Act Natural

Act Natural: A Cultural History of Misadventures in Parenting 

by Jennifer Traig

As one who enjoys the quirks of history, this book is right up my alley.  Told from a rather personable perspective, this book presents a well researched accounting of some of the most horrifying, hilarious, and outrageous parenting practices that have trended in the western world over the past thousand or so years. From baby cages that prevented the ‘demonic’ practice of crawling, to girdles for pregnant women so the baby wouldn’t grow to big, child rearing has seen some dark days and this book has them all!

Broken into topics, each chapter addresses a different parenting hot topic and how people have handled said issues at different times. Chapters on topics such as childbirth, advice columns, discipline, sibling rivalry, etc, walk you through historical attempts to address these issues to comedic effect. The things people have done to raise well adjusted humans are absolutely astounding.

Act Natural is not only an ode to parenting, it also provides a unique window into domestic life throughout the last thousand years. Interesting historical tidbits, cultural norms, and attitudes of the people who lived before us are well outlined in this book. 

While filled with sources, citations, and an impressive appendix, this thoroughly researched book is a joy to read and often laugh out loud funny. Traig’s almost glib tone while recounting some truly unhinged parenting practices allows the reader to gasp and laugh all while going on this educational journey through the history of parenting. 

Fans of Chuck Klosterman, Mary Roach, Caitlin Doughty, and Bill Bryson will appreciate the informative nature of this book as well as the tongue in cheek humour.

Evvie Drake Starts Over

by Linda Holmes

 

Evvie Drake Starts Over, by Linda Holmes, is a light read for those who are looking for a refreshing tale for summer. Evvie Drake is recently widowed, her doctor husband having been the apple of everyone’s eye in their small Maine town. His golden boy reputation has outlived him and he continues to be honoured. Although Evvie finds these tributes difficult, she attends the events, but for the most part keeps herself isolated in her house, not really dealing with the truth about her husband that keeps her from moving forward.

Dean Tenney is a successful baseball pitcher, who has had many a trip to the World Series. However, now his arm is not behaving as it should and he is facing the wrath of his fans, who are not being very kind. Dean is the childhood friend of Evvie’s best pal, Andy, and Andy sees an opportunity for Evvie to make a little extra money by renting out the back apartment in her house to Dean, who desperately needs somewhere to hide out and recover from the game that no longer loves him.

As Dean moves in, he and Evvie strike a deal to not talk about the things that haunt them, his sudden inability to pitch and her husband. While this may be a good plan, it inevitably does not last for long. They quickly become friends and begin to confide in each other, creating a support enabling them to face their own truths. 

Naturally, as in any love story, there are a few bumps and hurdles along the way, but Holmes’ writing is in no way predictable and Dean and Evvie’s story is filled with friendly banter, laughter and self-realization. All in all, a very enjoyable feel good read about life, acceptance and the relationships we have. 

Helen Varga is a library technician at the Steveston Branch of the Richmond Public Library.

For other popular reading suggestions check out Richmond Public Library's Web site at www.yourlibrary.ca/goodbooks/. 

Burnt Toast Makes You Sing Good

 by Kathleen Flinn

I don’t usually read a lot of non-fiction, especially memoirs and biographies, but this one was recommended to me so I thought I would give it a try. Burnt Toast Makes You Sing Good is the story of the author’s childhood, family and the food they shared, the two often inextricably linked.  The book’s title is itself a memory of Flinn’s grandmother, who raised her own young family during the Depression.  Food wastage was not an option then so you had to eat that burnt toast which fortunately, according to Mom, made you sing good!

Kathleen Flinn grew up in the Midwestern US, and uses family members’ stories and her own memories to recount the life of the Flinns. From the pizza parlor her parents owned and operated, Grandpa Charles’ army recipe chili and Grandma Inez’s fluffy pancakes she ties family anecdotes to family history. 

Food was central to the household as new challenges and cross country adventures took place. Each stage of their lives was represented by the food in the fridge and the pantry. During the busy pizza parlor days, the restaurant menu which included large pizza pies made on metal garbage can lids fed everyone. Later on, life on the farm consisted of whatever they grew, hunted and canned. Finding 100’s of canning jars in the cellar, they set to work filling them with the farm’s bounty. In the later years, Flinn’s parents moved the family to the suburbs and a life of relative luxury away from the hard work of the farm. Being more financially secure, her parents began living a different life than that the kids had been used to, they threw parties, they went out, they stocked the shelves with store bought food! This in itself was an adjustment, having longed for these treats while on the farm, the kids now found themselves wishing for mom’s homemade fried chicken.

Throughout each move, the kids never once doubted that they were loved. Not always the best communicators, the family spoke through food. In the words of Grandma Inez “I don’t have to tell you I love you. I fed you pancakes.” 

Flinn’s tasty memories will pique your interest, and you can make most of them yourself from the recipes included amongst the chapters.