When the Green Grass Grows is a historical novel written to acquaint the reader with the benefits of growing up in Detroit, the motor capital of the world, when it was at its zenith. From 1931 to the early 1950s, growing up in Detroit was exciting, and one would be filled with wonder at its progress in that era. The narrative is about a boy named Charlie. He is an amazing boy who grows into a man who owes much of his development to Detroit. Sit back and enjoy this progressive story of Detroit from its beginning to the throes of bankruptcy.