Is Everybody Happy Now?: Growing Up After World War II

After World War II, miners in Crested Butte work only three days a week, so in order to support his family, Steve Skufca moves his wife and three daughters to Gunnison. Only 28 miles apart, the two Colorado towns have little in common other than their high altitudes, bitter winter cold and snow storms. Crested Butte’s immigrants and their families are Catholics, Democrats and union supporters. Gunnison’s Anglo-Saxon ranchers boast of generations living off the land and hold fast to their Protestant faith and the Republican Party. Nine-year-old Shirley Skufca is afraid she’ll never adapt to her new life in Gunnison. Terrified of going to a new school in the sixth grade, she tries to be like the other girls, attempting unsuccessfully to ice skate and only moderately successful riding a horse. She makes friends with Karen who shares her love of books, and they spend hours attempting to write a novel when they aren’t talking endlessly about boys. Shirley gains some acceptance when she is elected one of the queen’s attendants for the Spring Festival, but while the other girls wear pastel gowns, Shirley’s borrowed gold taffeta gown is an embarrassment. Being in Camp Fire, 4-H, and acting in plays boost her self-confidence, but she wonders if she’ll ever fit in. *** Touching, often humorous and always filled with hope, this book rings true for anyone who’s ever been the new kid in a strange town, trying to be brave while struggling to make friends. Ken Jon Booth – Author of The Stories of My Lives. Although politics, religion and family life are different in their new community, the abiding morals of their home provide the glue to hold the family together. Brent Gill, Newspaper Columnist The subtle humor lingers long after the reader turns the last page. Raghavendra Rao – Physician and author