First Person, Twice Removed

About the Book

First Person, Twice Removed is a novel depicting the true story in the life of a young boy seeking his place on the food chain as he and his family travel from near eviction on the West side of Chicago to the splendors of Brdgeport on the South side of Chicago.

His families, shoestring, purchase of a six flat in the Bridgeport area and the challenges it present as it tries to fall down around their ears one apartment at a time gives new meaning to that old adage ''a great learning experience.''

From broken pipes at 12 below to dead cats in the attic at 96 above. From steel poles in the head to operating on a brothers gun shot wound he travels from one dilemma to the next trying to stay one step ahead fo the beat cop and the many Fagan wanna be's we all meet along the way.

His travels in and around the building prepare him for a life of normal stupid choices and decisions that take him to the brink of death only to escape by the skin of his teeth just in time for his next harrowing debacle. Along with his 4 siblings they learn what it means to have a loving, forgiving and supportive family unit. The family and the neighborhood become a place of comfort and safety.

It's evident one can go back (if only in your mind) if you don't spoil it on your first trip through. Even though the account was penned by one of the seven, it could have been written by any one of the players with just a little different flavor.

About the Author

James (Gymmy Shoes) or (Jimmy) Shields was born in Chicago in 1939 the second of five kids to Edward and Evelyn (Babe) Shields. At the age of 9 he along with his family moved into the predominantly Polish section of Bridgeport where if your Dad wasn't a Politician he most likely worked in meat packing. There were a lot who were in both industries and in Chicago's Eleventh Ward Politics was an industry. Although Bridgeport wasn't a city but simply a neighborhood within Chicago, it acted like one. It was ethnically separated by nationalities. From the Chinese on the East you could traverse through Italy and then through Lithuania and on into Poland then South along the South branch of the river to the Union Stock Yards and then head back East again to Ireland. All these little area's had their own Church's, distinctive little shops, restaurants and celebrations. They also had their own street gangs but someone in every group knew someone in another group so there wasn't too much friction between groups. Everyone kinda stayed in their own area.

The entire family remained in the Bridgeport area until their Father retired and moved to the Beverly neighborhood on the far Southside of Chicago. The five kids spread out to the Southern suburbs remaining close to their roots.

Jim and other siblings continually run back to the neighborhood just to see what remains and what has changed since those early days. No longer can the rats walk across bubbly creek as all the water has been cleaned up and now those slimy banks sport new high rise luxury condo's. All the neat candy stores and hamburger joints are gone replaced by video rental, cell phone stores and the like. Most of the old Taverns remain with new names. So, for clarifictaion while one can go back if only in your mind just remember they will continually move things around.

Jim suffered a stroke in 1986 and remains in the Southwest suburbs with his wife Nancy of 40 years who was one of the group in the book. They have three children, two of whom still live in Chicago. The middle daughter did defect to Kentucky a few years back with their only two Grandchildren. What nerve. Life has been good!