Growing Up Tropper A Memoir in Four Voices

This project, begun by David and expanded to include Daniel, Shugie, and Solly, is an exercise in remembering. Since it is a hybrid work, poised somewhere between autobiography, family history and memoir, we thought this passage from the Foreword of "Agatha Christie: An Autobiography," which the great British mystery writer published in 1977, captures beautifully what we are trying to do. In fact, we too "plunge [our] hands into a lucky dip and come up with a handful of assorted memories." Agatha Christie makes the point that the young are naturally curious about history, and perhaps especially when that history belongs to their parents', grandparents', and great-grandparents'. And so we ask the indulgence of our kids and grandkids as they read through these memories. They are dear to us, and we are hoping the stories about our growing up and the humble beginnings of the family business will help the younger generations figure out a little more about their roots and where they come from.