life was very tough in the years 1912-1920 and those who survived were better people for it
581474
This story, probably the author's autobiography, should be mandatory reading for all; life was very tough in the years 1912-1920 and those who survived were better people for it.
4365619
This book is comparable to the stories told by explorers of the Americas of how hard it was to survive outside of one's own culture in a time without our modern amenities like a phone, a translation dictionary, or a guide to local customs.  I read it while I was a Peace Corps Volunteer in Mongolia in 1996 and it helped me understand how much life had changed there in the past ninety years.
4691943
Nice read about a time when life was really hard & how those that wanted to, were able to survive & have purpose.
580587
The most interesting aspect of this book was how life really was lived in rural and small village pre-ww1 England.  The characters were well developed  and showed the strict mores of society at that time and also showing the levels of society very distinctly.  Though slow at the beginning, I found it enjoyable.
1369717
Down to earth, easy read of a difficult and hard time of life at the time.
3470604
I found this book to be a very interesting read of what life was like for some of the settlers of our country in the first half of the 19th century.  The will to survive was incredible and the author has made the story come alive through his characters.  I highly recommend this book.  Packard38
4544193
What a wonderful book about a bygone time and way of life. My folks were Okies but many of the stories told by my mother were of much the same fabric.  You just have to shake your head at some of the behaviors and wonder that any of their kids made it to adulthood.  Hard times indeed make tough people......and tough people survive and get "on" with the business of living.  Charlie, Ava's Man, was called a "pretty man" by the ladies and was a guy who loomed larger-than-life in the eyes of his children.  He was fierce, hard working, hard drinking/fighting and loved his kids with a passion.  Thank you Rick Bragg for sharing this saga with the world.
1503869
The struggles of the people involved during a harsh time of war.  The story was more compelling because it was a true story.
4086101
The book showed how the regular folks had to deal with such tough times. in World War 2.
3573893
This read gave me a feel of how it was back then and a greater appreciation for what people had to live through.
1075219
This family was tough as nails and yet you could tell their family bond was strong. From the good times through the bad they carried on and persevered. The poverty they faced would have been paralyzing yet they kept moving forward. A great read!
805918
During a time when almost the entire nation was in dire straits from the Great Depression, many did not have jobs, a place to live or enough food to eat.  This story begins with a picture taken of two young children sitting on a porch with a sign stating they were for sale.  As Ellis Reed, a struggling newspaper reporter sees the children, he cant help but take their picture.  It somehow makes its way to his Chief, who wants an article to publish in the paper.  Due to various circumstances, he has to obtain another picture immediately for the paper which is the beginning of some terrible circumstances.  As the story progresses, Ellis struggles between his ambition and his need to make things right, no matter the cost.

We also meet Lily Palmer, who is the secretary for the Chief at the newspaper, and who longs to be able to write for the paper.  As a woman in 1931, she is dismissed unless she wants to write for the womens fashion or other sections.  She lives in a boarding house while also hiding a secret from everyone.

The description of Elliss boarding house was so depressing with tiny rooms, thin walls, and numerous people who had nowhere else to live, waiting in long lines for the one bathroom.  Even for those with jobs, it was a difficult time.

This story reminded me of the vulnerability of the extreme poor and those considered less than by many people.  I read the authors notes on how she saw a photo from the 1940s with children on a porch and a sign that said they were for sale, which triggered the basis for this book. At first I couldn't understand why parents were selling their children versus finding someone that could take care of them, but they were starving.  Even decent, well-meaning people could make poor choices under pressure.

I enjoyed the story setting of Philadelphia and New York City along with the very rich who could get away with anything, mafia-types, prohibition, and difficult to start crank cars.  Many people bought and sold these children, not as family, but to work almost like slaves with horrible living conditions and treatment.

Although at times it was slow reading, this is a compelling, well written story that has enough suspense to keep you reading, while also thinking of honor, ethics, society stigmas and desperation.  It was interesting and horrifying to read about the breaker boys that worked in the coal mines before child labor laws were enacted, and the injuries and deaths that occurred.  The story makes me appreciate our modern conveniences and better job opportunities for women.

This story has a subtle romance aspect with Lily, Ellis and another reporter, all whom worked at the newspaper in Philadelphia.  Its not the main aspect of the story but comes to a satisfying conclusion.
295573
As noted above most of this story is misery in the 1930's easily overlooked because of the war that followed. The slaughter of so many in Eastern Europe and USSR is hard to believe.
1869937
This book is really many different stories compiled in one book.  We live in very uncertain times, just like our parents and grandparents did during The Great Depression.  Many of them prevailed and came out because of grit and determination.  Read this and ask yourself if you have what it takes to survive in hard times.
3864109
After having read "Servants: A Downstairs View of Twentieth-Century Britain", it was interesting to read accounts of those who did not go into service.
Jack London was a world traveller and adventurer. His accounts of being on the streets of East End London at the turn of the century leaves no doubt about the dire straights people were living under. As he often states that at this time Britain was at its height but the poor were at their lowest. Death, hunger and disease are a constant. The workhouse or the poorhouse were just brief stops.
Makes you think
2326282
I learned a lot about the Orphans from the 1900's very sad for these kids, but this story had a happy ending.
3032368
I found the book fascinating how interwoven everyone's life was and how each impacted the other.
The characters were very real to me. It is very hard to live on when someone you love dies. That message
was clearly illustrated but all were very brave in their own ways.