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Bruce W. Bishop
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Grow up, Rory Rafferty: A Novel Kindle Edition

by Bruce W. Bishop (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.8 out of 5 stars 8 ratings

Learning to be your own best friend

In 1979, when an introverted young man with culinary aspirations comes of age in Toronto after taking his first job at a private women’s club, he risks being devoured by the city’s elite.

Rory Rafferty embarks on a journey that will shape not only his future, but his very identity. A shy twenty-year-old from a Nova Scotian coastal town, Rory dreams of owning a seafood restaurant, but first he must navigate the glittering maze of Canada’s largest city.

When he lands a job as a busboy at an exclusive women’s club, he enters a world brimming with culinary delights, eccentric friends, and the pulse of the city’s nightlife. But amidst the glamour, Rory grapples with identifying and accepting his sexual orientation after assuming he didn’t have one during his teenage years…

In Grow Up, Rory Rafferty, follow our main character’s tumultuous journey to self-acceptance—a tale woven with misadventures, personal revelations, and the heady rush of first love.

Set against a backdrop twenty years before the Internet changed our lives, this heartwarming novel about young adulthood dives deep into the joys and challenges of youth. It offers a poignant reminder of the timeless quest to find oneself in a world filled with social biases and unexpected romance.

Whether you've grown up in a Gen Z world, or if you fondly recall the vibrant tapestry of the late seventies and early eighties, step into Rory Rafferty’s captivating universe.

Buy your copy today to meet Rory and a cast of unforgettable characters who breathe life into a somewhat less complicated era.

ADVANCE PRAISE FOR GROW UP, RORY RAFFERTY

Bruce Bishop’s fictional histories hold more truth than most textbooks. He seeks out the silenced voices of LGBT+ people, poor people, and others on the edge of Canadian history, and puts them centre page.
~ Jon Tattrie, Author of Peace by Chocolate

As a Toronto boomer, Grow up, Rory Rafferty was a welcome trip to the Toronto of my youth when things seemed to be less complicated than today. Rory's story is an important one — a young man struggling with his emerging sexuality and having to confront uncomfortable aspects about himself. Highly recommended!
~ Kathleen Sharpe, Founding Executive Director, Ontario Cultural Attractions Fund

With both small-town Nova Scotia and the bustling city of Toronto as backdrops, Grow Up, Rory Rafferty explores what it is like to be inexperienced, young and Queer, and the ways people find the courage to be themselves and pursue their dreams. Well-researched and cleverly applied to the narrative, this book should be on the to-be-read list of anyone looking for a glimpse into life as a Queer Canadian in the late seventies.
~ Aren Morris, Halifax Arts Educator, and Author of We Happy Few

As a young man coming out in downtown Toronto in the late '70s, I loved revisiting some of the hot spots of my youth. The author captures the excitement of being a young “sexual outlaw” in straitlaced Toronto. The book brought back many cherished memories. The characters are engaging, and the plot moves briskly with humorous twists and surprises. A great vacation read.
~ Francisco Alvarez, Toronto-based curator and artist, and Owner of Axis Art Projects

A delicious book. The sense of place, of youth, and of the friendships of our youth swept me away. The Toronto of old comes alive —vividly. The excitement and horrible uncertainties of being young in a big city worked. The sexual coming out narrative was sensitively written. (And I loved the hateful hypocrites!)
Nancy L. Wigston, Literary Critic/Book Reviewer, Toronto
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  1. Print length
    286 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publication date
    October 31, 2024
  4. File size
    753 KB
  5. Page Flip
    Enabled
  6. Word Wise
    Enabled
  7. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
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Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0DGV5YZLH
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Icarus Press Publishing in association with Bruce W. Bishop
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ October 31, 2024
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 753 KB
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 286 pages
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1068862809
  • Page Flip ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.8 out of 5 stars 8 ratings

About the author

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Bruce W. Bishop

Bruce W. Bishop

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I was born and raised in a small town in eastern Canada. From a young age, I dreamt of seeing the world, but as I'm more of an introvert than extrovert, I'm not sure how I somehow managed to carve out a freelance career as a travel journalist and guidebook author for over a decade. Novel writing was a novelty (pardon the pun!) that began in 2020 during the pandemic lockdown. I enjoyed the exercise so much that I wrote two follow-up books. The fictitious characters in my novels are ordinary and somewhat forgotten souls in history who are faced with extraordinary options and decisions to make. What happens when adults are not what and who they are expected to be?

'Unconventional Daughters' (2020) was followed by 'Uncommon Sons' (2021) and 'Undeniable Relations' (2022), and the three are interlinked. They are set in the early to mid-20th century in Nova Scotia, Canada. They can be read on their own, and not necessarily in any order.

