A Penny's Worth of Minced Ham: Another Look at the Great Depression

Shawnee Books

by Robert J. Hastings

Hastings experienced the rural and small town side of an event that touched all who weathered it—the economic crash of 1929 and its 10-year aftermath.

The author grew up in Marion, Illinois, entering the first grade in 1930, the start of the Great Depression. This book, which recalls memorable epi­sodes in the life of that boy, is a sequel to the pop­ular A Nickel’s Worth of Skim Milk.

What Hastings experienced as a child was typical of depression-era life. Those who were young then can relive lost youth in Hastings’ books. And there were moments worth reliving: Hastings tells of “laughter and love and tears in the midst of hunger and cold and deprivation.” Those too young to have experienced the economic devastation can see those hard days through the eyes of a trained storyteller reporting from the point of view of a child.

Genres: Local History

120 pages, Paperback

First published November 17, 1986

Reviews

[Betty Holland · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my second reading of this book. As I also grew up during the Great Depression, I enjoyed reading about the author's life living in a coal mining town in Ill. I grew up on a farm in SC and we did not have it as bad as these people. We did learn to appreciate what we had and I was taught not to waste anything. My father farmed 2 farms with the help of tennant farmers. He also held a second job as a sheriff's deputy in Dillon County, SC. Some of my friends thought we were rich, we were not but we never lacked for anything that we needed. Many people worked harder and had less than I had.

[Jean Mehochko · Rating 5 out of 5]

This little book was just as promised. A glimpse back to growing up during the depression, remembering small town Southern Illinois life. Since I live in a small southern Illinois town, I could easily imagine what things were like back then. The overall theme of the book was to make memories, enjoy life now, cherish your friends and family because they don’t last forever. A sweet read.

[Han · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed walking down memory lane with the author.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not as good as the first book. Repeated some of the better stories and felt a bit more didactic.

[Peter Pactor · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm particularly interested in life during the Great Depression, and this book offered another opportunity to see how people lived. I did enjoy reading it; however, since there was material which the author had written about in his earlier work, A Nickel's Worth of Skim Milk, it wasn't as fresh to me as his earlier book. This was, however, an interesting book about stores in the 1930s. Most were mom-and-pop stores, and none were self-help as they are today. If you wanted something you asked the clerk (usually the owner) to get it for you. He would fill your shopping list, running back and forth from item to item. The book also includes several pictures, interior and exterior shots, of such stores. In spite of the repetition, I found the book interesting.