"If, someday, it should happen that a grandchild of mine should ask, “Grandma, what were you like when you were a little girl?” I would answer without hesitation, I was a tomboy and a ‘back porch climber.’” So begins the luminous memoir of Madelyn Carney. In this debut collection of short stories, Carney conveys with tenderness and authenticity, a glimpse in to her life. Tales of childhood, lost loves, raising children and running rooming houses are recounted with frankness and wit, beauty and insight. Carney reminds us that with the passing of time we hold dearly to life's simple and poignant moments in hopes that we will preserve them and share them. She describes, not without humor, a childhood shared with her three siblings and young widowed mother. As the stories unfold we come to know this author's humility, sensitivity and above all an ability to express her heartwarming truth. The stories, for the most part, take place in the neighborhoods of Boston - Dorchester, Southie, Mission Hill - where we sense the influence of the parochial Irish Catholic Church. Spanning from the time of her birth in 1929, the year that ushered in the Great Depression, to more recent years as a grandmother, Carney takes us on a beautiful journey.