Little Heathens

Hard Times and High Spirits on an Iowa Farm During the Great Depression

By: Mildred Armstrong Kalish

Narrated by: Ruth Ann Phimister

Debut author Mildred Armstrong Kalish, a retired English professor, records her childhood recollections in clear, concise prose. Voted one of the 10 Best Books of 2007 by the New York Times Book Review, Kalish's Little Heathens is a compelling memoir of her hardscrabble life on an Iowa farm during the Great Depression. As foreclosure fragments her family, five-year-old Mildred and her three siblings find refuge with her grandparents - God-fearing farmers, enjoying a modest retirement. When the "little heathens" flush the seniors and their child-rearing skills out of retirement, the grandparents deploy tough but loving bedtime schedules, Bible and prayer routines, and plenty of character-building chores. Having no electricity or indoor plumbing and with little heat or money on the farm, Mildred learns to find joy in the priceless blessings of life.©2007 Mildred Armstrong Kalish (P)2008 Recorded Books,LLC

The simplicity of farm life

I enjoyed the homestead approach to life and how the whole family had responsibilities. The recipes! The personal narrative of a life of communion with nature.

An absolute treasure!

This story, and its superb telling, deserves to be recognized as an American classic. Highly recommend.

Required reading

This should be on the required reading list for teenagers today. Excellent description of an excellent childhood.

A good look at rural life during the depression.

An excellent book for anyone like myself with a love for history and more specifically family history. How did people live before modern conveniences or in an environment completely different from the suburban upbringing I experienced? Kalish is a great story teller with a love for her childhood life and the family that surrounded her. My Great Great Grandmother was born into a large family in rural Iowa so the book helped me better understand the life she may have lived, though 75 ears before Kalish. If you are an adventurous cook, you may want the paper version, as I imagine that will make following some of her recipes easier.

A book to keep

“There is no frigate like a book to take us lands away.” This is so true of this book. I loved it.