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192 reviews for:
The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio: How My Mother Raised 10 Kids on 25 Words or Less
Terry Ryan
3.86 AVERAGE
192 reviews for:
The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio: How My Mother Raised 10 Kids on 25 Words or Less
Terry Ryan
3.86 AVERAGE
I liked this, just not quite enough for 4 stars. It's well-written, and I agree with the author that her mother was a hero. It was fun to read about the era of contesting and get a glimpse of what it might have been like for my own grandmother who won the first color television in Cedar Lake, Indiana!
The premise of this book didn't seem like one you could write more than a page or two about, but I was pleasantly surprised by this one. It was a salt of the earth portrayal of growing up poor in the 50's but with such hope and interest. The mother, by winning their unreliable income through contests of witty word craft, makes every bit of money they get seem like an amazing, miraculous thing. It's just such a different feel than getting a paycheck: she puts all her skill and talent into it, and in the end, she's frequently a winner and rewarded with things she needs for her family! It is a very fun, optimistic book.
One of those books where reading it was almost like watching a movie - I could SEE things happen even though I was just reading. It would make a great movie, albeit one where the plot is so 'perfect' you don't think it was based entirely on a true story. (It was!)
...and of course I checked: it was made into a movie in 2005.
...and of course I checked: it was made into a movie in 2005.
I thoroughly enjoyed this delightful memior of a determined mother. I really love stories of women who make things happen for their families. Ryan's style was engaging and told a great story made all the better because it was true!
This is a good, true story about a woman who supports her family with winnings from contests in the post-war contest era. Her husband is an alcoholic who drinks up a good portion of the family income, and there are ten kids to support!
This was an interesting story, and certainly made me feel that my life is pretty simple. There's always enough food in the cupboard at my house and my husband doesn't drink away the money to repay the second mortgage.
The mom in the book is very resourceful, intelligent, and irrepressible. You do wonder why she would stay with such a man, but when you have ten kids, where do you go? And it was a different era. She certainly did the very best with the hand she was dealt.
This was an interesting story, and certainly made me feel that my life is pretty simple. There's always enough food in the cupboard at my house and my husband doesn't drink away the money to repay the second mortgage.
The mom in the book is very resourceful, intelligent, and irrepressible. You do wonder why she would stay with such a man, but when you have ten kids, where do you go? And it was a different era. She certainly did the very best with the hand she was dealt.
Loved it!! Aside from being a great and very entertaining story, it really made me think about how much waste I have in my life and how much more frugal I could be if I really had to.
Interesting story of how a woman kept her family clothed and fed thanks to her talent for winning contests.
With simplicity and humor, Terry "Tuff" Ryan recalls her upbringing as one of ten kids in 1950s Ohio. She lets the reader into the life of a family that, despite poverty and an alcoholic father, is held together by the tenacity, creativity and optimism of their mother, Evelyn Ryan. Simultaneously heart-wrenching and hopeful, this book will leave you marveling at the strength of one remarkable "50's housewife."