Cretin High School, located in Saint Paul, Minnesota was a Catholic, all-male, military academy that brought unique twists to the already difficult high school experience. Cretin Boys, as they were called, were subject to the oppression of both church and state as they navigated the diverse teaching styles of Christian Brothers, military instructors, and lay teachers. Cretin Boy looks at those menial first jobs, takes you dancing with a girl at that first high school formal, and peels down the street in a Corvette-on-loan with a teen at the wheel. It is a coming-of-age story with a military dress code, a coming-to-faith story while smoking in the boy's room.

What people are saying about Cretin Boy

"Jim Landwehr never disappoints, and Cretin Boy is no exception. This oftentimes hilarious, just as often poignant, journey captures the nostalgia of the late 1970s and mingles it with timeless examples of how every young person strives to reach adulthood. Landwehr captures what makes us human at our weakest and at our best, in a way that touches on the divine beauty of truth. A must-read for your emotional journey, Cretin Boy will leave you deeply moved, and smiling."

--Summer Hanford, national and international Amazon best-selling author

"A B-minus GPA from an all-male Catholic Military High School named Cretin doesn't tell the whole story. With humor and insight, Jim Landwehr shares his ups and downs of dealing with high school. Not only that, he shares how those experiences shaped him in ways even better grades couldn't have."

--Bill Mathis, author of Revenge is Necessary, The Rooming House Gallery, The Rooming House Diaries, and Face Your Fears.

"Military discipline and religious doctrine drilled into the cadets of Cretin High each day leads the author down the traditional path to self. At the same time, testosterone, teen angst and the hedonistic pop culture of the 1970s bombard him with endless distraction. Ironic twists of the adolescent free-fall towards adulthood abound. Looking for a slice-of-life story that nails the All-American Experience with humor, drama, pathos, tension and struggle? I recommend Cretin Boy!"

--Robert Goswitz, author of The Dragon Soldier's Good Fortune.