Reviews
"A farm boy turned history professor, Carroll Engelhardt brings authenticity and meticulous detail to his descriptions of 1940s and 50s rural Iowa. His stories, from swimming in the creek to the politics of school reorganization to Saturday nights in town to adolescents at church camp, will charm anyone with memories of--or curiosity about--that era. And we share his lament that 'a world has vanished in my lifetime.'"--Larry A. Stone, author, Gladys Black: The Legacy of Iowa's Bird Lady , "This fascinating account of Iowa small-town and farm life merges the traditional memoir with sociological fact-finding. Engelhardt's study spans over one hundred years, from the mid nineteenth century to the mid twentieth. He often explores minutia that is easily overlooked as unimportant but that is revealing and memorable. This book is solid Americana and an important contribution to understanding the Midwest's large role in forming our nation."--Curtis Harnack, author, We Have All Gone Away and The Attic, "A farm boy turned history professor, Carroll Engelhardt brings authenticity and meticulous detail to his descriptions of 1940s and 50s rural Iowa. His stories, from swimming in the creek to the politics of school reorganization to Saturday nights in town to adolescents at church camp, will charm anyone with memories of--or curiosity about--that era. And we share his lament that 'a world has vanished in my lifetime.'"--Larry A. Stone, author, Gladys Black: The Legacy of Iowa's Bird Lady, "This fascinating account of Iowa small-town and farm life merges the traditional memoir with sociological fact-finding. Engelhardt's study spans over one hundred years, from the mid nineteenth century to the mid twentieth. He often explores minutia that is easily overlooked as unimportant but that is revealing and memorable. This book is solid Americana and an important contribution to understanding the Midwest's large role in forming our nation."-Curtis Harnack, author, We Have All Gone Away and The Attic , "A farm boy turned history professor, Carroll Engelhardt brings authenticity and meticulous detail to his descriptions of 1940s and 50s rural Iowa. His stories, from swimming in the creek to the politics of school reorganization to Saturday nights in town to adolescents at church camp, will charm anyone with memories of-or curiosity about-that era. And we share his lament that 'a world has vanished in my lifetime.'"-Larry A. Stone, author, Gladys Black: The Legacy of Iowa's Bird Lady , "This fascinating account of Iowa small-town and farm life merges the traditional memoir with sociological fact-finding. Engelhardt's study spans over one hundred years, from the mid nineteenth century to the mid twentieth. He often explores minutia that is easily overlooked as unimportant but that is revealing and memorable. This book is solid Americana and an important contribution to understanding the Midwest's large role in forming our nation."--Curtis Harnack, author, We Have All Gone Away and The Attic
