High Plains Camelot: A Rawlins High School Memoir

Joe L. Davenport
BookSurge (2006)
ISBN 9781419639333
Reviewed by Debra Gaynor for Reader Views (1/07)

In “High Plains Camelot,” Joe L. Davenport reminisces about the good old days.  Unlike many people he looks back at his high school days fondly.  He does not attempt to write a history and does not claim this book to be totally factual.  These are his memories and told from his perspective.

Joe’s family moved to Rawlins, Wyoming when he was in the fourth grade.  “Even after two world wars, the pioneering and western flavor of Rawlins was still there if only in the nature of the people and their lives.”  His obvious love of the town shines through in his writing.  “The indomitable spirit of the West, Wyoming, and Rawlins that I carry with me, never changes and wherever I have gone, I always think of Wyoming as my original home, and Rawlins, my hometown.”

The title of this book is intriguing.  Eagerly I delved inside.  I wanted to know why Mr. Davenport compared his hometown to Camelot.  He quickly convinced me that yes, he did grow up in Camelot.  The stories of his dog Wally and friend Neil are humorous and touched my heart.  I particularly enjoyed the photographs Mr. Davenport included in his memoirs.  The photos add dimension to his book, assisting the reader in imagining what life was like in Rawlins.  Joe Davenport is a talented writer with an ability to make words jump off the page.  Images of his youth danced before my eyes as I quickly turned the pages to see what adventures he would tell of next.  I would think his classmates would be proud to know how they are remembered.  I highly recommend “High Plains Camelot.”

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