Granny D: You're Never Too Old to Raise a Little Hell [Paperback]

Doris Haddock (Author), Dennis Burke (Author), Bill Moyers (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 8, 2003

In February 2000, ninety-year-old Doris “Granny D” Haddock became a national heroine when she completed her 3,200-mile, fourteen-month walk from Los Angeles to Washington, D.C., to bring attention to the issue of campaign finance reform.

Granny D recalls and celebrates an exuberant life of love, ac-tivism, and adventure—from one-woman feminist plays in the thirties, to stopping nuclear testing near an Eskimo fishing village in 1963, to her current crusade. Threaded throughout is the spirit of her beloved hometown in New Hampshire—Thornton Wilder’s inspiration for Grover’s Corners in Our Town—a quintessentially American center of New England pluck, Yankee ingenuity, and can-do attitude.

Told in Doris’s vivid and unforgettable voice, Granny D will move and delight readers with its clarion message that one person can indeed make a difference.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“Doris Haddock is a true patriot, and our nation has been blessed by her remarkable life. Her story will entertain, inform, and inspire people of all ages for generations to come.” —Jimmy Carter

“I believe she represents all that is good in America. She has taken up this struggle to clean up American politics. . . . Granny D, you exceed any small, modest contributions those of us who have labored in the vineyards of reform have made to this earth. We are grateful for you.” —Senator John McCain

“A multilayered memoir, populist reform treatise, roadside nature field book, Whitmanesque treatment of America, and philosophical summation of a life well spent . . . a stunning portrait of the American soul.” —Library Journal

“A moving reminder of the power of the human will.” —Kirkus Reviews

From the Inside Flap

In February 2000, ninety-year-old Doris ?Granny D? Haddock became a national heroine when she completed her 3,200-mile, fourteen-month walk from Los Angeles to Washington, D.C., to bring attention to the issue of campaign finance reform.

Granny D recalls and celebrates an exuberant life of love, ac-tivism, and adventure?from one-woman feminist plays in the thirties, to stopping nuclear testing near an Eskimo fishing village in 1963, to her current crusade. Threaded throughout is the spirit of her beloved hometown in New Hampshire?Thornton Wilder?s inspiration for Grover?s Corners in Our Town?a quintessentially American center of New England pluck, Yankee ingenuity, and can-do attitude.

Told in Doris?s vivid and unforgettable voice, Granny D will move and delight readers with its clarion message that one person can indeed make a difference.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Villard; Rep Sub edition (April 8, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0812966910
• ISBN-13: 978-0812966916
• Product Dimensions: 5.2 x 0.7 x 8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #795,493 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Ms. Smith Walks to Washington!, August 19, 2003

By 

Pieratee "pieratee" (Santa Rosa, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Granny D: You're Never Too Old to Raise a Little Hell (Paperback)

I say bravo to Ms. Haddock and to her book! I believe this country needs more passionate input and action from its citizens with regards to our government and the political nightmare we have all help to create and Granny D - Delivers.

Ms. Haddock, as a Californian, may I suggest a sequel to your what I hope will become most successful book: Granny D2 - Raising a little more hell! This one could add "Recall Campaign Financing Reform" to the agenda!

Regarding the lone star reviewer: A Texan against campaign spending limits...what a surprise!

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Authentic American citizen writing with authentic voice, May 31, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Granny D: You're Never Too Old to Raise a Little Hell (Paperback)

Granny D is a patriot. Since her amazing walk across the country promoting campaign finance reform at the ripe young age of 90, she has resisted retiring on memories of her amazing feat. She continues her work to reform our government, and is still actively working to return the rule of our government back into the hands of "We the People", from the moneyed hands of "we the corporations.

But read this book even if you disagree with the goals or politics of this woman. Read this book because the spirit of an authentic American citizen shines through and because she is a terrific writer.

And please, take with a rather large grain of salt, the comments of the previous writer; one can only wonder for which corporation he/she is a paid shill for.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Hope in the age of cynicism, May 30, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Granny D: You're Never Too Old to Raise a Little Hell (Paperback)

I confess I too was prepared to find that Granny D was, shall we say, "eccentric"... but reading Doris's book I came to know and love her. She put her very life on the line for a cause she believed in, and through her tenacity, wit and courage brought it to the national consciousness. This book is basically her travel diary and memoir. She vividly describes the incredible diversity of people she met across the country, mostly ordinary working folks who shared her sense of disenfranchisement. She relates how devoting herself passionately to a worthy cause saved her life. Her amazing speeches, transcribed in the book, are real stem-winders -- hard to believe a retired shoe-factory worker wrote them. A great and inspiring read. See also the many reviews of the hardcover edition. "Fort Worth": you slung a lot of invective but didn't mention anything about the book; have you read it?