A book that instantly captured the hearts of readers across the country, An American Childhood is Pulitzer Prize-winning author Annie Dillard's poignant, vivid memoir of growing up in Pittsburgh in the 1950s.
Much of the book focuses on her parents and some of her intellectual pursuits. Her mother was a non-conformist; her father taught her about plumbing and economics, and shared his enthusiasm for the novel On The Road. Annie took piano and dance classes, went rock and bug collecting, and loved books, especially about World War II.