An Eruption of Decadence

Tommy Ballard is 13 years old when WWII begins. Tommy is in awe of the fighter pilots during the war, but he has to be content with holding down the "home front". He collects scrap iron and has a Victory Garden and near the end of the war he is seduced by a lonely housewife. Her name is Grace and she is a young beauty. After the war, Tommy joins the Navy as an Aviation Cadet, but he is involved in a serious crash that ends his hopes of become a Naval Aviator. He returns to his hometown and falls into a life of illicit sex, incredible wealth, murder and substance abuse. Tommy yearns to be a good husband and father, but he can not resist the desires of his boyhood lover. Grace is beautiful, smart and ruthless. She uses her charm to achieve great wealth and fame. In the end she is alone with her money and her lofty ambitions.