Publisher's Synopsis
Mary Jo Clark lived through historic times--Prohibition and the Great Depression, World War II--but her experiences were not unusual. What makes her special is her ability to shape these experiences into coherent, heartfelt stories. She stops the whirlwind and we see the touch of history on the common man, and get an intimate look at everyday life in a world gone by. Adulthood came early for Mary Jo and for many in her generation. She left school at age fifteen, lied about her age, and went to work to help support her family during the Depression. She always told stories from those early days and, after retiring, she tried to put her favorites on paper. She found little success with the written word. Her son Jack volunteered to interview her. Those pages were bound and Mary Jo gave everyone in the family a copy for Christmas. But the stories were too good to stay in one family. Soon they were running in the Chicago Reader. The stories all have beginnings, middles and endings. Frequently, there's a punch line. Some are funny, others sad. They are all of a world that no longer exists. Except in memory.
