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1 of 1 found the following review helpful:
 "Making do" - the old American virtue Nov 13, 2009
There was a time - not that long ago, really - within the memory of many of us, or right before our time - when people made a full life out of "making do." Mildred Kalish's book is a delicious celebration (complete with recipes) of that all-but-vanished part of the American character.
People "made do" because there was no alternative, and Mrs. Kalish makes no attempt to gloss over the hard work involved. But the pride and satisfaction that comes with the achievement of self-sufficiency through individual and communal responsibility makes the whole book glow with a feeling of "this is as it should be. This is how people are supposed to live together."
1 of 1 found the following review helpful:
 This is how children should be raised!! Nov 08, 2009
Little Heathens was a page turner! Mildred Kalish's story of her childhood made me realize, as a teacher, how the simple things in life are crucial to a child's overall development. In an age of high tech devices, we are truly missing the mark on what children need as tools for life's hardships. Hard work, discipline and an overall appreciation for our environment. Mildred Kalish articulated so well what was expected of her, the learning that took place and the resulting closeness she and her family members had. How the togetherness in completing daily chores with her siblings added to her well being. Loved the recipes and household tips! I now yearn for a day in her past!
Little Heathens Oct 17, 2009
The book was a very good price and it arrived on time and in perfect condition. I had already read the book and bought this one to give to my daughter for her birthday. It is very "light" but interesting and educational reading.
Wonderful Capture of Rural Life for "the Greatest Generation" Oct 11, 2009
This woman has indeed written a memoir for her generation. My niece was assigned this book in a Biography class in college. She was not particularly taken with it but had the good judgment to know that her Grandma, who grew up in rural / small town North Carolina during the depression, would enjoy it. Niece hit a home run - Granda RAVED about the book, finding that it captured perfectly her childhood experiences - hard times AND good ones. She would call laughing about different episodes in the book. We could tell this was special. We have since given it to a number of friends and relatives who lived in areas as diverse as upstate New York, Texas, and the mountains of North Carolina. They have been uniformly enthusiastic and grateful for the opportunity to relive their childhood memories with such a knowing storyteller. Thumbs up, high fives - BUY THIS BOOK for anyone you know in that generation who had a rural touch to their lives and enjoys reading. This is a very inexpensive gift that will bring invaluable pleasure to your older friends and relatives.
When all the women were strong, and all the men good-looking... Sep 21, 2009
Imagine that you are having a delighful conversation with your grandma, sitting before a cozy fire, while she feeds you warm applesauce cake fresh from the oven. She tells stories of how the Little Kids and the Big Kids got together one Fourth of July and practically blew themselves and the house up by stuffing explosives down a lead pipe. She tells you how Old Man Mealhouse tricked the outhouse tippers one dark Hallowe'en with messy consequences, and how during cold winter nights she snuggled up with a small raccoon sleeping under her chin, another one at her feet. Warm, tender barefoot days of summer, gathering walnuts in fall, eating ripe tomatoes straight off the vine, and putting a good meal on the table. Does it get any better than that?
No, and yes. It wasn't all fun and games for Millie Kalish growing up on a farm in Iowa during the Great Depression. Millie's family suffered back-breaking labor, freezing winters, and a heart-breaking infant mortality rate. There was no electricity and no indoor plumbing. Doctors were scarce and money even scarcer. But the down-to-earth frankness with which Millie talks about their hardships never leaves you feeling depressed. If anything, the fortitude with which these hardy Iowans met their difficulties was inspiring.
Are those days gone for good? Millie asks that plaintive question several times, wondering if anyone out there remembers box socials and May baskets. I don't, but I can personally attest to the fact that farm life has not changed all that much in most of the world. And, if you were raised in one of the more remote rural areas, you will understand the meaning of the phrase "everybody pulls together." There are still places where the strawberries are flavor-packed and luscious (my garden), where nature is close at hand, and where wildly careening down a swollen stream is the epitome of fun. All those things still exist. But what may indeed be lost is "a sense of security, a sense of belonging in the world." Even for those people still living on farms, still growing their own food and putting it on the table, there is a feeling of displacement. The world is (too much) with us, but not in ways that encourage a sense of security and belonging. And that, truly, is a terrible loss.
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