The Crazyladies of Pearl Street - Trevanian

In a heartfelt and unforgettable look back at one child's life in the 1930s and '40s, six-year-old Jean-Luc LaPointe gradually takes on responsibility for his family's survival with a mix of bravery and resentment while his mom turns from spells of illness and depression to eager planning for the day when our ship will come in.