A Ruth Suckow Omnibus

by Ruth Suckow, Clarence A. Andrews (Introduction)

A dozen stories describe the lives of individuals who find strength in their dreams, and memories of small-town childhoods.

328 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 1988

About the author

Ruth Suckow (August 6, 1892 – January 23, 1960) was an American author.

Suckow is sometimes recalled as a "regionalist," but she did not consider herself such a writer. She said that she wrote about "people, situations, and their meaning." Her fiction was often set in Iowa, but was not parochial in outlook. Today her writing has value for readers who enjoy good storytelling as well as for social historians looking for details about life in the early 20th century, particularly in the small towns of Iowa.

Suckow's childhood home has been preserved at Calliope Village in Hawarden, Iowa.

(from Wikipedia)

Reviews

[Sally · Rating 4 out of 5]

An intriguing collection of stories by a Midwestern author who wrote mostly in the 1929s and 1930s. She brings a realist's view to many of these tales, especially of people who end up spending their lives in a small town with not much to look forward to. "Susan and the Doctor" for example focuses on a long term affair between a bank teller and a doctor with marriage put off because of his elderly mother. His mother dies and the doctor looks for a younger woman. "A Part of the Institution," which is really a novella, is a about a young woman who lived in the town in which Adams College was located, goes to school there, and becomes a teacher and minor administrator because she can't think beyond the town and the "Adams Way." Her classmates return, knowing that she'll always be there. Sometimes Suckow is a bit too precious in writing about children, although she takes them seriously. My favorite story may have been "Three, Counting the Cat," about an older couple whose children have grown and their affections become focused on a cat, whom they don't want to leave, even for a short vacation. I empathized with them!

[Sue · Rating 3 out of 5]

Actually, I only read the novella "A Part of the Institution", which was in this volume. A group of us were to read this for a discussion, during the Cedar Falls Authors Festival.
I enjoyed my first exposure to Suckow's writing! She has a very subtle way of getting her point across. This was the story of a woman who was born in a college town in Iowa (loosely based on Grinnell), attended college there, and later was part of the faculty. Sounds idylic, but it's really the story of how a person can let life take its own path, without much forethought going into it. The narrator goes from being a stylish young girl, to a dowdy spinster. Even though the story was set in the WWI era, I found it to be a timeless cautionary tale.

[Renee · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you enjoy Willa Cather.... Ruth Suckow is an under-appreciated writer.

[Kay · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read several of Ruth’s short stories and fond them more “modern” than I expected. The themes were from “earlier times” as they say, but her language and writing style seemed not so dated.

[Elaine Bahr · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was not for me. DNF

[Sophie Shanahan · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was an OK read. The character of Hester was a bit boring and by the middle frustrating. Not my cup of tea.