Customer Reviews

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

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This is an entrancing memoir of days now long gone, but vivid in the minds of those who lived them. While I lived on an Iowa farm in western Iowa rather than eastern Iowa, and was a boy, and was about six years younger than the author, this book recalled so much of what it was like that reading it was sn unmitigated delight. The author recognizes "the all-too-human tendency to gloss over the bad and glorify, or at least magnify, the good" when recalling one's childhood, but it sure makes greater reading to read of one's appreciated childhood than it does to read of one who looks back thereon in bitterness. Thus this book beats, e.g., Angela's Ashes by a mile in enjoyable reading.

Little Heathens, the memoir of an Iowa farm childhood, is a marvelously vivid encounter with an iconic way of life that has largely gone the way of the elm tree. The author Mildred Kalish, valedictorian of her high school class back in 1940, turns a sharp, remarkably objective eye on those descendents of the pioneers, "more 19th century than 20th," who raised her to live off the land through Iowa's "fierce blizzards" and some of America's worst times.

But this is not Little-House-on-the-Prairie. Yes, Kalish can rustle up the poignant details of honey gathering and head-cheese making. She can tell you how to domesticate raccoons and explain the proper use of beets to draw boils. What's unique here, though, is Kalish's portrait of an austere people whose Puritan tradition frowned on joy, prohibited affection in word or touch, "built character" with an open bible and homilies that dotted their days.

Fortunately, while Kalish grew up hearing that "whistling girls and crowing hens will always come to some bad end," such warnings never dampened the spirits of the "little heathens" -- as her grandmother called the farm's children. Eight decades later she has brought those stern sepia-toned faces back to full color through their words (from "Oh my soul" to "shit from shinola"), their ideals ("better to wear out than rust out"), and their deepest pleasures ("the kinship of souls that is created when everyone gathers in the kitchen to prepare a meal"). Reading Little Heathens, you become part of that lovely kinship for a while.

I loved every word of this book! The author grew up fresh and innocent and kind and loving in a very difficult, but pure, time in our history. In this too-short book she goes into all aspects of that life -- the fun, the harships, the extended family, the recipes, schooling, holidays, etc. I would really love another book or two by her, fleshing out some of these chapters. I would especially love a cookbook. I loved the short chapters on their animals and pets! I would like more on her school studies and friends. And more old photos.

After reading this book, I fervently wished I could know Mildred Armstrong Kalish. She is obviously a smart and sweet lady, appearing to be very much like my beloved grandmother who was raised in Kansas a few years prior to the time of which this author writes. It is amazing to think what changes she has been through, what changes our country has been through! I hope I don't sound too old when I say that I miss the good ole days, even though I wasn't fortunate enough to have lived through them. I miss the excitement over even the smallest things (birth of an animal, fresh-baked foods) and the simple but important teachings of her ever-present family. I would like more details about the members of her family and herself after she left town and began other adventures -- in the military, teaching, marriage and family, cars, television, etc. HOW this country has changed! Please read this book to re-connect with our roots. It is enlightening and funny and interesting and always educational and entertaining. And everyone today knows how we love our entertainment!

Mildred Armstrong Kalish provides a deep look back to growing up on a farm in Iowa during the Depression. Ms. Kalish's family of seven lived a frugal lifestyle in which three generations resided in the home with the only missing person being her exiled father although why she was not sure. Her cousins lived on nearby farms so the extended family was nearby to help if needed.

The key to this superb discerning memoir is Ms. Kalish avoids acrimony and sugared (except when grandpa bought some) nostalgia to provide a vivid picture of a bygone era in which an extended family was there to raise the children with positive values. Life on the farm during harsh economic conditions was fun to a preadolescent Mildred although some chores were simply work. With black and white pictures to enhance the era and "farm food" recipes that were not microwave, LITTLE HEATHENS is a well written winner providing a powerful look at the 1930s in the Midwest. Ms. Kalish showcases how different life was back then from today when for instance the three Klausner brothers live in Georgia, New Jersey and Texas respectively and outhouses is a Three Stooges' joke.

Harriet Klausner

Even though I am a 42-year-old city girl, this book resonated with me. Ms. Kalish writes with gratifying specificity of "the little things that make up a life." You'll wonder how her generation had enough energy to do the endless work it took to survive on a family farm. I'd recommend her story to anyone who is interested in what daily life was like in another era.

But here's what moved me to write this review: Ms. Kalish's recipe for Apple Cream Pie! It is an odd, open-faced creation with big chunks of apples and heavy cream poured on top. I've been baking apple pies from scratch all my life, but people keep telling me this is the best one I have ever made. Don't miss her recipe for pie crust, either. Her vegetable-oil crust is not only healthier and much easier than traditional pie crusts, but addictively delicate and crisp. When she tells you, in her intro to the recipe, that you'll never bother making any other type of crust again, she's not lying. I intend to try all the other recipes in this book. How generous of Ms. Kalish to share her time-tested gems with the world.

Mildred Armstrong Kalish is a retired English Professor who has much wisdom to offer in "Little Heathens". She wrote this book because she deemed it important to share, with the reading public, the great memories and the lifelong lessons she learned growing up on an Iowa farm during the Great Depression.

