One Man's Family tells the story of a typical Italian-American family, the Digiornos, who live in Brooklyn, New York. Shared through the eyes of fifteen-year-old Tommy Digiorno, the story begins on Sunday, December 7, 1941, just as word spreads around their neighborhood that the Japanese had just bombed the United States. In the ensuing shock and panic, Tommy shares his reactions and those of each of his family members in vivid detail.
The turning point in the story is when Tommy's seventeen-year-old brother and their dad's favorite son, Salvatore, tricks their dad, who cannot read, into signing a form giving him permission to enlist since he is not yet eighteen. His deception works, and Salvatore leaves immediately to enlist. Tommy, however, now finds himself in the untenable position of betraying his brother and telling his terrified parents the truth. What follows is the family learning to cope with the war while living for word, which comes often, from Salvatore, who is in combat. Their dad now considers him a hero while their mom is worried sick for his safety.
One Man's Family gives readers a front-row seat into the disruption and fear, the joy and sorrow, within the Digiorno family along with their bravery and courage in carrying on during that turbulent time in the history of our nation and the world. Interspersed throughout the story, Tommy provides intriguing backstory that adds color and depth, which helps readers to understand what it was like to live in their situation.