Book Description

Fifty-six stories and anecdotes about growing up in a remote rural setting in the 1930's. ... Read more

Book Description

A selection of the best columns written by North Dakota farmer and rancher Dean Meyer. These columns have appeared regularly in monthly magazines and weekly newspapers for the past 20 years. In "Hat Tips," Meyer takes his readers through the four seasons on a Northern Plains ranch. No subject has been spared his uproarious brand of humor! From birthday presents, pinochle, golfing, calving, branding, haying, harvest, roundup, rodeos to horse sales --Dean analyzes it all! ... Read more

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Memoir of the beginning of the City of Fairfield, Ohio as recalled by its first mayor, Robert Wessel. ... Read more

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A perky red-haired boy of the Ozarks takes in all that a small town upbringing offers to mold his character and shape his life. Aloving family, wonderful neighbors, and a whole town's emphasis on learning and self-reliance tackle head on the struggles of the Great Depression and home front World War II. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

a stunning achievement
I was deeply moved by Joyce Dyer's tribute to her father, an expression of love that manages to eschew mere sentimentality.
What is impressive is that Gum-Dipped succeeds on another level entirely. Lots of books claim to be about the sense of place, or urban tissue, or the urban experience (as opposed to form), but not very many deliver on that promise. Gum-Dipped really does convey a sense of what it meant to grow up in Akron during the 1950s and 60s--of what it meant to live in a company town, to count on Harvey Firestone to see you through, and to be betrayed in the end. ... Read more

Book Description

The life of a taxicab driver can be dangerous, unpredictable, and unsettling. Every fare is like the spin of the roulette wheel. In "Oklahoma City Seven Car," author and former cab driver James Hipskind gives readers a glimpse into the cabby's world from the other side of the safety shield. His riveting first-person accounts transport readers from one side of Oklahoma City to another. Alone with no special training, equipment, or backup, cabbies are sometimes friend, servant, advocate, or prayer partner to the people they meet. Hipskind's keen perceptions into human nature capture moments of truth that resound with the power of the human spirit. ... Read more

Book Description

Joan Claire Graham and 34 friends evoke laughter, tears, and waves of nostalgia as they recall their years in the North Star State. From International Falls to Albert Lea, Winona to Adrian, Duluth to Odin and points between, writers recall their best true story or memory. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

People's Histories
Minnesota Memories includes stories for all of us. Some are funny and some are inspiring. Although the author/editor wrote several of the most pleasurable stories, the most interesting aspect of the book is that she has encouraged average people to write stories about their own lives. Some of the stories are autobiography and some are history. Many of the stories took me back to experiences in my own life. Some made me cry. Most are of universal interest. These are real people.

She's done it again!
The Minnesota Memories series reminds me of the old PeeWee's Playhouse TV show. In every episode of PWP, the eponymous host would announce the word of the day, then instruct viewers to "scream real loud" whenever they heard the chosen word. Viewers would be amazed (and possibly irked) at how many times common words like "door", "more" or even "like" would crop up in the course of the show. It sometimes seemed that cosmic forces aligned to push the word of the day to the forefront. But what in heck does this all have to do with Minnesota Memories? Let me explain.

In MM1, the word "kickerino" appeared in more than one essay, written by more than one author. Why? Cosmic forces? Who knows? In MM2, the word of the day is "Odin". Odin, a tiny town by anyone's reckoning, accounts for more than its share of ink in this edition of Minnesota Memories. The Odin stories are not only compelling, but they allude to other, equally compelling tales. We all have stories, and publications like Minnesota Memories allow them to be heard and celebrated. Who knows? Perhaps something near and dear to you will be the "word of the day" in Minnesota Memories 3. If it is, you can count on me to scream real loud!

She Did It Again!
Joan Graham grandly succeeded with her sequel to Vol. I of Minnesota Memories. She remembered her first ski lesson so vividly that I laughed until I cried as she related the frozen tundra on which she stood, her attempt to be "cool," and shopping for that perfect outfit that would make her ski as well as Billy Kidd. Her book also includes memories by 34 others whose lives have been impacted by living or working in the North Star State. Let's hope Joan has the stamina and sales to continue collecting even more Minnesota Memories--it'll become a state treasure!

