Amazon.com description: Product Description: John Cooper's moving tale of growing up in the slums of Philadelphia in the 1940's is a startling look at a difficult time in American history. African-American and overwhelmingly poor, John was one of eight boys raised by his remarkable mother amidst difficulties many of us can't even imagine. As a young boy he believed in magic, fairy godmothers, and Hollywood motion pictures, but grows up to recognize that it is the struggle to survive that gives life meaning and that the best lessons in life come from one's own experiences.