The Reading Warehouse

Having the Time of My Life is a rich account of Peter Chapel's life, depicting the people, places, and events that he wishes to remember and acknowledge. This memoir shows how everything and everyone around him genuinely enriched his life and brings back poignantly remembered fragments of his history.

Chapel comes from a big family-thirteen children, only eleven of whom grew to adulthood. Here he shares the quality of the family bonding he and his siblings experienced growing up. He includes the memories of his sickly childhood, his challenging coming-of-age years, and his fulfilling adulthood. In the first chapters, he features his mother's letter to him that recounts her personal experiences and remembrances. He tells of the loving family he had, the special occasions they celebrated, their trips between the United States and Canada, the deaths of his brother and sister, and the wonderful times they shared. With vivid detail Chapel reveals his first love, describing their acquaintance, secret dates, and the sad goodbye. He recalls his pursuit of the girl known by the name Patricia Smith and shares his discovery of her true identity: Lucille Ann Collier, whose stage name was Ann Miller-the actress, dancer, and singer. His first love was a celebrity who had her own secrets, and he shows the loving but covert poetry, music, and messages they shared through the years. At fifty-four, Chapel finally met Patricia Mergens, his future wife. He portrays the unique bond they shared and how their honest relationship came about.

Chapel had some difficult years, uncomfortable moments, and heartrending times, but thanks to the strangers who became friends, the friends who made a difference, and the family who loves him, his life has been a happy one.

Peter Chapel was born in Manitoba, Canada, and moved to New York City at the age of eighteen. He served four years in the US Army during World War II, with two years overseas in the Persian Gulf Transport Command. He attended UCLA under the GI Bill of Rights, and since 1951 he has been a resident of Santa Monica, California. Home improvement and landscaping have been his main hobbies, and he has been happily married for many years.

Claire Bloom, CBE, is an English film and stage actress, known for leading roles in plays such as Streetcar Named Desire, A Doll's House, and Long Day's Journey into Night, along with nearly sixty films and countless television roles, during a career spanning over six decades. She was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire in the 2013 Queen's birthday honors for services to drama.

Arthur Morey has won three AudioFile Magazine Best Of Awards, and his work has garnered numerous AudioFile Earphones Awards and placed him as a finalist for two Audie Awards. He has acted in a number of productions, both Off-Broadway in New York and Off-Loop in Chicago. He graduated from Harvard and did graduate work at the University of Chicago. He has won awards for his fiction and drama, worked as an editor with several book publishers, and taught literature and writing at Northwestern University. His plays and songs have been produced in New York, Chicago, and Milan, where he has also performed.

Peter Chapel was born in Manitoba, Canada, and moved to New York City at the age of eighteen. He served four years in the US Army during World War II, with two years overseas in the Persian Gulf Transport Command. He attended UCLA under the GI Bill of Rights, and since 1951 he has been a resident of Santa Monica, California. Home improvement and landscaping have been his main hobbies, and he has been happily married for many years.