Growing Up in the Great Depression Russell Baker's "Growing Up" is an autobiography about the problems he and his family faced during the Great Depression. While the United States are changing enormously from one war to another, Russell tells his story of growing up in an extremely depressing environment. During the Depression, the main problems Baker faced in the novel involved the financial hardships endured by his family, which ended with the death of his father, the difficulties in transitioning from rural to urban life, and the lack of medical care around. the area. According to the novel, Russell Baker was born in rural Morrisonville, Virginia on August 14, 1925. There were many problems that he and his family faced during the Great Depression. The first major problem Baker and his family faced was financial stress. It all started when Russell was five years old, when his father died. Russell's mother, Elizabeth, has decided to put the past behind her and leave their home. Russle and his family ended up moving into Elizabeth's brothers' house, in the book she stated: "For the first time in his life he needed charity." This shows that when her husband died, the entire family no longer had the money to live the lifestyle they had and needed a little help to start creating a new life for themselves. When Russle turned eight, his mother suggested he get a job, so he started working at the Journalism Company. In the novel we see many examples of America's transition interfering with the Baker family. One of these is hers when her mother discusses women's suffrage in 1913. As America changed, her mother saw the difference between men and women. Russell Baker describes his moment...... half of the paper ...... the Baker family. In conclusion, the Baker family went through many hardships during the Great Depression, and it affected their lives in many ways that they thought it wouldn't. This autobiography about the problems he and his family faced during the Great Depression. During the Depression, the main problems Baker faced in the novel involved the financial hardships endured by his family, which ended with the death of his father, the difficulties in transitioning from rural to urban life, and the lack of medical care around. the area. During the Depression, a common occurrence occurred in Morrisonville as many people from the town died from common illnesses such as phenoms or whooping cough. This book has much to offer teen readers interested in the story of one individual's growth, development, and struggles during the Great Depression..