Phyllis Crawford (1899–1980)

In the mid- late- 1800's, Martha Finlay wrote a series of books about Elsie Dinsmore, a nauseatingly perfect little "Christian", following her from age eight, through marriage, children, widowhood (well, she did marry her father's best friend!!), etc. The books are racist (the first ones take place before the Civil War and are filled with happy slaves), viciously anti-Catholic, and generally intolerant.


In 1930, Josie Turner wrote this hysterically funny take-off on the Dinsmore books. Elsie show more is living with her father in New York, and he decides it is time she met his circle of friends. Chorus girls, and drinkers, and gamblers! But the fun is that she doesn't recognize any of this. The bit where she decides to attend him "on his bed of suffering" after his late return from "his director's meeting" is a joy. show less

Set in the early 1800s, this story follows a family moving from Pittsburgh to Cincinnati via a storeboat on the river. Think Little House on the water. A fun read with great characters.

Charming for its year, chock full of the optimism and Horatio Alger-ism of a young nation who saw a whole continent at its feet.

1939