The Inwood apartment looks out over the Circle Line, where boats and skiffs maneuver through Spuyten Duyvil Creek before sailing under the Henry Hudson Bridge and heading into the Hudson River. It is a scene Sheila McGowan knows well.

Pregnant with her fourth child, Sheila worries about its well-being. The doctors recommend she undergo amniocentesis, but she's not sure she wants to. She's also not sure the family should abandon its much-loved Inwood apartment in favor of a larger house in a potentially less friendly and less park-like neighborhood.

Inwood - As The Circle Line Sailed By captures the lives of the McGowan family as its members deal with the challenges and joys of daily life in Manhattan during the 1970s. Happy in the peaceful Inwood community, the McGowans enjoy the Yonkers feis, where the McGowan children participate in music and dance competitions. As arsonists stalk the South Bronx and the nation celebrates the bicentennial, the McGowans ponder their future.

In this love song to a special neighborhood, author Patricia Sullivan recreates Inwood's idyllic parks, sense of community, and history. Take a stroll in Inwood with the McGowans - and step back to a simpler time.