In their memoir, An American Childhood, David Contosta and Philip Hazelton, cousins who grew up in the same hometown, recount both the joys and pains of growing up in the mid-twentieth century. Experiencing the comforts of middle-class family life, they recall bonfires and marching bands, hikes through woods ablaze with autumn foliage, and an amusement park by the lake. They also remember the racism, sexism, homophobia, class discrimination, religious...