South City Mosaic: Life On Alaska by Glenn Sartori.
South City Mosaic Series Book One.
I grew up in the South City on a street called Alaska. The mosaic of my early years is like a collection of tiles in a multicolored mural. The tiles were pieced together by many hands —my loving and stable family, the tightknit neighborhood, my grade school friends, and the compassionate nuns at St. Cecilia’s School. Come back and visit those years with me. Perhaps my grade school adventures will make you smile…and possibly help you recall your own cherished childhood memories.
5 Stars: South City Mosaic: Life On Alaska Will Capture Your Heart and Mind!
Whether you are young or old, South City Mosaic: Life On Alaska will capture your heart and mind as endearing, heartfelt boyhood memories from Kindergarten through Eighth Grade are experienced in and around Glenn’s house and loving family home on 5226 Alaska Ave.
Twenty-two life packed chapters that truly begin on April 10, 1940 when Glenn was born. Read the well-placed words of Glenn’s vivid childhood memories that will take you back in time to the sights, sounds, smells and yes, tastes of a simpler, kinder and gentler life.
There are so many examples that I want to share with you, so choosing this one is difficult, but reflective of the mood and character of the stories. I quote: “In the 1940s and 50s, before electronic games and computers, collecting and trading baseball cards was a boyhood passion everywhere, and my grade school was no exception. The chance of getting a Mays, Mantle or Musial was thrilling, and to get the final card that completed your set of any baseball team, especially the St. Louis Cardinals, was a victory. Cards with pictures and stats of baseball players were the only type available, no hockey or football players. I bought mine at my neighborhood grocery store—a nickel for five cards packaged with a sheet of bubblegum. If I think about it, I can still smell the bubblegum aroma that wafted from the open package. Chomping down on the malleable pink sheet of gum filled my mouth with sugary juices. As vivid as the memory of chewing the gum is, I have no recall of blowing bubbles. Maybe I never acquired that skill set.
On many days after school, my friends and I would trade baseball cards, usually on someone’s front porch. It was always fun and a good way to complete a team. Shouts like “I’ll trade you a Duke Snider for an Alvin Dark. Or I’ll trade you a Yogi Berra for a Gil Hodges” were flying around the group. Sometimes we’d trade two for one, and occasionally three for one if someone really needed a particular player. We’d even coordinate trades between three or four kids. I loved those times. (I had a fine collection but not now. After I’d been gone from home for few years, I discovered that my dad had donated, among other things, the baseball cards to the St. Joseph’s Orphan Home for boys. Maybe they enjoyed them, traded them as I had.)”
Look at the 21 photos from those days and let your taste buds recall one or more of the included recipes that will draw you back in time. If you are young, you will learn valuable information about life for one young boy in the 40’s and 50s. If you are older, the memories written in this book will no doubt trigger some pleasant memories of your childhood.
Compare your childhood with Glenn’s, his first cigarette, first kiss and so many more firsts, which you will not want to miss. Like me you will be forced to wait for Glenn’s promised book two and three in his South City Mosaic Series.
South City Mosaic: Life On Alaska by Glenn Sartori is a childhood memoir worth reading. Read all Author Glenn Sartori’s books found at Amazon.
Editorial Review (Book Marketing Global Network).
Review by Martha A. Cheves (VINE VOICE): 5.0 out of 5 Stars. Read the book to see what they were and how much fun they gave us all. Reviewed in the United States on August 8, 2016. Verified Purchase. I was born in 1949 making me just a little younger than this author so when I saw that his book contains memories of his childhood, I had to read it. Through these memories he has not only restored my own memories but has also given me a few laughs along the way. If you’re anywhere within this age group, see how many of these items you too remember. If you’re not in this age group, read the book to see what they were and how much fun they gave us all.
Do you remember:
A 4 bladed push mower – no motor!
Two 2 x 2 wooden posts cemented in the ground (if you’re lucky) with a wire strung between them – yep, the clothes line!
Black pieces of coal – no not charcoal like used for BBQ. These went into the furnace, with a fire, and heated your home!
The cards that you sometimes clipped to your bike wheels to make noise – You got it, Baseball Cards that you would give your eye teeth to have now!
Penny candy – sometimes you could even get 2 pieces for a penny – those days are gone forever!
These are just a few of those memories many of us still cherish. There are many more that I had buried and were brought back to me by this author. Just a few are – the scouts, dinner at the table as a family, mom’s home remedies, and a real oldie – the 1st kiss.
As I said, if you aren’t a baby boomer that grew up in these times, you’ll still get a kick out of what your parents and grandparents did when they were kids. To the author I say “Thanks for the Memories.”
Review by Ellen B.: 5.0 out of 5 Stars. A lovely memoir engagingly written. Reviewed in the United States on April 11, 2016. Verified Purchase. The question, “Where did you go to high school?” is commonly asked in St. Louis; but, “What parish did you live in?” is certainly a close second. Glenn Sartori’s South City Mosaic: Life on Alaska is a charming and engagingly written memoir of his childhood on the city’s South Side, where he attended church and school at St. Cecelia’s Parish.
