By Leighah Beausoleil
Contributing Writer
WESTBOROUGH — When Peter Daniel Cook, 64, was a ninth grader at Westborough High School, he had no clue what he was going to do with the rest of his life.
On his way to meet with a guidance counselor, a poster for the U.S. Marine Corps captured his attention: “We are looking for a few good men,” the advertisement read. Suddenly, Cook’s mind was made up. He skipped the meeting, and hung the poster on his wall, where it would stay for the next four years until he officially enlisted.
Though he joined with tremendous enthusiasm, he remembers the bus ride through South Carolina that had him second-guessing his choice. There were more men than seats available, so Cook found himself crouched down in the aisle. When the bus finally stopped, a drill instructor boarded: “You’ve got five seconds to get off this bus, and four of them are already gone,” he said.
Midway through training, Cook’s perspective changed: “This is pretty good,” he thought.
From 1979 to 1984, Cook served with the U.S. Marines, holding posts at a number of American embassies, including in Ecuador, Spain, and Haiti. In 2024, he published his first novel, “Bootleg Heroes,” a military comedy that draws from his service experiences and presents what he says is an accurate representation of the Marines during that time.
“It was really about trying to capture authentic human behavior,” he said.
“I love the Marine Corps. … I really believe in it and I believe that the Marine Corps is there to provide services to the citizens of the country,” he said, noting that there’s more humanitarian work than wielding weapons. “It was a peacekeeping organization, and I see it as such – and a noble one. Men led with their conscience. And that’s so important, I think.”
Though the book largely takes place in Ecuador in the 1980s, readers can catch a glimpse of Westborough and the surrounding area. The main character, Curtis, is a graduate of Westborough High School and returns to the town once he’s placed on leave.
Cook remembers his time in Westborough fondly, recalling the winter afternoons when the town would be covered in a blanket of snow that muffled all sounds; he and his buddies would walk back to his parents’ house to load up on snacks before gymnastics practice.
“Westborough gets in your heart and stays there,” Cook said while reminiscing.
Though he wasn’t a “good student” at the time, given his sole interest in joining the Marines, a mentor would eventually help him get a provisional acceptance to American University, where he developed a love for literacy. Now living in Los Angeles, Cook earned his Ph.D. and teaches at Camino Nuevo Charter Academy, where helping students with literacy is his top priority.
“I’m not selling books. I’m selling literacy,” Cook says, adding he hopes his novel can help others find the love and magic that he discovered while reading for the first time.
Cook will be visiting Tatnuck Bookseller for an author event on March 28. His book, which may be adapted into a movie in the near-future, said Cook, is available for purchase now on Amazon: https://a.co/d/hDMuz5C
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