This was a beautiful memoir; the neighbors Donna had surrounding her that became family was so touching to read. They all meant so much to her and taught her so many things, and they in turn looked out for her and protected her. It made me wistful and a little jealous, wishing I could have had that experience with adults and families surrounding me like that, especially dealing with difficult parents. It's so interesting too to see how the times have changed; like Donna pointed out, her friends would be shocked to see kids just walking down the street, texting and being incessantly on their phones instead of talking to people nearby and taking in the sights, sounds, smells. We don't value people and friendships as much as we used to, and that was very apparent in Donna's memories of her childhood, young adulthood, and life. I also enjoyed Donna's writing; it was fluid and presented well. I loved learning about New York and how it changed and evolved over the years too. Phenomenal read.