Rating the Best - Minnesota Memories 2
Minnesota Memories 2 was delightful! It holds your interest thoughout and each story is a special experience in itself.

As one who grew up in the midwest, I can relate so very well to everything expressed by those who contributed to its writing. It makes one realize, even after so many years, that what you experienced as a child perhaps more than a half century ago,was also shared by so many others. It brings the past so much closer than it has ever been before and you know there are many people out there who feel as you do. Thank you Joan Graham, for making it all possible!

American Memories
A charming look at growing up in the midwest - nostalgia with heart. ... Read more

Book Description

Whether you desire to relive the early years of life in Nebraska, or want to learn more of what it was like, you will enjoy reading this book. The author describes in vivid detail the hardships of growing up on a farm in the 1920's and 1930's. The book then continues on as a detailed diary of her entire life as she and her husband work hard to make a successful living and raise two sons. ... Read more

Book Description

Eight extraordinary tales prove Helen White's conviction that true stories about real people can be as entertaining as fiction. Her cast of characters features forgotten (often unlikely) heroes, frustrated reformers, eccentric entrepreneurs, and everyday Minnesotans caught in strange circumstances.Each of their stories presents a slice of life from bygone days. ... Read more

Book Description

Bev Jamison's 33 years of marriage to a Great Lakes sailor was not what your might expect.For this Widow of the Waves, her husband Jim, and their four children, life was always an adventure.Join Bev for her look back at Jim's career on the lakes.See life aboard the great ore carriers through the eyes of a frequent passenger.Peek into the lives of the crews and their families.Red about a bicycle riding captain who wheels around the deck on warm evenings at sea - whole families enjoying Great Lakes curises - meals, mail, marine supply, and much, much more. ... Read more

Book Description

First published in 1935, Old Jules is unquestionably Mari Sandoz's masterpiece. This portrait of her pioneer father grew out of "the silent hours of listening behind the stove or the wood box, when it was assumed, of course, that I was asleep in bed. So it was that I heard the accounts of the hunts," Sandoz recalls. "Of the fights with the cattlemen and the sheepmen, of the tragic scarcity of women, when a man had to 'marry anything that got off the train,' of the droughts, the storms, the wind and isolation. But the most impressive stories were those told me by Old Jules himself." This Bison Books edition includes a new introduction by Linda M. Hasselstrom.

Mari Sandoz (1896-1966) is the noted author of Crazy Horse, Cheyenne Autumn, and The Battle of the Little Bighorn, all available in Bison Books editions.

Linda M. Hasselstrom, teacher and editor, is the author of eleven books of nonfiction and poetry about the northern plains, including Between Grass and Sky and Feels Like Far: A Rancher's Life on the Great Plains. ... Read more

Reviews (11)

a pioneer man with a joy for knowledge and sharing it
I found this book while looking for Sandoz's book on Crazy Horse. A western librarian friend of a friend told her it's one of the most accurate books on life in the Old West.

You'd never get from a movie that so many settlers came from Europe and spoke French or German, or that they would send mail home to find a wife, who'd abandon them after a month.

Sandoz dad's populist temperment and character is familiar back in Switzerland under another name. There's a political party of Jules-like people there called the League of Independents (the "Duttweiler" party).It's affiliated with Migros, a cooperative grocery and low-end retail chain, whose founder was a rebel like Jules.

As a child, I once read books about people whom I imagined were like my own dad, on his deathbed then. This book brought me back.I can imagine my dad living like Jules --- boisterously, grousing but not really unhappy.

Though Mari (whom Jules called Marie but who seems to have adopted the Swiss spelling Mari when she was older) was very unhappy.

After Sandoz got this book right (which took many years), she wrote the Crazy Horse book.

Unlikely Origins of a Pioneer
In the book Old Jules, Sandoz presents a biographical account of her immigrant/pioneer father, Jules Ami Sandoz.By presenting the information in chronological order, Sandoz guides the reader through her father's arrival on the western frontier, emergence as an early community builder and agricultural expert, and role in establishing the identity of the Niobrara country of frontier Nebraska.Sandoz presents her father Jules to the reader relative to his position amidst the dynamic social, cultural, and political climates of late 19th century American frontier life in the Nebraska Territory.The author follows Jules through his involvement in land speculation, agriculture, political dealings, community building, and family life in order to acclimate the reader to the multifaceted realities of frontier life.Sandoz employs her personal knowledge of her father alongside historically accurate data, presenting the reader with not only an entertaining, but also informative biography of Old Jules.

