No one seemed to notice. Or if they did, it was the cuteness: bangs and big brown eyes speckled with gold when the sun hit. Johnny wasn’t very tall at age 5 when his life on the streets began, so crowds, sometimes reckless, passed without even seeing the child. They couldn’t know he was an orphan, hungry, living alone, frightened, feeling physical pain from his loss and abandonment; that he slept on a cot in a fetal position covered only by sheets. They were his shield against evil, and he managed heroically to endure daily misery with its terrifying bedtime.

The last time he saw his mother she was sleeping in a box by the window in the parlor with tape across her mouth. When Johnny understood it was forever, he relied on happy memories to help his sadness; an outdoor birthday party, mama swirling around with flowers in her hair like a princess in a book, dancing, playing with the little children, pouring lemonade. Oh, how he adored his sweet mother. He loved his backyard too; the grapevines so good for hide and seek, the honeysuckle, the apple tree, even though mama said it was sick and don’t eat any. Then papa, whom he also revered, stole him away from his bed just before dawn so his aunts wouldn’t see, and hurried along the river toward the train, mostly with Johnny in his arms. Where better to hide his child than behind the fun and fantasy of Coney Island? It promised a new life of joy and healing of sorrow. But Johnny longed for the familial embrace.

“Try a little mustard on it,” says Abe, the gray-bearded hot dog vendor, to the boy he had seen walking wearily the streets and midways of the famous amusement park. Mr. Abe becomes Johnny’s best friend on the street, sage with a soft heart. Truant but innocent, the child is eager for knowledge: first learning to read from discarded newspapers and comic books. Eating from generosity and sleeping in fear, Johnny exists with unusual dignity. His friends, carnival workers and a neighbor family, and of course, Abe, are reticent to report the extended absences of the father, afraid Johnny will be taken into custody.

Suffering is a way of life for Johnny, even when living in the thought-to-be safety of the boys’ orphanage in upstate New York. He would spend years from age 8 to high school graduation but not without harm. Yet John forgave the headmaster and his wife as he’d been taught by his true Master. As God watched over John, seeing him become a righteous young man, surely, he remembered crafting Eve for lonely Adam. Might it now be time for a comforting romantic intervention?

"Synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.

PBShop.store US

Wood Dale, IL, U.S.A.

5-star seller

AbeBooks seller since April 7, 2005

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Item	7 to 14 business days	7 to 14 business days
First item	£ 0.00	£ 0.00

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We first started out as “The Paperback Exchange,” a chain of physical bookstores where we would part exchange your beloved books for new stories to transport you to faraway places. However, as shopping started to evolve to online shops and marketplaces, we bid our stores goodbye to become “PBShop.” This transition has only allowed us to blossom as we now ship thousands of titles to book lovers across the globe. We pride ourselves in being a community of local book lovers which allows our passion and devotion to shine in everything we do. In 2020 we not only celebrated our 20th birthday but our 1st birthday as being completely employee owned after becoming an E.O.T in September 2019. We are proud to be different and embrace standing apart on a book mountain by working from a virtual inventory which allows us to provide thousands of books that may be difficult to get for your bookshelf or your studies. Working with a number of different suppliers allows us to explore other avenues such as puzzles, sheet music and even stationery so we really do have something for everyone. Life is about being versatile in all realms of existence. If this is your first visit or you are a returning customer, we would like to welcome you to the PBShop family, for there is no friend as loyal as a book. We are a company who put our customers at the centre of everything we do as we understand the importance of reading because once you learn to read, you will forever be free. There are a whole lot of things in this world of ours that we are yet to explore, which is why we will forever inspire curious minds.…

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The Train Before Dawn

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