I'd love to receive your feedback and/or questions! Please visit my website: https://www.brucebishopauthor.com and sign up for my occasional newsletter.

Customer reviews

4.8 out of 5 stars
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Top reviews from the United States

  • bsr
    5.0 out of 5 stars Richly detailed, great characters
    Reviewed in the United States on October 31, 2024
    A shy young man with big dreams finds himself sitting next to a firecracker blonde actress on a plane. Thus starts the great adventure of Rory Rafferty, unwitting hero in his own tale. This novel is set against the backdrop of 1979 Toronto, a city still coming into its own, where the prejudices and bigotry of earlier times are crashing into a new era. A bit of a fish out of water, Rory must navigate the expectations of a big modern city, a wonderfully eclectic and colourful set of friends, enemies, and people who aren’t quite sure what they are, and, of course, his own true essence, as he engages on a journey of self-discovery that might lead him to the most unexpected place of all: home.

    I loved the richly detailed setting of Grow Up Rory Rafferty—the smells, sounds, sights, and tastes of the era—and the carefully-drawn cast of characters, each with his or her own unique personality and being. Mr Bishop has crafted a full world in his pages, as real as if we stepped out onto Yonge Street in our disco boots and joined the party. Rory’s search for himself is deftly and sensitively crafted, and we cheer for him as he discovers both his sexuality and his real inner strength in this story of awakening.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Mark M
    5.0 out of 5 stars Innocence found
    Reviewed in the United States on October 31, 2024
    I discovered author Bruce W. Bishop’s terrific historical fiction a few years ago, including Unconventional Daughters, Uncommon Sons, and Undeniable Relations: A Novel, all books in his Families Storytelling series. His research is as impeccable as his writing, and he has the gift of bringing readers into a book’s world so completely you may find yourself startled to be back in your own when you turn the final page.

    His new book, ‘Grow Up, Rory Rafferty‘ is both a coming-of-age story and a coming out story, told from the perspective of young Rory Rafferty. It takes place in 1979 in Toronto, a city and time the author knows well. It shows in his vivid details and his in-the-moment narrative. As with his other books, I feel as if I’m on those Toronto streets and in those restaurants, eavesdropping on a cast of characters I won’t soon forget – if I ever do. This is a heartwarming and poignant journey to youth on the cusp of adulthood, in what may seem like a simpler time but is as complicated as growing up can be.
    2 people found this helpful
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  • John Truxell
    4.0 out of 5 stars Good read
    Reviewed in the United States on November 12, 2024
    I've read all of Mr. Bishop's other books, so it comes as no surprise that this one is another page turner. His knowledge of the area in which Rory lives and the timeframe in which it takes place is obvious as you read on. He does an excellent job of introducing each new character, making it an easy read. Recommended as one to take along on a beach vacation!
    One person found this helpful
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  • Amazon Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars Grow Up, Rory Rafferty is a Great Read
    Reviewed in the United States on November 8, 2024
    What a beautiful journey with this novel. Bishop’s wonderfully detailed descriptions of the times and places are true and alive. The paths Rory walks and struggles with and lives and are equally true and moving. This is a book you’ll fall in love with.
    AND I just re-read it mostly for Bishop’s character development and again, found this book rich with personality traits that are so true and compelling . He also works geographical details in—from Nova Scotia to Toronto to Palm Springs and Barbados that make the story engaging and alive.
    One person found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

  • A. M. Smith-Nochasak
    5.0 out of 5 stars Society through a Seventies Lens
    Reviewed in Canada on November 11, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    'Grow Up, Rory Rafferty' is a guided journey into the world of 1979, into the tumultuous world of youth in the urban setting, enriched by the music, social settings, and attitudes that defined the times. It also does not shy away from the darkness of those times. As a young man exploring his sexuality, Rory lives in a world in which he will be assaulted for dancing with a man, in which many were relegated to the margins. One hopes those times are firmly tucked away in the seventies files, but are they?

    The novel is highly readable. Mr. Bishop’s use of dialogue, description, and narrative are natural and vivid, drawing us into the story. I looked forward to each reading time, to join the characters on their journey, to bear witness to their successes and their disappointments, the gains and the losses, and just often enough, some dreams coming true.

    This novel is also an excellent starting point for conversations, on what the times meant to the people living them, what the times mean to us today, and what we can learn about the directions we are taking as a society. I highly recommend this novel.
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  • Suni
    5.0 out of 5 stars What a fantastic read!
    Reviewed in Canada on November 4, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    Touches on subjects that needed touching on and how things were back in the day. I found it to be a page turner. The story is full of karma and humor. I'm hoping for another trilogy here.
    Love having this copy to add to the other books Bruce has written.
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