Take No Memories: A Catholic Irish-American Immigrant at the Turn of the 19th Century

It's 1945, and across the nation Americans are coming to terms with life after the war. For young Ken Frejlach (aka) Allie, that means adjusting to his family's move from Chicago to run a ranch in Blue Diamond, a small operation outside of Las Vegas, Nevada.

Motivated by his mother's worsening health and his father's unrequited love for his wife, the family packs up and heads west in search of a new beginning-or at least a bit of relief from the mother's arthritic condition. Told through the eyes of seven-year-old Ken (aka Allie), "Take No Memories "chronicles the Frejlach family's attempts to move beyond their past to carve out a different life in America's new frontier at the dawn of the nuclear age. With his family leaving behind all the comforts of electricity, telephone, and hot running water, Allie watches his parents struggle to keep the small ranch-and their marriage-afloat.

A story about growing up and coming to terms with the imperfections of parents and the hardships of life, "Take No Memories "is not only a compelling story about one man's youth, but also a fascinating look at life in a dynamic place during one of the most significant periods in our country's history. The private names have been change but not those of public personalities or places.