Sisu, One American Boy's Life in the 1940's

The 1940s was one of the most incredible decades in American history. A hobbled nation had overcome the Great Depression and emerged from a world war transformed into a leading global power. But as grand as this decade looks in the history books, there was plenty of ugliness on a smaller scale.

Tracy R. Gran Sr. was four years old in 1943. The world was at war, but the most urgent conflict was at home. His parents, consumed by alcoholism, made his home a battlefield. They operated under the Finnish concept of sisu, which roughly translates as tenacity of purpose, cold rationalism, and punishment. To this end, they doled out love sparingly and conditionally.

Still, Tracy managed to survive with help from two close friends, Porky and Swanee. Together they discovered the wonders of American boyhood—camping, baseball, girls, puberty, self-deprecating humor, and boundless energy and imagination.

This precise and honest memoir beautifully encapsulates the pain and joy of nostalgia. As Tracy R. Gran Sr. recounts this surreal period in his life, he invites readers to reflect on their own complicated pasts and find strength from those lessons.