - Walter Elliot
Growing up in the Catholic Faith in West Virginia, A Memoir of Perseverance and the Catholic Faith sets up the foundation of Timothy Neff Gocke's story in the 1950s and 60s. He was part of a large family and an intuitive individual from the get-go who truly honed in on his talent for storytelling.
From delving in on his passion for basketball to thought-provoking discussions about the Catholic faith, his stories are beautifully rendered and compiled, leaving the reader transfixed with every page. Where most memoirs rush to deliver their message, Timothy draws you in until you are fully immersed in his life. Until, with every read, you feel like you're spending time with him.
Delve in on Timothy's adventures through a strict Catholic grade school as he conveys his stories through quotes and songs. As the book progresses, you are met with hard-hitting nuances and spiritual and insightful input by Timothy with his perspectives on the Catholic faith, Christian rituals, prayers, and scripture. He also talks about the hereafter and the pangs of grief. What's fascinating about Timothy is how he lets the readers unravel and seek comfort in his book by brushing upon subjects that are not easy to talk about. It is more than a memoir; it is a safe space.
Though nothing is easy in life, and he says as much when he talks about how hard it hits him. The book also goes deep into how he dealt with the stressful predicaments and situations that come with growing up, where he sought refuge in his passion for basketball and prayer.
At its very core, the memoir is an ode to perseverance and hard work that helped Timothy achieve many feats in basketball and the game of life itself.
Join Timothy as he goes through an enthralling journey of discovery, humor, intuition, and, most importantly, perseverance.t by not spilling the beans too soon. My classroom stories about Catholic grade school with nuns as they were then, are quite entertaining. I use poems, quotes, and songs throughout the book to effectively convey my information. In my later years, I spend many hours studying the Catholic Faith including rituals, prayers, and scripture, including the hereafter and what happens to us all when we pass.
I deal with many stressful situations growing up but use basketball and prayer to deal with life's adversities. Perseverance and hard work eventually paid off for me in basketball and in my life. It is a well-written book with lots of variety to keep the reader's interest.
There is one particular chapter where it is a lad's first day at Catholic school at only four years of age. The exchanges between the nuns and the little boy are beyond comical. The boy was from the countryside near Dublin, Ireland, in the 1960s as he was sent to school by mommy and daddy unchaperoned to climb the winding road to the top.
