Living the Life I Always Wanted

John F. Willey, a native of Haverhill, Massachusetts, was born in 1930. The oldest of four children, tough times awaited him and his family as the Great Depression got under way.

With the economy worsening, bankers start jumping out of windows and the whole country is scared. The Willey family somehow gets by while refusing welfare. During these troubled times, John experiences the twangs of romantic love and enjoys many other boyhood firsts.

But as he gets older, John becomes addicted to...