John Patrick Roche

The Jacky Stories John Patrick Roche

Boston is where good times and hard times happened during the Great Depression. Jacky roams its streets, beaches and subways trying to help his family and having fun. He makes mistakes, but keeps a few steps ahead of Boston's Finest Police. The Depres- sion, his father's sickness from WW1 and having to be Man-of- the-House helps one to understand a boy doing his best. These JACKY STORIES are derived from the early sections of the author's eBook memoirs THE STREETS WHERE I LIVED and focus on Jacky until age sixteen. Join Jacky while he "borrows" fish at Boston's fish pier to feed his family. Walk with him and brother Packy searching the Old Mile Road to find wood and coal to chase the cold from the family's rented apartment. Hang a Boston Record newspaper bag over your shoulder and walk the streets with them shouting for customers. Steam some Carson Beach soft shell clams and swallow them whole relishing the salty broth for a perfect lunch. Be daring and board a wrecked motor boat with Jacky and friends while they slowly float out to sea from a nude beach on Dorchester Bay. Happily a couple with two young daughters rescues them. These stories recall Jacky's youth filled with hopes, happiness, and heartaches. They will appeal to readers young and old. Soon he is making guns for war and then is a soldier in France. Quietly Jacky's childhood ends, but he holds fast the memories of a remarkable boyhood. Enjoy Jacky's early life through his stories. These unique experiences cover his early years trying to help his family through hard times, especially when his Dad is in the Veterans' hospital. Told in a caring voice, readers interested in history, children's experiences, and life during the early 20th century, will cheer while Jacky fights for his family. John Patrick Roche is a writer and World War II veteran. Born in Boston, Massachusetts, he now lives and works in Illinois.