The book I’m reading right now is Little Heathens: Hard Times and High Spirits on an Iowa Farm During the Great Depression by Mildred Armstrong Kalish.
It is an unpretentious and deeply intelligent memoir that radiates joy as Kalish recalls a vanished way of life. Kalish does an excellent job of recapturing the innocence and perceptions of childhood while tempering her recollections with the perspective of maturity. It recalls for me both my love and fascination with the Little House books I read as a girl and the rich and non-nonsense stories my grandparents have told of their farm life in rural South Dakota.
For those for whom farm life is uncharted territory, this memoir will provde a glimpse into both the harsh rigors of life lived by one’s own hard work and the joy of savoring the simple pleasures of life with beloved family and friends.
- Posted by Cori Ashley