Jake and the Kid

A series of funny, endearing stories that really evokes the prairies of Southern Saskatchewan. Filled with eccentric characters it's never dull.

I can remember listening to the CBC radio serial from this book while sitting in class in the one-room schoolhouse in Shaw District. However, I don't recall ever reading the book so I'm glad I had the opportunity now.

This book is a series of charming stories that harken back to a time on the prairies when life was hard but also rewarding. Jake is a hired man on the farm owned by the Kid's parents. The Kid (he is only ever called that) is about 9 or 10 and he is pretty smart for his age. His father is off in England fighting in World War II so there is just Jake, the Kid's mother and the Kid to run the farm which is near the town of Crocus, Saskatchewan. Jake can do just about anything and he tells tall tales about the things he can't show more do. According to the Kid "It was Jake took care of Looie Riel; Jake he made Chief Poundmaker give in at Cut Knife crick." The Kid never does figure out that Jake didn't actually do all those things he claims although occasionally it looks like Jake is going to get caught in his lie. I couldn't help but cheer when Jake pulled off his rainmaking claim or when he managed to get the best of someone who was trying to take advantage of their Scots neighbour.

This book is truly a Canadian classic. show less

This is really a series of interconnected stories featuring Jake, a hired farm-hand in a small prairie town and the young boy who lives on the farm with his mother, his father being away at war. They are lighthearted stories, with little character development or exploration of universal themes. Not necessarily badly done, but not my cup of tea.

"Mitchell admirably captures the tonal qualities of hardscrabble Canadian prairie folk caught up in a somewhat idealized, Waltons-esque depression. It's all a little too 'nice', but then, that's the style. This isn't supposed to be a heartfelt examination of unspeakably difficult lives; these are stories that help us pass the time between our miseries."

Read the rest of the review here.

Jake Thumper is the hired man on a Saskatchewan farm during WW II. The owner is overseas in the Candian Army. Jake is also the mentor to the owner's son which leads to many humorous situations because of Jakes tendency to tell tall stories.
Jake tells the Kid that he captured Louis Riel and Chief Poundmaker and was a friend of Prime Minister Wilfred Laurier. When the Kid tells his teacher about these tales, she suggests that Jake could not have been there because he is not old enough.
Jake does save friends and neighbours from trouble either with his generosity or cleverness. However, sometimes his tales get him into real trouble as when he bragged he once ended a drought by making it rain so the town's residents forced him to try during show more their current dry spell.
Once the basis of a radio drama series on the CBC, this volume was a fun read. show less

According to Wikipedia:

“An author of novels, short stories, and plays, Mitchell is best known for his 1947 novel, Who Has Seen The Wind, which has sold close to a million copies in North America . . and later a collection of short stories in 1961, Jake and the Kid which subsequently won the Stephen Leacock Award.”

This is a collection of short stories about a Canadian prairie farm boy whose dad is overseas in WWII, and the hired hand who’s keeping an eye out for him. These stories were radio broadcasts of a series of the same name, which aired on CBC Radio between 1950 and 1956.

Mitchell grew up in Saskatchewan and most of his stories reflect a boy’s experiences growing up on the prairies. As I said in that earlier post, I’m show more keeping this book ‘forever’. show less