Marin's review
The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio: How My Mother Raised 10 Kids on 25 Words or Less
by Terry Ryan
Marin's review
The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio: How My Mother Raised 10 Kids on 25 Words or Less by Terry Ryan
Marin's review
rating:
My mom would love this book.
It's a worshipful biography of a woman who would supplement her husband's too-small-for-ten-kids income by writing advertising jingles and entering them in contests. The highlight for me was the anecdote about Mrs. Ryan's ten-minute grocery shopping spree. This homemaker was determined to fill her freezer (another contest win) with food items other than fish sticks, and she approached her one chance at free groceries with military strategy.
I also thought that the author's stories of growing up in a large family were dead-on at describing the right combination of disorganization, energy, teamwork, and the craving for treats and personal attention.
This book is hugely optimistic about some of this family's darkest times, financial and otherwise. If you read it, it will make you feel genuinely happy.
It's a worshipful biography of a woman who would supplement her husband's too-small-for-ten-kids income by writing advertising jingles and entering them in contests. The highlight for me was the anecdote about Mrs. Ryan's ten-minute grocery shopping spree. This homemaker was determined to fill her freezer (another contest win) with food items other than fish sticks, and she approached her one chance at free groceries with military strategy.
I also thought that the author's stories of growing up in a large family were dead-on at describing the right combination of disorganization, energy, teamwork, and the craving for treats and personal attention.
This book is hugely optimistic about some of this family's darkest times, financial and otherwise. If you read it, it will make you feel genuinely happy.