Glenn details his early years in a modest brick cottage on Alaska Street, introducing us to his family, his childhood friends and his teachers. Delightful vignettes paint life in a simpler time: trading baseball cards on a friend’s front porch; walking to the local theater for a Saturday movie; diagramming sentences under sister’s stern gaze; learning to be an altar boy; and, experiencing a first kiss–or two.
Glenn’s stories stirred wonderful memories for me since I was growing up a little farther south on Grand Avenue in a very similar house, also on a street lined with sycamore trees, but in St. Stephen’s Parish. The boys at St. Cecelia’s were more daring than the girls at St. Stephen’s, however, and I laughed out loud reading Glenn’s retelling of how the boys selected their confirmation names to form slightly sacrilegious acronyms with their initials. GAS (yes, Glenn chose St. Anthony) and ASS were highly rated.
I look forward to Life on South Grand, the second book in Glenn’s trilogy, which will recount his high school years at the all-boys’ St. Mary’s. I’m sure that once again my memory will be jogged. After all, while Glenn was at St. Mary’s, I was just a street-car ride away, attending the all-girls’ high school, St. Elizabeth Academy.
Review by Dori Coe (formerly Doris Singer): 5.0 out of 5 Stars. It was so much fun to reminisce. Reviewed in the United States on November 25, 2017. Verified Purchase. Knowing Glenn in the 50s, 60s and 70s, it was so much fun to reminisce. I knew him from teen towns, from St. Mary’s (we were the competition at BISHOP DUBOURG), i knew him through college and when we both married. I always had great respect for him and his family. I was taken back in time. I so enjoyed all three books. I giggled, I cried. You cant read just one book—you have to read them all. Memories, memories, memories. Thanks Glenn.
Review by Ralph & Charleen Sartori: 5.0 out of 5 Stars. What a wonderful era in which to be born with a neighborhood … Reviewed in the United States on March 9, 2016. Verified Purchase. Thanks, Glenn, for your book LIFE ON ALASKA. It rekindled fond memories of our childhood. What a wonderful era in which to be born with a neighborhood centered around church and school. A time that cannot be duplicated and will never return. Our generation enjoyed the simple pleasures; freedom to walk for blocks, day or night, without any fear, family picnics, climbing trees, playing bottle caps, singing songs of the 50’s and so much more. This way of life may be lost forever but your book will always keep our wonderful childhood memories alive!
Review by CLIFF J KIRCHMER: 5.0 out of 5 Stars. A sensitive, humorous biography of childhood in South St. Louis during the 1940s and early 1950s. Reviewed in the United States on October 31, 2017. Verified Purchase. This book is especially recommended for those who are interested in education in Catholic grade schools during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It is a biography of his childhood, with particular focus on his experiences at St. Cecilia’s Catholic Grade School in South St. Louis. His detailed memories of this period lead one to understand how much different childhood and educational experiences are from today. He treats these memories with respect, resulting in an accurate, sensitive, humorous description of his childhood.
Review by Grandma: 5.0 out of 5 Stars. I really enjoyed this book. Reviewed in the United States on March 24, 2020. Verified Purchase. This is a great book to read if you grew up in South St Louis. All the memories will come back of your childhood days in the 50’s and 60’s. It is a feel-good book about a wonderful time and place to grow up.
Review by James Rehg: 5.0 out of 5 Stars. Take a walk down memory lane with Glenn. I guarantee you will enjoy the trip. Reviewed in the United States on November 21, 2015. Verified Purchase. This is a must read if you grew up in the 40s and 50s. Glenn’s memories will take you back to those early years and if you grew up Catholic you will be right there with him in the classroom living in fear of the nuns or insisting to your mom that you had to it because “sister said”. It is amazing that the book touches on so many of the experiences we all had regardless of where we lived. The memories it invokes will make you glad you read the book and lived through those fabulous years.
Review by Marilyn C. Hummel: 5.0 out of 5 Stars. Memories. Reviewed in the United States on November 11, 2021. Verified Purchase. Easy and enjoyable read.
Product Details:
Paperback: 150 Pages
Publisher: Prince & Pauper Press; 1st Edition (December 28, 2016)
Language: English
Memoirs
Amazon Print:
https://www.amazon.com/South-City-Mosaic-Life-Alaska/dp/1622510224/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=
South City Mosaic: Life On South Grand by Glenn Sartori.
South City Mosaic Series Book Two
It was a short walk, six city-blocks from my life on Alaska to my life on South Grand. The time was the mid-1950s. The high school was St. Mary’s, an all-boys Catholic institution, located on South Grand Avenue.
Besides receiving a good education and forging lifelong friendships, those four years were filled with classroom antics, pep rallies, football games, after-school and summer jobs, and of course, girls. So … find a comfortable spot and come back with me to those high school years and perhaps my adventures will make you smile … and possibly help you recall your own cherished memories.
