New book tells tales of a simpler time in Whitefish

Whether swimming at City Beach, roaming through the first school classrooms only to find a dead body, or repairing old boats for their armada on the Whitefish River, the ingenuity and dare-devil antics of a group of young boys comes to life in Rod Fisher’s new book.

“Whitefish River Rats” would be a good read for anyone looking to read the tales of a group of friends whose activities keep their parents on their toes.

Fisher calls his book fiction, but if you were his friend during the summer of 1942, you would recognize some of these characters as boys who knew how to get in trouble while trying to avoid it.

With no TV, computers or digital cameras, with only their never-failing urge to make do with washing machine motors turned into outboard motors on their leaky boats, and whatever guns they could get cheap, and parents who didn’t know most of the time where they were or what they were up to, the neighborhood kids of Fisher’s era never lacked for fun.

Similar to Dorothy Marie Johnson’s “When You and I Were Young, Whitefish,” Fisher’s book brings to life a time when children knew how to entertain themselves, how to play with no balls, rackets or gymnasiums. How friends stood up for one another when facing adversity. How resourcefulness bred leadership and a penny was treasured for its ability to buy a piece of candy from the corner store.

Although Rod Fisher’s life has been filled with music when he played throughout the West for a living, in retirement now he enjoys writing stories and wants to share that joy with you, the reader.

“The Whitefish River Rats” can be ordered from Amazon in paperback or Kindle version.

It is also available locally at Bookworks, 244 Spokane Ave.