The Power of Historic Story Telling

Historian Doris Kearns Goodwin once wrote that history involves sharing the stories of those who came before us so that we might learn from their hardships and successes. In line with this idea, a local writer created the novel, Shellback, inspired by real people from Utica who lived through the Great Depression and World War II. The narrative centers on a young boy, born to Italian immigrant parents, who endures tough times with the singular goal of escaping poverty. In the second half of the book, his journey continues as he becomes a sailor taking part in major Pacific battles of World War II—including Pearl Harbor, the Aleutian Islands, Guam, Tarawa, and Saipan—with the author skillfully placing her fictional characters into well-researched, authentic historical events.