I tore through this book until the last page - the star of this inspirational tale, Evelyn Ryan, is one of the most amazing characters I've ever seen on page. Amazing still, that she was a real person, a 50's housewife raising ten children with little to no help from her alcoholic husband. This would be a tale of woe if it weren't for Evelyn's ingenuity, skill, and luck at entering contests. Her cute and clever rhyming jingles, included appropriately throughout the book along with the kitschy ads and contest forms that inspired them, were all a part of this overwhelmed mom's can-do attitude. The family certainly wouldn't have survived without her. Not only the glue that kept the family together, her prizes here and there replaced broken appliances, helped pay the bills, and even bought the Ryans a house! For every major adversity, Evelyn's prizes saved the day.

It's amazing how much this woman accomplished with so much stacked against her, and here I complain I don't have time to do the dishes. ( )

As memoirs go, this will always be one of my favorites. The take-away message in this book is that a positive outlook will take you every where you want to go. In my life, I would leave the negative, drunk husband and would also have encouraged Evelyn Ryan to do the same. However, She had the grace to accept him for who he was, ask him to improve and when he could not to get out of the way of her happiness. Despite the hardships, she raised her 10 children to expect more from life and to stay positive. Her lessons were ahead of their time, despite her traditional outlook, for instance when she allows her children to voice their hatred of their dad, or the catholic nuns who look down on them, but shows them where to put that anger where so that it does not consume them in addictions and unhappiness. The 2005 movie, which condenses but follows the book perfectly, is also worth watching. ( )

I truly enjoyed this book. Terry Ryan's mother was an amazing woman and an inspiration. ( )

Interesting biography written by the child of 10 children. They grew up in the 1950's. The father was an alcoholic. The mother sent in jingles to companies to win money. She won a couple cars, a trip to New York and many appliances. The mom had a way of being positive even when the chips were down. Interesting read about a time when jingle contests were prevalent. ( )

OK story ( )