Mary Lasswell (1905–1994)

For as long as I can remember,my mother always had all Lasswell's books on her shelf, including One Arm Cookery. She called them "The Feeley Books" after the central character, Mrs. Feeley. She kept them because whenever she was feeling low she would read one and the three old ladies with their optimistic common sense and cold beers always picked up her spirits. I don't know what she did with this collection, but I am starting my own collection now. These are timeless stories about human show more kindness in hard times. They are funny and filled with humanity. show less

If only I'd been able to read one of the earlier books first. This really presumes knowledge of who these ladies are, what makes them each individuals. Also I'd need more knowledge of the times, the culture, the infrastructure of society.

For example, apparently they've been in NYC for a few days (?) visiting one of the sons who is in the service and about to be moved to Alaska. Now, they're from San Diego. Is it because of the times, or something, that makes Alaska so impossibly remote that show more it makes sense for the ladies to visit NYC from across the continent, even though they have almost no money to do so. as if they may never see the young man again? Or are we supposed to be glad they had a chance to visit the City? Or are we supposed to laugh at them for being clueless about geography and transportation?

Honestly, I didn't even make it to p. 50 before deciding that I don't care. Give me Kimbrough or Benchley instead. show less

This book is probably mostly unknown book, it really is out of print but you can buy used books and there is an e-book available. My book club voted to read this book. Mary Lasswell is an American author who wrote during WWII while she waited for her military husband to return. Suds in Your Eye is her first book and it is a rather silly book about 3 old, impoverished women who live to drink beer. The book is set in San Diego during WWII and it is about living life to the fullest without show more working your life awy. It embraces making do with what you have, eating well but cheaply and not overextending your self so that you can't enjoy life. It is a book that embraces community; in this book you have 3 old women and an old man, you have Chinese, Mexicans, tuna queens (fish factory workers), teachers and secretaries. A bit of this book reminded me of John Steinbeck's book Cannery Row but just not great literature like you expect from John Steinbeck.

What I think the essence of this book is "the community" that one can have with other people and how this book embraced all peoples and classes of people and when you think about this book being written in 1942, that's saying something. The plot is just a simple story of 3 old ladies trying to survive in Noah's Ark (the name of the place Mrs Finey lives). It's a quick read, the e-book was without defects. I think the author chose to write as a way of getting by while she waited for her husband to return from th e war. The book is humorous. Because it is so much about drinking "cases of beer", living in a junkyard with a fence of beer cans, I think it makes the book a bit quirky and will give it that tag as well. show less

I enjoyed this little book especially for the historic look at life in San Diego during WWII. I don't remember the war, but I do remember the tuna cannery, the bars for sailors (where the gaslamp district is now, oh yes, locker clubs and strip joints), the "Tia Juana" nightclubs (I guess they're still there). Love the story of the spunky beer-guzzling old ladies! A fun read.