Springsteen lives with his family in his grandparents’ house in Freehold, New Jersey. A descendent of Irish and Italian immigrants, Springsteen’s ethnically diverse family members don’t mingle. His father works various industrial and service jobs. His grandmother is overly protective of Bruce after losing one of her daughters, which creates tension in the family. Growing up in the looming shadow of a Catholic Church, Springsteen recalls Freehold as a place where people do “their best to hold off the demons that seek to destroy us” (6).

To make ends meet, Springsteen’s family scavenges neighbors’ trash for things they can repair and sell. His grandmother lets him live without structure and stay up late watching TV. His transition to school fills him with an “inner rage that lasted most of my school years” (10). Desperate to set boundaries, his mother moves with him to a new house, but he can’t tolerate the loss of freedom and often runs back to his grandparents’ house. His sanctuary, however, disappears when his grandparents die and their house is demolished.