Notes from March Not Fiction Book Discussion

Mildred Kalish originally planned to title her memoir about growing up on an Iowa farm during the Great Depression Grandma, Tell Me a Farm Story and to self-publish it for family and friends (http://www.little-heathens.com/). Fortunately for us, family members encouraged her to share her life story with a wider audience.

In our discussions of Little Heathens: Hard Times and High Spirits on an Iowa Farm During the Great Depression, we considered how Kalish's book differs from many contemporary memoirs. It is less confessional, less concerned with the psychological inner drama of the narrator; it is true instead in style, tone, and content to its original title, giving readers the feeling that they are listening to the anecdotes of an older relative. Kalish shares stories about the daily life of hard work and thrift and the culture of close family and community ties of a time now past and almost unimaginable to those of us born after World War II. Kalish reflects on the difficulties and also the great joys of that life with a resolute, positive attitude that seems to be as much her message--and her gift--to readers as the stories she tells.

In a statement about why she decided to share the book with a wider audience, Kalish says, "I have noticed a resurgence of public interest in the rural matters where people yearn to engage in satisfying activities that have direct meaning in their lives. Perhaps this is because our current national and international challenges result in individuals feeling helpless and disconnected. My book tells of a life of total involvement. I thought readers would enjoy reading about that experience" (http://www.little-heathens.com/). A reviewer for Booklist calls Kalish's memoir "deeply intelligent," and perhaps it is resoluteness, positivity, and total involvement in such ordinary issues as where our food comes from, how directly meaningful our work is to our daily lives, and how we spend time with our families and friends that will help us out of our current recession and provide a path to a more sustainable, connected future. We will continue to consider these issues in our discussions of Barbara Kingsolver's Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life and Bill McKibben's Deep Economy: The Wealth of Communities and the Durable Future.

Meanwhile, for more stories about the Great Depression from those who lived through it and their perspective on how it relates to this recession, visit The New York Times online's video feature The New Hard Times. You can watch interviews or submit your own.