Sweet Land of Liberty

Come along as the little Polish Village of East Hammond continues its struggle in this new country. Witness the suffering and actual loss of lives as marching workers are shot and killed challenging for recognition of their union. Join them as they rebound and find courage to sing and dance beneath the smokestack of a giant incinerator. Welcome visiting gypsies. Be captivated by their music and campfire lure.

And, yes, there is still more Yellow Jacket football to be played with Lefty, Wolf, and the whole gang, complete with the customary grit, action, and lessons to be learned and passed on. Grab a sideline seat for two tough opponents-Chicago Heights and Joliet Prison.

Become a young child and with the author share living with Busia(grandmother), basking in her quiet ways and running freely throughout her neighborhood. Go shopping in the quaint little shopping village, just walking distance from home. Find anything from penny candy to live chickens to communion suits for little boys and white dresses for little girls. Look out for the trolley. Back home, create magical places from the top of a giant backyard wood pile.

Watch young women as they prepare so carefully for their wedding days, while the reality and challenges of WWII reached into their village, changing lives forever.

Stick around when the going gets rugged for "Rajmund," as Busia's safe boundaries give way to storms and street fights that rage through his early school years. Watch as he struggles with his God for an answer to why his closest childhood friend ended up in prison shackles-but not him.

Kneel in the soft light of St. Mary's sanctuary with three East Hammond Polish street kids who find comfort in the patient, still womb of family love, strong traditions, and God's mysterious grace.