In This Difficult Time

By Shirley Skufca Hickman

Our county of Tulare in California has had 3,000 cases of the coronavirus and 95 deaths. What have I been doing during this difficult time? I’ve made over 100 facemasks for our hospital, three cradle quilts to give to children at Christmas, and revised a romance novel. I’m also writing a book about my days at Cal Poly and my involvement in the Civil Rights Movement.
    My first cousin’s daughter found my email address on Amazon and ordered six of my books. She and I are now corresponding and talking on the phone. I felt an immediate connection with her as we swapped stories about the family. Her grandparents, my aunt and uncle, were arrested and put in jail on their wedding day. The tradition in those days was for the men to work as soon as they were old enough and to give their earnings to the family. My Uncle Frank kept his salary to get married, and his father had him arrested for theft. The judge let the newlyweds go because, legally, my uncle was entitled to his salary. I love stories like this.
    I’m very happy that the DACA people [illegal immigrants brought here as children] will be allowed to stay, at least for now. My novel Fall in Love with an Orange Tree or a Book is about such a student. The book is required reading in some English classes at Monache High School and Porterville High School in my town.

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Editor’s Note: Below is a list of  all of Shirley’s published books. Links to purchase via Amazon are included with each title. Or, to order from Shirley directly, you may email her:

Don’t Be Give Up ($20.00). Seen through the eyes of a young girl, history and narrative merge to explore World War II on the Home Front. Everything in the lives of Shirley and her family is affected by the war, from food rationing to seeing her uncles go off to war. Told with humor and pathos, this book is an important reminder of the sacrifices made on all fronts to protect America’s freedom. (Won second prize at the California Writer’s Conference for nonfiction. One Chapter, “Billy Boy,” won an honorable mention in the Writer’s Digest Short Story Contest.) To order via Amazon.

Is Everybody Happy Now? ($20.00). The sequel to Don’t Be Give Up. Shirley finds it difficult to adjust when her father moves the family to a new town to find work. Touching, often humorous and always filled with hope, this book rings true for anyone who has ever been the new kid in a strange town. Because politics, religion, and family life are different in their new community, the family must adapt. To order via Amazon.

Family Is Forever ($20.00. Continuing the story of the Skufca family during the 1950s, Shirley enjoys her teenage years until her father’s death changes her life forever. The family must call upon their courage, resilience, and love for one another to cope with this tragic loss. To order via Amazon.

Sarah Darlin’ ($15.00). Set in San Francisco during the Gold Rush, this romance novel’s main characters, Sarah and Richard, must deal with prejudice, a murder, a trial, a fire, and a terrible secret from Sarah’s past. (Won first prize at the Oak Tree Press Romance Novel Contest.) To order via Amazon.

Fall in Love with an Orange Tree or a Book ($15.00). After her parents are picked up by uniformed men, Elena, a Mexican teenager in the U.S. illegally, is forced to live in the shadows as she struggles to get an education and support her brother and sister. (Required reading in several high school English classes.) To order via Amazon.

School Success: 500 Ways Busy Parents Can Help Their Children Succeed in School ($20.00). A book for parents and their children. (Won first place at the California Writer’s Conference.) To order via Amazon.

Rocky Road Is More Than a Candy Bar ($20.00). Shirley is required to teach English, speech, drama and dance classes during her first year as a high school teacher. She is also required to direct speech contests, plays, and dance shows, and she worries her dream job may turn into a nightmare. She meets handsome and sexy Joe Hickman, but they have no future together because he is divorced and she is a Catholic. Torn between her love for her Church and her love for Joe, she fears whatever decision she makes will bring only heartache. To order via Amazon.

Copyright © 2020 by Shirley Skufca Hickman