Mildred Armstrong Kalish (1922–2018)

Memoirs have been hot in the past decade or two, so you might look at Mildred Kalish's Little Heathens and think, meh, just another long-winded whine about the horrible childhood someone can't shut up about.

This would be unfortunate. For although Kalish has fodder aplenty for a typical contemporary memoir -- a no-good/absent dad; raised by strict Christian grandparents and a sometimes vague mom in the abject poverty and rural isolation of Depression-era Iowa -- she instead writes what I show more think is more properly termed a 'reminiscence'. Kalish systematically loots and lays out her extremely detailed memories of the era, in straightforward, sometimes elegant prose, with a minimum of complaint and an overarching generosity of spirit.

The result is remarkably refreshing. Kalish loved her childhood, values it, and wants the best of it to be known to others. Little Heathens is therefore the opposite of a self-indulgence; it's a gift.

And as an Iowan myself, I will close by putting in a good word for my homeland: Kalish's loving attention to the landscape, flora and fauna of an oft-overlooked state is an added bonus.

Highly recommended. show less

With notable warmth and fondness, Kalish recalls growing up on a working farm during the Great Depression. Her memoir captures all of the joy and hardship of the times and of a traditional lifestyle that has been lost in the present day. Her lifestyle was frugal in the extreme, her days were filled with hard work, very strict schedules, and austere conditions, and money was never abundant. Yet somehow, Kalish’s memoir is neither bitter nor self-indulgent, but seems to have been written out show more of pure affection for her childhood. Her stories are recounted in a loose, conversational tone addressed directly to the author and each incident recounted following naturally from another. Reading this book, you might just feel like you’re sitting at the knee of an elderly and talkative relative, and listening intently. Her language is straightforward and unvarnished, but powerful and well-suited to the memories recounted. “Little Heathens” may make us all wish for a simpler time! show less

Little Heathens is a charming, salt-of-the-earth memoir by retired English professor Mildred Armstrong Kalish that is kindly generous with more tales of high spirits than of hard times. Still, growing up on an Iowa farm during the Great Depression was no comfort by most measures.

Listening to this audiobook reminded me of my own grandmother, the fourteenth of fourteen siblings, who also grew up during 1930's in the nearby state of Missouri. And according to her, modest as ever, stories from show more her childhood are of little interest to anyone. After learning about Kalish's blessed life, I respectfully disagree. show less

Little Heathens : Hard Times and High Spirits on an Iowa Farm during the Great Depression

For months, I passed the shelf at the book store on which this book sat. I mean, I picked it up occasionally, I read the blurb on the back, and then I would stare at the front as if waiting for a sign to buy it. Finally, I would set it back on the shelf from whence it came. It might look like a deliciously interesting piece of literature, but it had the distinct smell of a history book in disguise. show more Everyone knows the books of which I speak, the ones that lure you in with the promises of a rich and colorful glimpse at history and then turn out to be nothing more than a glorified textbook. Yeah those books. Well, I was determined not to have another one of “those books” polluting my bookshelf. So, I took a stand and refused to buy it, until the day I gave in and bought it. What can I say? I have an addiction.

Once the book was purchased reading it became my number one priority. After all, I wanted to prove to myself that no matter how seductive the book seemed to be, it was really a textbook knock off. I read the whole book front to back, and from it I drew two conclusions. Number one: I was absolutely right the book was a deliciously interesting piece of nonfiction literature. Number two: a little bit of simple goes a long, long way.

Mildred Armstrong Kalish, a retired English professor, is the person responsible for this well-written, vividly colorful account of the Great Depression. She writes from her own experience of being a child and growing up on a farm, an Iowa farm nonetheless, during the Great Depression. Talk about interesting, this book is a mind blower. Anyone who has ever wished that life was a little bit simpler, a little bit friendlier, or little bit more carefree needs to buy this book and read it.

Chapter by chapter, this book sucks you in and takes you back to times long passed and forgotten. This book will teach you how to catch a raccoon and turn it into a pet, tell you about customs that have long since died out, like the gifting and receiving of “May Baskets,” and even let you in on why there were two toilet seats in the outhouse instead of one. You’ll get directions on how to build a “Never-Fail” fire, how to get the most out of an egg, and how to get rid of a boil using a beet.

The book provides a small wealth of recipes for the home cook. I’ve made several of them and they have all been delicious. My favorite is the recipe for “Cabbage Salad,” although it is more like a coleslaw; I made it for New Years and everybody loved it. A couple examples of other recipes offered are Corn Oysters and Applesauce Cake.

The book provides more than a glimpse at what it was like to do laundry back then, the amount of work that went into keeping a farm, and how leisure time was spent by everyone from the children to the men. The book also provides a variety of common home remedies, from curing a cough to curing blood poisoning.

Each chapter of the book provides a window to a specific aspect of life during the Great Depression. Separated, the chapters are amazing, astounding, and delightful; together, they join seamlessly to provide an uplifting account of life during a difficult and trying time. The book is rich and colorful in its detail and story-telling yet still maintains its historical integrity. It is the perfect novel. If you could only read one novel this year, I would highly advise reading this one. This book will remain at the very top of my bookshelf forever. Happy Reading!! show less