Mari Sandoz argues that the biography of her father - Jules Sandoz: pioneer, settler, entrepreneur, agricultural and horticultural experimenter, area enthusiast and developer, friend of Indians, enemy of entrenched cattlemen, and devil to his family - not only provides entertaining reading, but also accurately depicts the historical period of American frontier life.

In the biography of Old Jules, Sandoz focuses on details of her father's life that distinguish him from other stereotypical pioneers and settlers, as well as commonalities that frontiersmen of the Nebraska Territory shared in their experience.Almost immediately, Sandoz informs the reader about the nationality and social upbringing of Jules, which most likely provided a stark contrast to the socio-economic backgrounds of the majority of pioneers and settlers.Jules immigrated to the United States, leaving behind an upper class background in Switzerland in search of his own fortune and to escape familial pressures to become a doctor.Educated and seemingly intelligent, Jules brought significant talents and strengths to the American frontier.Sandoz argues that her father's cleverness and considerable ability as an organizer and planner allowed him to succeed in the Nebraska Territory as an entrepreneur, agricultural and horticultural specialist, and community builder.

Sandoz shows Jules' unwavering confidence in the ability of the hard Nebraskan land and short growing season to nonetheless yield a successful agricultural return.Jules' detailed observations and recordings allowed him to refine his cultivation methods as to maximize the crop output and quality, making this knowledge a great asset to the frontier community.Sandoz focuses at detail on Jules' interest in agriculture to highlight his overwhelming desire to achieve self-sufficiency, a concept held in high regard by settlers and pioneers of the Great Plains during a period that placed high emphasis on individualism.Jules' contributions to the development of the Niobrara country didn't end with agricultural knowledge; Sandoz informs the reader of her father's correspondences with potential settlers, role in the creation of a local post office, and participation in land speculation for incoming migrants to the area.Sandoz shows that Old Jules' involvement in community organization and planning surpassed that of most people of the frontier.She contests that people of the immediate area looked to her father for not only agricultural advice, but also for guidance in many areas their daily lives including obtaining land, seeking justice, and dealing with the problems posed by the encroaching cattle ranchers.

The significance of Sandoz's biography not only lies in the presentation of her father Old Jules as a unique and capable pioneer and settler, but rather also in the book's accurate description of larger issues facing all settlers and pioneers of the Great Plains during the late 19th century.Sandoz uses the biography of her father as a case study to illustrate the position of the settler and pioneer relative to the conflicts arising with the cattle ranchers, the removal and eventual deterioration of American Indian culture, and the lawlessness that characterized the early history of the Midwest.In her examination of her father Jules, Mari Sandoz successfully shows that the challenging characteristics of American frontier life shaped and defined the lives of the pioneers and settlers of the period giving them a unique identity in the history of the American move westward.

Sandoz's biography of her father successfully combines engaging narrative alongside detailed historical accounts of the Niobrara country of the Nebraska Territory.The book not only entertains the reader through Sandoz's stories of her father Old Jules, but also educates about the nature of American frontier life on the Great Plains during the latter part of the 19th century. Certain elements of the book add to the understanding of the social, economic, and cultural aspects unique to American frontier life, providing a stark contrast to the urbanization taking place in Eastern portion of the country during the same period.

Tough Read
I would like to write a favorable review of this book, but I honestly can't.You see, I am a Nebraskan and my father knew the Sandoz family growing up in western Nebraska. However, this is a hard book to read and at times, as dull and lifeless as the Nebraska prarie that Ms Sandoz describes.For someone looking to learn more about western Nebraska during the late 1800's to early 1900's I suggest picking up a Willa Cather novel.

