WE LIVED AS CHILDREN

A picture of a San Francisco childhood as lived by children of divorced parents, walking the tightrope between adjustment to the father living in luxury, and the mother in real poverty, putting up a brave front. A story of gradual balancing of the two, of a climb-up from the slums to better living conditions, of the bits of life on the father's ranch, of playmates and childhood episodes, of the earthquake and great fire, of the war and its part in their development. Good reading, somewhat episodic in character -- a backward look to a tomboy childhood, as told by the younger sister, and of years filled with appealing incident, skilfully presented. A distinctly memborable book.