Pardonable Offences by Perry Leary is a lighthearted memoir of the author’s experiences he encountered growing up, along with other experiences that were shared with him. Born in South Africa during the war, Leary lived with his mother, brother and grandmother while his father went off to war. We learn of his experiences and the friendships made throughout his school years in prepatory school. Similar to that of heartfelt children’s story The Sandlot, we follow the author’s lifelong friendships and their fond and not so fond memories growing up.

Author Perry Leary provides readers a collection of fascinating anecdotes that inspire thought and a chuckle. The author’s writing style is succinct and his wit comes through well, making this an interesting read. His descriptions of people he interacted with were vivid and unique; he once described the barber as slightly boozy-looking and was a chain smoker of the evil smelling Cavalla cigarettes. I always looked forward to his descriptions after this.

The author does an excellent job of describing unpleasant experiences through a comedic lens so that they are more palatable and allow the reader to absorb the experience more readily. Not to say that this memoir is purely humor, Leary encountered many tragedies and shares them with his readers. He touches upon the cultural aspects of living in South Africa and how things were different during the war. I enjoyed that the author tells reader what became of his friends as they grew older, this gives the story a nice well-rounded feel that leaves you satisfied.

Pardonable Offences is the perfect read for those who are looking for a quick but thoughtful story that will make you laugh and reminisce about your childhood experiences.

Pages: 207 | ASIN: B0B1VXS9BP