1) Rittenberg hooks the reader with a typical scene from every family: a talk in the living room. A lot can relate to talking or eavesdropping a parent’s unfortunate conversation.

2) He used the larger events and catastrophes of his father and grandfather’s time including the world wars and the nuclear bombs. 

3) He did say how with the bad things came the good things and miracles later on such as the end of wars and then confronts the issues in his time and his hopes.

4) The title is a quote he heard from his father that was passed down throughout the generations of his family.