Hometown Weekly

by Bruce Lindsay

Ripped gently from the headlines of The Parley's Progress, the outstanding weekly newspaper of the 87th largest city in Utah, comes an abundance of good news. After more than thirty years of being asked the same question—"Why don't you give us some good news for a change?"—veteran television news anchor Bruce Lindsay obliges us with humorous and heartwarming stories from the idyllic town that we believe we grew up in—or wished we did. Inspired from the stories found in real small-town newspapers, Bruce Lindsay introduces us to the down-to-earth, foible-filled characters from Parley's Grove—folks who can make the mundane mesmerizing and the absurd endearing. Warm, poignant, and always hilarious, these affectionate vignettes of small-town life will help you remember who you are and where you're from.

Genres: Fiction, Lds Fiction, Humor

Paperback

First published January 1, 2008

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.

A veteran broadcaster with over 25 years' experience, Bruce has worked in Los Angeles and Salt Lake City and has reported from countries across the globe. His credits include reporter, producer, news manager, and anchor. Bruce's work has been recognized by many regional and national awards, including the Iris award from the National Association of Television Program Executives, a silver medal from the New York Film and Video Festival, and various awards from the Utah Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists and the Utah Broadcasters Association. Bruce also won the coveted Emmy Award in 1980 for his live coverage of the Democratic National Convention in New York City.

Bruce grew up in the Salt Lake Valley. He received a Communications degree from Brigham Young University, where he graduated Magna Cum Laude. He also received an MBA degree from the University of Utah.

Bruce is married to the former Shari Anderson of Salt Lake City. They are the parents of two sons and four daughters.

Reviews

[Nathalie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book on cd, read by Bruce Lindsay himself to a live audience. This is Prairie Home Companion Mormon-style, complete with the local hangout "The Chat-n-Chew". The complete title is "The Hometown weekly--Good news for a change" and it is that. The Hometown weekly is the newspaper (which is too big a word probably in this case) for tiny Parley Grove, Utah. It is chock-full of every day news about its beloved inhabitants, their family and a lot about nothing, some would say. But I disagree. It's a lot about their every day lives and it's a lot of fun. I highly recommend this one and get it on cd if you can, so you can more fully enjoy this gem.

[Rayni · Rating 5 out of 5]

I work for a small town newspaper & so this was dear to my heart. I gave the audio book to my mom for Christmas, then found out there are more stories in the book. I checked the book out from the library & read the 4-5 stories that didn't make the cut on the CD. We both loved it & Mother wanted me to go get the next book. She was disappointed when I said it was a new book & there wasn't another book.

11/17/11: Listened to it again. If anything, I loved it even more this time around. I told some of the stories to one of my sons & he laughed out loud. Especially the car jacking.

[kelley · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Hometown Weekly, book on tape is a delightful listen. It is a series of short stories relating to life that takes place in a small (fictional) Mormon Community in Utah. I think being Mormon makes it even more hilarious, but anybody that grew up in a small community would appreciate the humor of the book.

Bruce Lindsay the author of this book is also the narrator. His intimate knowledge of the stories enhances his ability to bring the story to life. I listened to this two CD audio book while traveling between my small pre-dominately Mormon community in Utah to the Big City in Utah. I laughed and guffawed out loud the whole way. He did have some tender moments hidden in the stories that illustrates that even though a tidbit makes it in the news--it doesn't really tell the story.

This book was very enjoyable. Mr. Lindsay has a website called "The Hometown Weekly" where you can stop by and listen to a couple of the stories. I will be listening to this one again. These are the kinds of stories that just get better with the retelling. I hope more stories will be forth-coming.

[Robert · Rating 4 out of 5]

I very much enjoyed listening to these short stories about mormon culture. I would recommend listening to, rather than reading, this book, as the author, Bruce Lindsay, does the reading. Although poking fun at cultural idiosyncrasies, there is a good-humored feeling to the tone of the stories with just the right amount of respectful seriousness for the underlying themes of family and religion. I was pleasantly surprised at how clever the stories climaxed and wrapped up.

Side note: Wade Hansen has the most distinctive laugh I've ever heard...

[Tonya · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just fun. If you don't descend from Sanpete or Emery Counties in Utah, you might not get the jokes in this book, and it's charm may be lost on you. I especially loved the liberal use of Central Utah names! The only name I can vouch for is LeEarl. I do have an uncle named LeEarl! He is a real person, and that's his real name :-) I could tell you the names of his siblings, but you might not believe me! Cute and quirky and real in the same way that Lake Wobegon is real (something I didn't understand until I lived in Minnesota)!

[Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

So this is definitely biased, but I love it. Parley Grove is the Lake Wobegone of Mormonism and is full of people you know or who know you, and with the knowing comes loving.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I hate to admit it, but I really enjoyed this book. The teaser information on the back cover makes it sound like this is a book of quaint, heartwarming stories from a small Utah town. That was not my impression exactly. I see it more as a hilarious jab at many characteristics of the people in a small Utah Mormon town. Lindsay makes fun of everything:
- People thinking it is immoral to be a Democrat
- Couples who can't agree whether to buy another old beat-up truck, or really live it up by getting a sedan.
- The traditional Mother's Day church service, which is unanimously loathed by every mother in the congregation.
- Overeaters.
- Utahns who marvel that anything good can come from a city as sinful as Las Vegas.
- The final jab is aimed at t.v. newspeople who can make a big deal out of a story when they actually have no real information whatsoever.
- Lots lots more.

