Welcome to the world of Sammy Stein - a teenager who comes of age in Montreal in the 1970s. With humor and a nostalgic eye, this book tells the story of the deconstruction of childhood and the power of resilience required to 'come of age'.Sammy is a thoughtful kid who learns as much about life from The Brady Bunch and All in the Family as he does from his parents, one of whom—his mother—has a penchant for alienating people and keeping Sammy from ever seeing his girlfriend. He contends with teachers at school and does his best at enduring his Bar Mitzvah. In the summers, he goes off to his beloved summer camp, where he leads a very different life. He is free to fall in love far from his mother’s gaze, and he navigates the social hierarchy he inhabits with his peers. As time passes, it grows clearer that his mother’s strong personality is more pathologic than it seems, that she is perhaps even a danger to herself and others. A child no longer, Sammy must find a way to weather this ultimate storm as his mother hurtles towards a tragic breakdown. With stories that illuminate Sammy's thoughts and experiences, this book will make you laugh out loud while also bringing a tear to your eye. What goes behind closed doors of even the most normal appearing family? Why do seemingly perfect families fall apart, while others continue to find the 'fun' in dysfunctional? Why do some develop the resilience to overcome challenges and abuse, while others succumb to these offences? Is the brand of blue jeans that you wear really that important? These are some of the questions you might ask as you read the pages recounting Sammy's life, ultimately provoking you to answer the question - 'Are You Sammy Stein?'