The story opens in Chicago as Paulsen recalls his earliest memories of life when his mother worked in a munitions factory during the Second World War. He remembers only the toddler's narrow world: the cramped apartment, the frightening dark alley nearby, and the noisy bar where he sang for patrons who bought him fried chicken and Coke. At the war's end, Paulsen and his mother begin a grueling crosscountry trip by car to catch a transport ship at San Francisco which would take them to the Philippines to meet his father. The slow Pacific crossing is recounted in detail as seven-year-old Gary explores the seemingly huge ship, learns the ways of rough soldiers and sailors, and visits battle-scarred Hawaii and Okinawa. In the Philippine Islands, Gary lives in a crude military base house open to heat, lizards, and snakes. Since his parents are frequently away, he spends most...