It really is funny, but it could easily offend some people, so be forewarned.

[Kristin · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one was one we did for book club. It's a cute little book with fake stories from Parley's Grove Utah. The back cover of the book makes it sound like heartwarming little true stories. They are more like hilarious silly tales about the quirky things small town Mormons do.

It took me some time to warm up to it. At first I found it to be a little too "irreverent" if you will about some of the aspects about our church. And some of the humor is a little over the top. But there were also some great ones and some major LOL moments.

I'll be honest, I never finished the last couple chapters cuz I needed to give it back to my friend, and I wasn't dying to finish. It's not really my style of book and I wanted to move on to other things. But I did like it. It's a super quick read. If you're from a small town, you'll LOVE it.

[Marcia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I haven't been doing many reviews but I read this book this weekend and I was practically rolling on the floor laughing!!! If you are from a small town this one is definitely for you! I checked it out from the library but I think I might have to go out and buy it for my own personal library! our small town didn't have a newspaper like this but my brother in law from San Pete County says this is how their paper was. so I would definitely recommend it especially if you need a good laugh!

[Sally · Rating 3 out of 5]

For a few minutes into reading this, I thought it might be true. I've known people like those in the town of Parley Grove. What gave it away, is the county of Taylor. Now where would that be?

This consists of stories of interestingly named inhabitants of Parley Grove--the story behind the newspaper article that only prints good news. I found myself laughing out loud at the clever recounting adventures that happen only in a small Utah town.

[Carol · Rating 2 out of 5]

There were some funny parts, but for the most part it made Utah look like a hick place to live...I guess there are some places like that, but for the most part we are not hick-a-billies! I got really tired of his made up names. Not everyone in Utah has a combination of their father and mother's name.

[Eric · Rating 4 out of 5]

Funny, funny, funny. We read it outloud as a family and enjoyed it very much. It's worth sharing.
My 2 favorite parts:

The Relief Society President's phone answering message (as recorded by her husband).

What the barber has learned to talk about and not to talk about (because of controversy).

[Cortney · Rating 4 out of 5]

We listened to this book while driving around Texas last weekend.
It was an enjoyable book. It had a definite Prairie Home Companion feel to it. I don't think I would like the print version as much as the audio. Bruce Lindsay just brought it to life. It was fun and light-hearted with good, clean humor.

[Arryn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I heard Bruce Lindsay at the Timpanogos Storytelling Festival and I totally enjoyed his vignettes, "Humorous Tales from Parley Grove." This book is the written version of those same stories. Poking fun at all things small-town and LDS, Lindsay manages to portray every imaginable bucolic personality in full caricature. An entertaining light read.

[Thaddeusq · Rating 1 out of 5]

I only read two chapters of this book and I couldn't stand it. I felt like the author was almost insulting my intelligence. While reading this book I felt like I was listening to an 80 something year old grandma who has a touch of dementia telling these stories.

[Jackie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. Mr. Lindsay manages to poke good humored fun at the LDS culture (in Utah particularly) without being mean and humiliating. A light quick read with characters that were fun to read about, in spite of the tongue twisting names.

[Shelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved reading "the rest of the story" about life in Parley Grove ! I espcially enjoyed the story set in San Pete county withh J Golden Kimball. Anyone who lives south of Nephi needs to read this book.

[Jan Strong · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is light and fun and well written and the characterizations are marvelous!
Real people and fun...funny stories.
Better than Prairie Home Companion-as I relate more to the folks in this book!
Good, fast reading-you will see someone you know-maybe yourself!

[Loraine · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a fun book to read. It's light and a quick read. Just the thing when you need a positive lift and a break from the drudgery of life or heavy reading material. It made me laugh and was so easy to relate to, being from a small Utah town myself.

[Amara · Rating 3 out of 5]

I hate to steal the thunder of book club, so here I'll just say I enjoyed it for the most part. Some of the poking fun hit a little close to home --as you know "the hit bird flutters", but still fun overall.

[Hollie Robb · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story that Lindsay would put in this book is so cute. He helps us to remember that there are Good News all around us.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Stories behind the newspaper headlines in the weekly newspaper of Parley's Grove. Enjoyed it even though I had read, through e-mails, part of the punchlines to the stories.

[Kristen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mormon Garrison Kellior.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is so funny for those of you from small towns! It could be written about my own little hometown!

[Teri · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lds fiction. Short stories about a fictional small town in Utah and the quirky, fun characters that live there. "Beautiful Girls" and "Matchmaker" were my two favorites.

[Lynn · Rating 3 out of 5]

funny,

[Kimberly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quick, fun read!

[Swadehansen · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book is tremendous, but the accompanying CD is where the treasure is.

[Mkanderson439 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this book it made me laugh out loud. Very light reading but hilarious

[April · Rating 3 out of 5]

Listened to this on CD. It was read by the author and was quite entertaining. Definitely involves a lot of Mormon culture.