For someone like me, the information I have about the depression era of the 1930's is comprised of facts from history books and periodicals, along with personal accounts from older family members and others who are quick to share what life was like during these times of economic uncertainty. The information offered by grandparents and some of my older aunts and uncles reflects a time that was difficult, but also a time that people came together as a family and took care of each other. When I heard about this book, I was curious about its contents. Would it be similar to the tales often told by older individuals who survived this bleak period in American history? Or, would it offer a fresh take on the situation and present a different overall assessment of this troublesome era?

I fully expected this book to offer the typical gloomy account of the depression era 1930's but I am happy to report that the author didn't write the book in this manner. She doesn't speak in blissful, optimistic terms about the Great Depression and her life was by no means without its share of tough times. But Kalish had a different overall experience. Her family was tightly knit and completely self- sufficient. No one worried too much about unemployment or looking for ways to earn a living. The farm took care of everything necessary for survival and even though the work was physically demanding and the days were long, there was never any serious worry about having enough food to eat or a warm bed to sleep in at night. Everything was taken care of, and each family member had specific responsibilities for maintaining the household.

This book offers many different lessons about life and chief among them is the recurring theme about self- sufficiency. Most of us live a very different lifestyle from the one described in this book and we would be completely helpless if forced to survive without electricity, grocery stores, computers, cell phones, and most other modern- day conveniences. Kalish describes over and over again in this book her experiences on the farm and how she and her family learned to live with what they had. Not only did she and her siblings know the basics of growing food, making clothing, etc., they also learned different cures for common illnesses and unique and creative ways to have fun.

What I enjoy best about this book is the author's sense of optimism and pride. She doesn't speak of the Great Depression as a time of economic difficulties and strife, but rather as a time when she and her extended family worked as a cohesive team: an organized unit fully trained and ready to tackle any obstacle that stood in the way of survival. Kalish speaks with fondness when she describes one of her aunt's influences when it came to cooking or the fascinating experience of milking a cow. She describes her life as challenging, but also as entertaining and full of learning experiences.

Overall, "Little Heathens" is an optimistic, honest, "feel- good" type of book that will appeal mainly to those who grew up during the Great Depression and who can relate directly to its many words of infinite wisdom. For the rest of us, this book is still enjoyable and valuable for the many life lessons contained within. Mildred Armstrong Kalish learned to be a survivor, and these instincts certainly were responsible for her future success as an educator. She and her various family members have many things to be grateful for and chief among them was the strong family bonds and the spirit of togetherness that made everything possible. It makes for a satisfying read and a refreshing change from the stories of gloom and doom so commonly associated with this era in American history.

If you have never been on a farm and wonder what life was like when we had no videogames, cell phones, etc., you can do no better than to read this book. Having grown up on a farm in north central Iowa, I can tell you that this story is absolutely true and many of us miss it terribly! Iowans have very strong commitments, to life, to education, to religion, and to a life of independence. Few Americans can claim to living a life that is full. We are all missing something. In this book, you find real people living full, rich lives and they are much the better for it. Read this book and you will understand America much better!

I delved into this book with great anticipation. The author is only a few years younger than my mother and the area she writes about in rural Iowa is just 50 miles east of where my grandfather was born. It brought back a lot of memories for me as I am sure it will for many other readers.

There were many things to like in this book that combines anecdotes from the 1930s with recipes and how to do things the old way. I enjoyed the anecdotes and would have enjoyed the book if it had been sprinkled with less of the recipes and more of the stories from the 1930s--stories which ranged from poignant to laugh-out-loud funny. Her stories range from such events as box socials (and giving a complete explanation of what one is for those who may not know) to how to gather honey from bees (and what happens if you do it the wrong way). She tells of how hard work it was it was back in the day, but does recall there was time for a bit of leisure as well.

At once a memoir, a how-to book, and a cookbook, Kalish tells her story with enthusiasm but with a bit of pompousness that was a bit unnecessary. She acts as if she was the only person ever to know how to do some of these things described and that her way was the only way. Heck, I am 25 years younger than she is and I can remember doing many of the same things at my grandparents' farm in North Dakota two decades later, and even do some of these same things today. Although the subtitle mentions "hard times" it is clear that due to help from her grandparents and a self-sufficient farm, Kalish and her siblings never really went without anything on her farm during the depression so anyone who is reading this book and expects it to be a true hardship tale best look elsewhere. It is a great look down memory lane for those from Kalish's generation who I am sure will enjoy reading and reminiscing about another time and place. It seems though that most of the time the author is writing for an audience who hasn't lived through any of these events, remembers none of these times (stoking an old wood fire, splitting wood,making head cheese, butchering a chicken, making May Day baskets). That said, it is quick interesting read but recommended with reservations as although a memoir, how-to book and cookbook, it doesn't completely succeed at any of these.

Little Heathens is a wonderful memoir, heartwarming, but without a hint of treacle. Mildred Kalish grew up during tough times on an Iowa farm and lived a life many would complain about, but there is no bitterness in her story, simply an appreciation of her life and a love of her family. I read a lot of books and I have to say this one is like no other--an inspiring, yet wholly enjoyable story. I recommended this one to two people during the space of half an hour, one is 75, the other is 11, and both simply loved it. I would recommend it to all in between as well. Little Heathens is an engaging, fascinating story. Enjoy.

Excellent!! Couldn't put the book down and have passed on to several friends who have enjoyed the book. This is the documentation you would like to hear of your own ancester's early life that few are lucky enough to have. The how's of early life in Iowa on a small farm, the hard work, the mind set and the much remembered joys of youth.