See how it was for a talented African American boy growing up in New York City in the 1950s, coming of age in the 1960s, in a neighborhood called Spanish Harlem. Television was still a novelty, school was a necessity and, having abusive parents, whippings were a part of growing up. Having to fight was also sometimes necessary.
Spanish Harlem was a vibrant, colorful place, and the author fully details it. People often shopped at The Market and on the Park Avenue Hill, and, during the summer, kids enjoyed frolicking in the spray from open fire-hydrants, played stickball in the streets, played cowboys and Indians and other games in the streets or on housing project grounds.
Back then, housing projects had none of the problems often heard of today. The young protagonist grows up to be a good student, plays baseball and dreams of becoming a major league baseball player. When he discovers a Hollywood actor like no other, he is inspired to try his hand at acting and would later perform in school plays. He gets his first job-a vendor at Yankee Stadium-at 14, the year Roger Maris is pursuing Babe Ruth's single season homerun record.
No longer getting whippings, he still suffers the abuse of his parents-especially his father, who never encourages him when he begins making baseball teams. The indifference of his parents never abates, even after the family moves out of Spanish Harlem to a house in Queens. By then, he is mostly seeking love. When he finds it, it doesn't last. He finds a decent job after graduating high school, but the desire to be on his own overcomes him and he enlists in the Army, is stationed in France and has unforgettable experiences in Europe.
When he returns home, he finds employment, tries his hand at acting and rekindles an old relationship hoping he has finally found his place in the world. In this season-to-season memoir, there are several unexpected revelations the reader might think unbelievable but are absolutely true. An exciting, gritty, descriptive, and enchanting memoir that the reader will not soon forget!
