The Backside of Yesterday

For me, "The Backside of Yesterday" was a labor of love . It has taken a year to write and six months to find a publisher to even read it. I am currently awaiting their decision. This novel is a companion piece of my soon to be published novel, "Fill My Eyes", due early next year.

"The Backside of Yesterday" is the opposite of "Fill My Eyes". Both are companion pieces that explore different aspects of the same subject--"Childhood". Whereas, the first novel gives a prologue, a possible answer for what is occurring today, "The Backside of Yesterday", is a nostalgic look back, on family and values and how the slow erosion, could have been avoided.

The novel is set during "The Great Depression" and tells the story of a family, not only living during one of the most terrible periods in American history, but they also must overcome scandal, that has ostracized them from the neighborhood. It is through the strong family ties along with the faith of the grandmother that pulls the family through crisis and obstacles. The values, that we sorely lack today. The novel does not lecture It is seen through the eyes of children and has both humor and pathos. I have spent a great deal of time researching the locale (Murray, Utah), during this period, as well as, studied the "jargon" or "slang" used during the 1930's.

In our high tech, fast paced society, we are faced with two parent working families, daycare, and constant worries over the declining economy, and the rise in prices for the basic essentials of daily living. For years, children have created their own play, made friends and stayed outside until it was dark, then had a fit when they had to come inside. Our youth today may find this premise strange. Now they play on the internet, watch unmonitored cable and dish TV, depicting violence and sex, as well as, play with inappropriate computer games. Despite all the outside pressures parents now face, they should be all the more vigilant in monitoring our future leaders.

We are all a product of our parents' teachings and somewhere down the line, this great tradition has slowly gone to hell. Part of this decay can be blamed on technology. Before you point your finger, look at your own immediate family and the internal dynamics, look at "the larger picture" for your problems. If people made it through the Great Depression, then they can overcome today's obstacles. No era in time was ever perfect, but never have we seen so much youth violence as we do today. Look at our headlines such as Columbine, Omaha, and scores of other mass murders committed by our young adults. It is a frightening commentary on how we, as a society, has spiraled downward.

Look to your parents and their parents and the absolute tenants they set down over the years. "The Backside of Yesterday"depending on your age, may just be the book to remind us of the importance of "family". For younger readers, it may read as a fantasy. The book is based on the concrete foundation that our strong family values were once built upon. A true classic never goes out of style!

"The Backside of Yesterday", is ironically more relevant today than ever. With our uncertain economy, we are forced to make choices and sacrifices. "Do I buy a gallon of gas, or get milk for the children?" And society today, is too uncomfortably close to the setting of this novel. When lessons go unlearned, history has a nasty way of repeating itself. We are products of the "instant gratification" generation. Many of us grew up without making sacrifices. It is the children of The Great Depression that are better equipped to deal with our crumbling economy. We should look to our elders for wisdom and advice.

"The Backside of Yesterday" can be read on many different levels. With another edit and several new additions to the manuscript, it is my fervent desire to see this novel published by a "traditional" book house. If not, I will use a POD or a vanity press, to get "The Backside of Yesterday" into the hands of the public.

With "The Backside of Yesterday", there is still hope, and combined with faith, this is an unbeatable combination to overcome any obstacle. And today we need both in order to survive in this chaotic world.