My family moved to Alcatraz Island in early June 1934, two months before it opened as a Maximum Security Penitentiary.  There was a transition period during which the Army vacated the Island, and the the prison was staffed with experienced personnel to operate the facility by August 1934.  My sister and I were seven and five years old, and we lived on the Island for ten years until my stepfather passed away. 

 

It was important for me to write my book, Alcatraz Schoolgirl, because most people have no idea that families lived on the twelve acre island in the middle of San Francisco Bay, where some of the worst criminals in the United States were confined.  In the midst of all this,  families had to find ways to enjoy a normal life in such threatening surroundings.  The book is not about the inmates or guards, but about me, and what it was like as a young girl suddenly thrust into a most unusual life experience.  I recall the daily boat trips to school in San Francisco, the inventive recreation activities of the kids, terrifying prison escape attempts, and our social life, etc.  I was also privileged to be a spectator to the many changes that occurred on the Bay during those years.

 

My book is available through Amazon.com for $7.95, on Kindle for $2.99 and can be ordered through any book store.