Seen through the eyes of an intellectually ambitious son of immigrant parents, Concrete Steps is the story of a boy growing up in the 1940s and '50s as he struggles with his family and within himself to attain his independence. At times irreverent and breezy, at times thoughtful and provocative, this crisply written memoir of growing up in Baltimore in mid-20^th century America lays out the conflicts and joys of coming of age at a momentous time in our history. It will stir in the reader thoughts of times past and challenges of times present.

In this memoir, Larry C. Kerpelman provides a topical, rather than chronological, look at life in the 1940s through the 1950s as he lived it and learned from it. It interweaves the spirit and events of the times with his personal story. Taking an unvarnished look at the gritty realities of urban life in mid-20^th-century America, his memoir chronicles the life of a family new to this country and not yet fully assimilated, struggling to make a living, dealing with anti-Semitism, coping with war on the home front, and yet trying to live their lives as fully as possible.

LARRY C. KERPELMAN, Ph.D., is an award-winning writer whose books include Pieces Missing: A Family's Journey of Recovery from Traumatic Brain Injury and Activists and Nonactivists: A Psychological Study of American College Students. He lives in Massachusetts with his wife, Joanie.