The Franklin Trail

By D.R. Cruikshank

The 50's and 60's. The birth of Rock and Roll, R&B, Soul and eventually more musical genres than you could shake a stick at. Disneyland, Mickey Mouse Club, Looney Tunes and a host of cartoon characters that would become household names, beloved by adults and children alike. Leave It to Beaver, Father Knows Best, My Three Sons and the like would introduce millions, both domestic and abroad, to family life in the good old U S of A. It was a magical time to be alive.Yeah right, unless you lived in California, grew up in a wealthy suburb or your parents were Ozzie and Harriet and you had a singing career before you were potty trained; or your mom cleaned house in a swanky dress instead of in her bathrobe with a cigarette hanging from her mouth, if she cleaned it at all. For many American families, life was tough. In most major cities, the suburbs that were built after WWII were mostly lookalike tract homes, a mix of one or two story houses and the occasional farm house, made affordable to WWII veterans through the GI Bill.This was the time when the threat of nuclear war was very real. School children were taught how to duck and cover (and kiss your ass goodbye). For some there were evacuation drills which included a walk to the railroad tracks, where box cars were lined up ready to cart the children to who knows where.There was also crime. Many gangs thrived in the inner cities. Metropolis, the fictional midwestern city this story is based on, was not immune. In South Metropolis gangs like the Baldies (named because of their close cropped haircuts) controlled drugs, prostitution, gambling, etc. At the same time their arch rivals the Animals (aka Greasers because of their long greasy hair) ruled North Metropolis. Close encounters between members of these gangs usually ended in extreme violence.Many of the wealthier families in these neighborhoods, fled the increasing growth of violent crime for the perceived safety of the nearby suburbs. It only makes sense that some of the very gangs these immigrants were fleeing from, would also migrate into those same suburbs. This was true in the suburb that I grew up in.Sunset Park, my city, due west of Metropolis, was a quaint village built around a train depot. At the end of WWII, it suddenly found itself growing dramatically. Those families from North and South Metropolis, that missed out on the initial buying frenzy of property in the most coveted suburbs, found themselves settling for the last remaining, undeveloped areas of Sunset Park. This resulted in a large disparity between families of different means, ethnicity, religion, etc. Those families that weren't separated by a natural boundary, were integrated with other families of different backgrounds. It was a real melting pot. To survive in this environment, most kids made friends and formed cliques. For others, specifically loners like me, you had to be tough. I had no problem being tough. I was a lean, mean son of a marine. When necessary I trespassed against others, and punished those who trespassed against me (or mine). I shamelessly led others to temptation, and delivered my form of justice to those who would do evil.This book is not about a pleasant walk down memory lane. It is a stroll along the nightmarish path of alcoholism, mental illness, crime, violence and dysfunctional families. A path I named the Franklin Trail. To paraphrase Wilson Pickett, every town has one, and they are all very, very funky.Yet, this novel is not all bad. It is a story about good versus evil, first kisses, unrequited love, coming of age and one boy's struggle with his attempt to play by the rules and regulations, while attempting to find his own identity, even if it meant paying with his very soul.This is a fictional memoir of my life growing up in these exciting, yet troubled, times. Some characters and events have been altered in the spirit of literary license.D. R. Cruikshank.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1799107442
• ISBN13: 9781799107446
• Release Date: March 2019
• Publisher: Independently published
• Length: 440 Pages
• Weight: 1.92 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.6" x 1.1" x 6.7"