When Pearl Harbor was attacked and the country entered WW2, Donald "Mac" Macdonald was recruited by the Manhattan Project. His wife, Bertha, managed the new rules on blackouts, rationing, and recycling rubber and tin needed for the war effort, while also ensuring security around her husband's classified job. Their eldest son, Sonny, 18, knew he would be drafted and aimed to join the ski and mountaineering troops of the 10th Mountain Division, utilizing his friends and family to gather the necessary recommendations.

Meanwhile, their youngest son, Ig, who was about to enter high school, became a messenger in the Boston office of the Manhattan Project. At just 15, he obtained his driver's license so he could deliver groceries. While Mac applied all his engineering skills in the race to bring the boys home, Sonny was determined to survive the battles in the Apennines of Italy. Ig found himself losing his carefree teenage years to work and school, and Bertha hoped that the secrecy surrounding their lives was worth all the sacrifices they had made. By the end of the war, the close-knit family experienced unexpected losses.

Author: A.E. Macdonald

Paperback

407 pages

Pub date: Oct 2025