REVIEW EXCERPT:

"Ted Gugelyk is one of a vanishing breed of Mainland surf bums who moved here in the '50s and '60s, took whatever job they could get in order to stay, and watched the Hawaii they loved go away.

This particular surfer, now retired from the University of Hawaii where he taught sociology, has an eye for detail, an ear for the telling quote and a sensitive heart. In "Mango Lady," for example, his juxtaposition of an aging Hawaiian woman with his immigrant Ukrainian grandmother is insightful and right on. Both, he writes, suffered from "the drawn-out fatigue that comes from bridging the old country to the new."

This self-published labor of love ranges from Waikiki to Russia to Vietnam and back, tracking Gugelyk's life experiences. But like the best of storytellers, he knows how to extract a little more than mere narrative from these tales - lessons learned, perspective gained..."

-- Wanda Adams, Honolulu Advertiser, 8/9/97

REVIEW EXCERPT:

"Gugelyk's literary style is essay-like, drawing on his own experiences and filtered through a rueful perspective. The stories link together unusual personalities, unsettling memories and vivid fantasies, and always, sooner or later, return to the dangerous nurturing provided by surfing the unpredictable ocean..."

-- Burl Burlingame, Honolulu Star-Bulletin, 7/7/97