Ms. Day was born and raised in a small town in upstate New York during the late 30's through the early 50's. Being part of a family of nine children and an alcoholic father brought on many hardships, yet there were many delightful moments as well. "Mama's Diamonds" is a collection of these tales. The story tells of the extent that the mother and children of this poor Irish family had to go through and the things they had to endure in order to survive. Their wily nature helped. Mama O'Brien loved all her children and would have been shocked to know what devious means they used and the risks they took in order to obtain some of the necessities of life. Perhaps she knew, but just couldn't bear to acknowledge that this was for the most part, required in order to supplement the meager substance provided by their father. One might ask about her precious diamonds and their worth, and why couldn't they be used to help support the family; but they did ... just not in a materialistic sense.