A Girl From Yamhill: A Memoir

Generations of children have read Beverly Cleary’s books. From Ramona Quimby to Henry Huggins, Ralph S. Mouse to Ellen Tebbits, she has created an evergreen body of work based on the humorous tales and heartfelt anxieties of middle graders. But in A Girl from Yamhill, Beverly Cleary tells a more personal story—her story—of what adolescence was like. In warm but honest detail, Beverly describes life in Oregon during the Great Depression, including her difficulties in learning to read, and offers a slew of anecdotes that were, perhaps, the inspiration for some of her beloved stories.

Those who have read a lot of Beverly Cleary books, as I have, will recognize some of the incidents and themes of her characters' lives here, albeit several decades beforehand. What is so striking, and shouldn't be surprising, is how keenly Cleary remembers and understands the inner lives of children -- both herself and the occasional friends and foes in the narrative. It's also delightful to find out how early Cleary resolved to be a writer, and some of her memories -- including one of her earliest! -- are remarkable and interesting.

This book, gentle and personal, is written at a level that child fans of Cleary's should be well able to access, but its attempts to understand and feel compassion for all the characters in the author's show more life allow it to succeed for an adult reader, as well. show less

I didn't read much Beverly Cleary growing up but a discussionof fave childhood books at book club lead to picking this as next month's read. I was pleasantly suprised and completely engaged by it. She strikes a good balance of seeing life at the age she was at and adding in some reflections of a grownup. I loved her independent spirit and righteous indignation. Her continued difficult relationship with her Mother was the hard part but I think she was sensitive and caring, as much as she could be. A very unexpected and enjoyable read.

This was an easy read, since it seems the author of [book:Beezus and Ramona|91244] was writing this autobiography to her core audience, making a YA-like read. This is really about the "girl" Cleary; from he early WW I memories to growing up in Depression-era Oregon (lots of Portland), and terminating when she takes off for junior college. There is only the occasional aside about her craft and literary career. Still, a fascinating period biography. How much has changed (school officials could punish pranking boys by forcing them to consume large quantities of garlic), and how much has not changed; one of her successful school essays was on the evil of chain stores (her grandfather was a country store proprietor).

Rereading in honor of the late Beverly Cleary. She paints a vivid picture of life growing up in rural Oregon and then Portland. Simpler, idyllic times...and then the Great Depression. I'd forgotten about her complex, evolving relationship with her mother, but not the skeevy uncle!

Autobiography from Beverly Cleary, author of Ramona Quimby and The Mouse and the Motorcycle books, about her life growing up on a farm in Yamhill, Oregon. She starts with her pioneer grandparents on both sides of her family, through her childhood up until she left home to go to college. She covers growing up during the Depression, her struggles to read, and moving to the Portland neighborhood featured in so many of her books.

This book is delightful, filled with humorous anecdotes of her family. One sees in the young Beverly a mischievous glimpse of Ramona Quimby.

I enjoyed this book but I didn't love it. I found the earlier portions of Cleary's life far more interesting (and easier to read about) than her late teens. There is a lot of weirdness around her relationship with her mother, and it didn't feel like she really explained it very well. I wonder if it's because her books are loved by so many kids, maybe she worried about writing too much discomfiting stuff about her mom. I walked away from this book wanting either more or less, I don't know for sure which.