First published 2013
Ron Miscavige was a kid when eight and nine year olds played with dynamite in coal country. He lived through the era of argyle socks and five cent Coca-Colas, when anything seemed possible in small mining towns. Miscavige recalls his adventures alongside friends like Speedy Butelo, Jake Pupko, and Joe Sarisky, real people who shared his unconventional childhood. The 1940s and 1950s created their own particular magic in these forgotten corners of America, where danger mixed freely with innocence. Through a series of connected stories, Miscavige captures the peculiar charm of growing up when rules were different and childhood carried risks that would terrify modern parents. His memories reveal a vanished world where kids found their own entertainment and learned hard lessons early. This collection marks the first in a planned series, offering readers a window into an America that existed before safety became paramount and childhood became supervised.
Genres: family-life, 20th-century, american, coming-of-age, autobiography, biography-memoir
Vibes: emotional, intimate, nostalgic
Tropes: coming-of-age, found-family
Setting: America, Coal Country, Small Mining Towns
Period: 1940s, 1950s
112 pages · Paperback · CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform