MY OWN YEARS Barry Broadfoot. Toronto, Doubleday, c1983. 293pp, cloth, $22.95. ISBN 0-385-14319-2. Grades 12 and up. Reviewed by Anne Locatelli. Volume 12 Number 2 1984 March Barry Broadfoot is one of Canada's most popular writers: all his books have been best sellers. He specializes in topics of Canadian interest such as the memories of the first settlers (The Pioneer Years*), the Depression (Ten Lost Years), the plight of the Japanese Canadians (Years of Sorrow, Years of Shame**), the life of Canadians at war, both at home and abroad, during the years 1939-1945 (Six War Years). To obtain his information, Broadfoot likes to go straight to the source: armed with a tape recorder and a notebook, he contacts people in all walks of life then, over a few beers, he records much valuable material which he later elaborates and presents in his books. His latest, My Own Years, offers "recollections of people, places, and peregrinations." It is a book about experiences and friendships, adventures on the road, and youthful memories. Miners, farmers, lumberjacks, fishermen, prostitutes, and others who confided their unusual stories to him turned out to be colourful main characters in the book, which is narrated in the first person. The result is a unique combination of autobiography and oral history, all told with a delightful sense of humour in a brisk, journalistic style. The picturesque cover of the book shows a prairie road and town with the Rockies rising in the distance; the binding is sturdy, and the print pleasantly sharp. More suitable for the general reader interested in travel and people than for the average high school student, this book will very likely become another Canadian best seller. *Reviewed vol. V/2 Spring 1977 p.74. **Reviewed vol. VI/2 Spring 1978 p.92. Anne Locatelli, Elliot Lake S. S., Elliot Lake, ON.