This is a touching story of a young teen-age boy growing up in Brooklyn, who had a lonely and unhappy childhood. At the age of sixteen he meets and falls in love with Esta, a lovely, outgoing, and mature-looking girl of thirteen, the sister of his best friend. Before too long, he finds himself in the Navy on a subchaser during World War II. For a young man who had never been away from home, this is a startling experience. Sol, a Jew, runs into instances of anti-semitism, when he is thrust into a completely different environment.
Shortly, he is embroiled in several invasions of Japanese held islands in the Pacific and in combat with warplanes, including kamikazes. Just before the war ends, he comes home on leave. He immediately marries his sweetheart, who has been waiting for him. The next time he comes home, it is for good.
Uncertain of their future, Sol and his wife Esta lean on each other for strength in raising and educating their four children. Their life together unfolds over a period of almost six decades.
There were extremely happy times and times of great sorrow. No matter the situation, they faced it with optimism and a sense of humor.