The Electrician

Book excerpt: From the leafy suburbs of Boston in the 1970s through the go-it-alone hedonism of the 1980s, this is a story told through the heart and eyes of a child struggling to make sense of it all and become a man--whatever that means.Both hilarious and poignant, The Electrician explores the life of a boy growing up surrounded by elderly, slightly crazy relatives whose experiences were tainted by the Depression and World War II. With omnipresent religious and ethnic traditions, impending nuclear holocaust, failed romances, alcoholism and, ultimately, recovery, it's a coming-of-age tale that will resonate with anyone who grew up in the shadow of history.