Little Heathens: Hard Times and High Spirits on an Iowa Farm during the Great Depression

I cannot remember where I read about Mildred Armstrong Kalish's book, Little Heathens , but it's been on my wishlist at PaperBackSwap for a long time. I saw it at the library a few weeks ago and was able to borrow it and read it.

It's just what the title says: the tale of a family in Iowa during the Great Depression. Think: "Little House on the Prairie" in the 1930's with a family consisting of a mother, two sons, two daughters, and the mother's parents. Mrs. Kalish shares her pleasant childhood memories of simpler times. Her descriptions of entertainment, food, chores, and education made me wish I could create such a life for my children.

From the introduction:

"In looking back, I realize that I have had the good fortune to have absorbed the events that transpired during my childhood years into my very being, as if no boundary exists between then and now, as if the past has not really passed. For some time, I have had the urge to share that treasure trove, lest it vanish. In the pages that follow I describe the effect of that decade on me as a young child, and introduce you to those altogether decent, tough, eccentric people whose bravery, endurance, dedication, and resourcefulness influenced me during all the years that followed. I tell of a time, a place, and a way of life long gone, nearly forgotten by the world, but still indelible in my memory. It is my hope to resurrect them, to make them live again."