In the prologue, the author relates the reader to his childhood experiences and to events of 1933 in order to foreshadow his reflective, historical approach. While he celebrates places, persons, events of early years, he connects those memories to recent reports and personal losses. We are left with shifting waves of known and unknown during our shared lives. It is a meditation with readers to recount ways in which, even in our individuation, we are interconnected to each other and to events beyond our control or understanding. The subtitle term, "Themes", suggests that the discourse lies beyond memoir, narrative, and philosophy. In addition to diverse characters, the book offers particular contributions from poor whites, Native Americans, Black Americans, and Jews. In the epilogue, the author grants three fleeting, unforgettable moments, when he was transported into oneness with the ocean, with others, and with a stepdaughter. His humor and his dreams for peace are expressed in an ending fable which extends the magical theme into a watery world of a snake and frog relationship.
