Yonnondio: From the Thirties (Paperback)

~ (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Pillars of American literature, these two newly repackaged titles have been loved and admired by readers for decades.  Set during the Depression, Yonnondio : From The Thirties is the timeless and hauntingly timely story of the Holbrook family, struggling for a more tolerable existence.  Written by the author in the 1930s and rediscovered by her in the 1970s, Yonnondio will always be an unfinished work that makes us long for more of that young author's brilliance.  This reissue presents newly discovered fragments and scenes that satisfy some of that longing and give a more complete picture of the fate of the mother, Anna, one of literature's most believable and enduring woman. Tell Me A Riddle is a collection of four stories: "I Stand Here Ironing," "Hey Sailor, What Ship?," "O Yes," and the title novella, which won the O. Henry Award in 1961.  Anthologized over a hundred times, the stories live on in the hearts of readers everywhere.  John Leonard provides a new introduction that is a personal reminiscence as well as reaffirmation of Olsen's place in American literature's pantheon of great writers.

From the Publisher

Pillars of American literature, these two newly repackaged titles have been loved and admired by readers for decades. Set during the Depression, Yonnondio : From The Thirties is the timeless and hauntingly timely story of the Holbrook family, struggling for a more tolerable existence. Written by the author in the 1930s and rediscovered by her in the 1970s, Yonnondio will always be an unfinished work that makes us long for more of that young author's brilliance. This reissue presents newly discovered fragments and scenes that satisfy some of that longing and give a more complete picture of the fate of the mother, Anna, one of literature's most believable and enduring woman. Tell Me A Riddle is a collection of four stories: "I Stand Here Ironing," "Hey Sailor, What Ship?," "O Yes," and the title novella, which won the O. Henry Award in 1961. Anthologized over a hundred times, the stories live on in the hearts of readers everywhere. John Leonard provides a new introduction that is a personal reminiscence as well as reaffirmation of Olsen's place in American literature's pantheon of great writers. Tillie Olsen, winner of the 1994 Rae Award for the Short Story, was born in Nebraska in 1912. A Depression-era high school dropout, public libraries were her college. She wrote and published when young, but the necessity of raising and supporting four children through "everyday jobs" silenced her for twenty years. The recipient of six honorary degrees and many other awards, she has taught or been writer-in-residence at M.I.T., Amherst College, and Stanford University, among others. She lives in San Francisco.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: Delta (December 1, 1989)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0385291795
• ISBN-13: 978-0385291798
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.2 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #903,776 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Olsen Gives What Matters, February 22, 1998

By	Larry R. Smith "Midwest Reviewer" (Huron, Ohio USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Tillie Olsen's YONNONDIO is such an essential story of poverty and personal struggle. When we look around for stories that help us, this should be high on any list. It's as relevant today as it was in 1936; the poor continue to be used and forgotten, and yet their spirit rises as it does in this clear and compassionate portrait.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This book needs to remain in print!, April 30, 2004

By	"wibblet" (Central Illinois) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Yonnondio: From the Thirties (Virago modern classics) (Paperback)

First, the woman who claims the father in this book has sexual relations with his child is mistaken. Actually, what takes place is a marital rape that the child hears through the wall. Not pretty, but any feminist activist has to know this kind of tragedy didn't end in the 30s...

That aside, this book is one of the most poignant portrayals of poverty and working class struggle I've ever read. I've taught it to literature students who agreed that the picture Yonnondio paints is not pretty, but the book is mesmerizing just the same. It's absolutely shameful that an amazing book by one of the foremost advocates for women's and working class people's rights is being "silenced" by going out of print.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent, April 10, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Yonnondio: From the Thirties (Virago modern classics) (Paperback)

Tillie Olsen write much like Steinbeck in her prose as she illustrates the struggles of a poor family.