Bumping into history

the long version

"Born in 1916 to Jewish immigrants, Paul Barlin graduates from high school and is dumped into the Depression. From that point on, his life is interwoven with historical events of Depression era America. He hitchikes across the country to see what he can of America [and] finds his voice when he joins a theater group formed with Works Progress Administration funds and, later, when he discovers self-expression through dance. In Los Angeles, he makes history of his own with a landmark change in California's adoption law."--Back cover.