Children of Vallejo

<P>For nearly all of its existence Vallejo was a blue collar lunch pail city where the destinies of the town and its shipyard were inextricably linked. In his first collection of short stories C.W. Spooner tracks the lives of a handful of characters as they grow from childhood to adolescence and beyond in a hard place where everyone fought to keep what was theirs and children created their own adventures.</P><P>Spooner begins with the tale of Nicholas a terrified four-year-old who is ready to start his first day of nursery school. Nicholas knows he must adhere to his father's advice to always be a good sailor but when the first day does not go as planned Nicholas discovers the true meaning of friendship. Fourteen-year-old Nick's dog George has gone AWOL. But just when he is ready to give up hope arrives. When Carol's past shows up at her door with wild hair and a Walt Whitman beard she is thrilled. His war is finally ending but it is the gift he leaves with her that finally gives her peace.</P><P>This compilation of short tales shares a compelling glimpse into what it was like to grow up in a shipyard town during an uncertain time when no one took life for granted.</P><P>These stories ... will touch your life no matter where you are from.</P>-Thomas R. Campbell author of Badass: The Harley-Davidson Experience