The Shaping of an Author
Old Jules was tough, mean, revengeful, yet his daughter went on to become one of the best historical writers of the west.He would get mad when you Mari wrote fiction, or did anything for that matter.Yet he showed her, lived the example of writing, corresponding daily to make his points with politicians, friends and associates.He was tough and mean, but what Mari Sandoz brings to light in this excellent biography are his essential qualities of hard work, perseverience, education and human equality.People with those qualities shaped America, particularily the west.Old Jules open welcome of Native Americans clearly had an impact on Mari Sandoz, showing in her excellent books on the Cheyenne nation and her biography of Crazy Horse.Because Mari is writing about her father, this book helps show not only how a man helped shape his community, but how he helped shape the future of the nation.

Amazing Story
This book purports to be a biography of Jules Sandoz, a Swiss who settled in the Nebraska Panhandle.It is an amazing story of pioneer hardship and of a real character who was so mean he makes me cringe.He tells of life as I am sure it was in Nebraska not long ago--he died in 1930.The book has moments of poignancy, even for one who never knew the hardship:"They would never hear the thunder of the ice going out on Niobrara again, never see the gold of autumn along the bluffs, the ash, the slender yellow pencils, the cottonwoods rustling in chartreuse and orange, the creeper blood splashes on the silver of the buffalo berries.It was only a memory now, like her lover, he who made gay music on the Rhine." ... Read more

Reviews (2)

A Great Family Legacy
My Aunt Geneva brought my heritage to life in her vignettes of her childhood days in her book Barefoot in an Oklahoma Sticker Patch. Through her shared experiences one can appreciate the struggles and triumphs of her great generation. Many of the vignettes are filled with the emotions of the times but laced with the humor and pride of the family. As her niece, "sticker patch" has strengthened my family respect, enhanced by family pride and inspired me to leave a similar legacy to my chldren and grandchildren.

Depression Life in Oklahoma
A timid socially deficient young girl becomes a prominant, intelligent, teacher, educator, and community servant through grit and determination and the strength of family during the depression when the thing she did was persevere and walk throughthose sticker patches.

The book is akin to "Angela's Ashes" except it is from an American, Oklahoman vantage point. ... Read more

Book Description

A Capital Place is how the author remembers Minnesota’s historic Sandy Lake: important fur-trading hub, promised land to a succession of Native American tribes, 18th-century capital of the Ojibwe Nation, and strategic gateway to the Mississippi River from Lake Superior—a route followed by nearly all the famous men of Minnesota history.

In this reminiscence spanning more than a half-century, Laursen writes of boyhood days on a primitive Sandy Lake fishing resort, of his long struggle to become a writer, of exciting years with a youthful Medtronic and of the inspiring sequence of events which led him and his wife to a Bed & Breakfast Inn on the shores of Leech Lake.

Amazon.com

Combine Little Rascals with Stand by Me, then spice it up with a little taste of the great American sport of baseball, and you'll have an inkling of the treat in store for you in Praying for Base Hits. Bruce Clayton recalls his childhood in the 1950s, recounting pranks and pitfalls.He re-creates an era in American history that has begun to take on the patina of an idyll--from trying to catch a glimpse of the local beauty, "Big Red," tobeing force-fed gospel by his pious mother while his father, "one of those farm boys who wasn't a big talker but had an opinion on everything," plotted trips to the Kansas City Symphony.You don't have to have experienced the 1950s to love Clayton's charming stories ofthe dreams, desires, and disappointments of growing up afflicted with the human "condition." --Susan Swartwout ... Read more

Reviews (2)

I know it's mostly true. I Iived nearby.
Once I began the book I never put it down. Bruce lived five blocks away from me in the same era. I especially remember Shortcake and Roy Beatty. They were friends of mine too. Bruce's recollection of Frank's restaurant was poignant although I didn't remember the dirt, just the heavenly(?) taste of a tenderloin sandwich. As to Old man Pierce, I too was chased from the premises, albeit not for the same reasons. My home was across from Scarrit grade school. Bruce no doubt played baseball there too. I do remember Lykins Square where we played the kids from "south of Independence Avenue" on many occasion, probably losing more than we won. This was a great step back to my own childhood. NE grad 1954.

An excellent memoir about the beauty of baseball and life
This memoir of growing up in Kansas City in the 1950s is much more than nostalgia. It is an evocation of the importance of baseball in a young person's life, the ambitions of youth, and the impact of family, friends and neighbors. The characters are wonderful, and the whole book is beautifully written. It's a good read, humorous and poignant. ... Read more