It's 1942. The world has barely recovered from one war, and now finds itself in another. Bombs are exploding, people are dying-and fear, worry, and resentment are being felt the world over.

While soldiers are fighting for their lives on foreign soil, ordinary citizens back home in the United States are struggling with their own challenges, fighting for their livelihoods and the legacies they'll leave behind. And, even though their actions may not change the face of the globe, these people are significantly changing the lives of those around them.

E. R. Hartman, the superintendent of...