We didn't have much, but we sure had plenty

by Sherry Thomas

Interviews with rural American women capture their thoughts about their lives, their families, their work on farms, and their view of themselves

Genres: Nonfiction

325 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1981

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.

Reviews

[Lola · Rating 2 out of 5]

The author travelled 17,000 miles across the country to do interviews
with women. This book has the stories of thirteen of those women
who lived in rural areas who farmed and lived lives of hardship with
no easy way of doing things--a hard way of life no longer lived in our
country.

[Cammie Jordan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was really looking forward to reading this book. I love stories about the "olden-days" - especially from a person's personal experience. This book was a bit different than I expected though. I was what I call "un-cut & raw" stories from a number of ladies during the early to mid-1900's.

For me the stories were a bit discursive and a bit too long. I do respect the author wanting to keep "the voice of the author" through each story, but at times it rambled so much it was hard to read.

It was still an interesting book though. It's neat to hear the different viewpoints of different women around the country. How the depression affected each person & their families.

[Michelle Hough · Rating 5 out of 5]

This little oral history is a cultural treasure. It's also very transporting, entertaining, and soothing, in a way. If you can find a copy to read, it's well worth the time.

[Julie Barrett · Rating 3 out of 5]

We didn't have much but we had plenty, stories of rural women by Sherry Thomas
Various stories of how some women survived in rural times for would be farmers.
How one woman placed an ad and set out to hear their stories. During the depression many saw themselves as doers, not talkers.
Many thought they should've been born a man-to help with the chores. Many stated they helped on the farm but they were the ones actually doing the work.
Topics on marriage, birthing, tending to sick animals, sheep herding, lobstering, canning, working the lands.
I received this book from National Library Service for my BARD (Braille Audio Reading Device).