Exploring the previously hidden lives of the women who raised families and made ends meet in Scotland's crowded urban tenements, this book draws on memories of the first half of the 20th century that evoke living conditions unimaginable today. It is an eloquent tribute to stamina, management skills, and moral strength in the face of poor housing and relentless poverty. This book contains material not previously published on taboo subjects such as sexual awareness and domestic violence, and it explains the social context that regulated women's behavior.

The author believes that genealogy (the study of one's ancestors) should involve far more than the mere gathering of names, dates and places. Our ancestors were real people who were so much more than a mere collection of birth, marriage and death dates. This book attempts to put 'meat on the bones' of the genealogical facts for four individuals, grandparents of the author. This book captures the family histories of the author's four grandparents, all born in the 1890s. Utilizing social history methods the author adds depth and detail to the simple facts of the two couples' vital statistics. By weaving the story of her grandparents lives with interesting information about how they lived their day-to-day lives and the social changes that impacted them, the author paints a fascinating picture that brings the individuals to life. Maternal grandparents, the Crislers, were Hoosiers, born in rural farming communities of northwestern Indiana in the early 1890s who left their familiar agrarian existence for life in the big city of Chicago just prior to the Great Depression. The Simpsons, her paternal grandparents, also born in the 1890s were city dwellers from Glasgow Scotland who emigrated to America settling in Chicago in the mid 1920s in search of steady employment and a better life.

After a very strict upbringing, Vittoria/Vicki/Victoria struggles to ‘fit’ in the more modern society of their new Country to which her immigrant parents brought her. It is a story as seen and experienced initially by a 5 year old, from the time she leaves her birthplace; her long sea voyage to Australia; the restrictive cultural rules she had to adhere to whilst in her ‘inner society’; and the lengths she had to go to, in order to give the appearance that she was just like the other girls in the ‘outer society’. It is a story of the ever-present anxiety of her ‘double life’ being found out; the ever-present fears of embarrassment if her ‘outer society’ friends were to find out how ‘stuck’ her family was in their old country’s cultural ideas and beliefs; and her naivety to believe that if she let her guard down she would be met with disbelief and ridicule; only to later discover that Australia was made up of ‘New’ Australians. It is a story of the ‘dating’ challenges faced by a young female growing up in such a restrictive household and the calculated risks she took, (sometimes with her co-conspirators), in order to get her parents’ permission to go out with her friends. It is a story of learning from her parents to appreciate and be thankful for what she had; and that her trait of having compassion for others was only possible because of the love and family values that were instilled in her. It is a story of the human spirit’s great capacity to heal the disappointments; hurt and betrayal; which, in turn, enables one to forgive. Of the strong faith one needs to possess in order to accept the physical and emotional pain with which one is afflicted in life. And of the great strength with which one is graced in order to cope when in such pain. But mostly, it is a story of the comradery which existed between the families during that era. They relied on and helped one another with everything. They laughed, cried and shared with one another. There was a sense of belonging, closeness and security that seems to be missing in the lives of so many of our young people today.