Review by James Rehg: 5.0 out of 5 Stars. Glenn helps the reader relive what many consider the best years of their lives “high school”. Reviewed in the United States on October 16, 2016. Verified Purchase. Life on South Grand is Glenn’s second book in his memoir trilogy and no more than a short walk down the block from his first book, Life on Alaska. As in book one, he uses a humorous storytelling style and vivid details to paint clear images that carry the reader back to high school, a special time and place in life. In Life on South Grand he chronicles his life as a student in the mid-1950s at St. Mary’s, a Catholic all boys high school, on South Grand. However, students who attended any private or public high school in those years will find that Glenn’s stories conjure up similar memories as they look back around the corner of their lives at their high school years. He reminisces about classes taken and the instructors who taught them. While some classes and teachers reshaped his life, others were much less memorable. His stories include reflections on working at after school and summer jobs, playing high school sports, attending football pep rallies and games, and making friends that would stand the test of time. In general, Glenn helps the reader relive what many consider the best years of their lives “high school”. He invites the reader to enjoy again the excitement of finding their first steady girlfriend or boyfriend and attending school mixers, dances, and proms. Relive with Glenn the sometimes-painful experience of growing up—a challenging experience that four years of high school foists upon every student. Enjoy a good read—and let Glenn’s adventures make you smile and help you recall your own cherished memories.
Review by Grandma: 5.0 out of 5 Stars. A step back in time to your youthful days. Reviewed in the United States on March 24, 2020. Verified Purchase. Loved this book about growing up in South St Louis and the catholic schools. great memories for the 1950’s and 1960 age group I will recommend it to all my friends that I keep in contact with. Very enjoyable.
Review by Fran Bradley: 5.0 out of 5 Stars. Great Read! Reviewed in the United States on November 12, 2016. Verified Purchase. I loved this book! I grew up in St Louis and I could see and feel everything that was happening. Glenn has a way of making a story whimsical and entertaining. I loved knowing what teenage boys were thinking about and it made me reminiscent of that time in my life. I enjoyed the first book. “Life on Alaska” and “Life on South Grand” was just as entertaining. Can’t wait for the third book in this series.
Review by Roger Wildhaber: 5.0 out of 5 Stars. Five Stars. Reviewed in the United States on November 9, 2016. Verified Purchase. Good read.
Product Details:
Paperback: 130 Pages
Publisher: Prince & Pauper Press; 1st Edition (January 14, 2017)
Language: English
Memoirs
South City Mosaic: Life On West Pine (1st Edition) by Glenn Sartori.
South City Mosaic Series Book Three.
This is it…
My final book in the South City Mosaic trilogy—life on the West Pine Campus of St. Louis University—takes a humorous look at my college years. Fraternity parties, intramural sports, and shared experiences built the groundwork for lifelong friendships. And yes, I did attend classes where I experienced bizarre professors and participated in juvenile pranks, and along the way managed to earn an electrical engineering degree.
Review by Carl Ehrlich: 5.0 out of 5 Stars. This book was wonderfully done, specifically for those readers who lived parts … Reviewed in the United States on October 7, 2017. Verified Purchase. This book was wonderfully done, specifically for those readers who lived parts of the tale. Glenn completely understands what happened in the South part of St. Louis in the late 50s and early 60s to young people. He then chronicles these stories. South ST. Louis and our stories are gone and civilization as we knew it began its vicious downward spiral not long after those tales were playing out. It was so wonderful to go back and see again what life was like then thanks to “Life on West Pine”.
Review by Chris Flesor: 5.0 out of 5 Stars. Icing on the Cake! Reviewed in the United States on November 5, 2017. This was my favorite of the trilogy, but I thought that about the first one… I enjoyed all three! I’m sad there are no further editions to come, but I guess you only grow up once. This was fun, so well-written, and I felt like I was right there with the “guys!” What talent to recall and research, in such colorful detail, the pathways of youth. What a great legacy for all! Congratulations, Glenn Sartori! Beautiful!
Review by Fran B.: 5.0 out of 5 Stars. Love this Author’s writing and style. Reviewed in the United States on October 23, 2017. This was the 3rd in a series and I loved everyone. Having grown up in St Louis I could picture and enjoy every memory that Glenn shared. It was funny, heartwarming and authentic!
Product Details:
Paperback: 136 Pages
Publisher: Prince & Pauper Press; 1st Edition (September 14, 2017)
Language: English
Memoirs
Amazon Print:
https://www.amazon.com/South-City-Mosaic-Life-West/dp/1622510194/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=
About The Author: Glenn Sartori is a lifelong resident of St. Louis, Missouri and graduated from St. Louis University with BS and MS in Electrical Engineering. In 1997 he married Rosanne and enjoy condo living in St. Louis County. They have two sons Michael and Jeffrey, both grown, live in different cities and have a family of their own.
Glenn worked in electronic design and engineering management at McDonnell-Douglas/Boeing, and traveled to many countries, his favorite was Japan. He retired in 2002, which is the same year Rosanne retired from teaching in the St. Charles School District.
In late 2002, Glenn started his second career as an author of text books. Along with his college friend, they have co-authored four engineering text books for Pearson Education Publishing Company. Glenn successfully transitioned to writing mystery novels and most recently published the first book of his memoir trilogy.
Author’s Page At Book Marketing Global Network:
https://bookmarketingglobalnetwork.com/book-marketing-global-network/glenn-sartoris-books/
