 | Why do I NEVER think of getting pictures? There I was, at Olive Warner Library in Hooker Oklahoma when in walks author Gwen Stevens Hanson. I literally had no clue. I was just enjoying visiting with the other authors and handing out coloring cards to the children coming through from sitting on Santa's lap. The other authors were talking to her when I realized who she was. I mentioned the recent review I did of Keepin' It Together by Virginia Frantz and she asked if I'd review her book. I jumped at the chance! |
Get to know the Stevens family as they struggle through the dust bowl, grow through the golden '50s, and the married & family life of Gwen Hanson. Mrs. Hanson's ramblings are endearing, funny, and fully of history and Oklahoma Panhandle culture. She speaks of the 1930's, "In those days, you cleaned house every time the wind stopped blowing." She pegs the state of the nation with, "We had lived in a dusty situation for several years, and nobody had noticed until it started moving into the east." Once the dust hit New York the city people decided, "Something had to be done!" Did you know people died of "dust pneumonia"? We see pictures of dust storms in summer, but did you know in winter they called the snow storms "Snusters"? {Snow + Duster = Snuster} Mrs. Hanson also gives bits of insight into some of the struggles of veterans after the Korean War. I love the way she weaves the history of the oil and gas industry with the homesteading, farm, & education of panhandle area families. She doesn't dwell on the hardships; just points them out as something lived through. She highlights the blessings of country life which city people have scoffed at for years, but are beginning to wistfully dream of and even pursue. By the end of this book you will have laughed and cried with Mrs. Hanson to the point of feeling like you would know her well enough to greet her with a hug. Her insight on economics and politics is more practical than most text books or lectures. We did read "The Farmer's Daughter" as a family, but I'll warn you, there were a few words and comments I skipped over or replaced. Just a few places touched on the side of crude, but I wouldn't ever ask her to take them out because it's totally true to our lives out here. She was delicate yet real. Most youngsters these days wouldn't blink an eye, and might even laugh at the silliness. Our family just tends to try to be more careful than most about the words we speak. In my humble opinion, this book should be required reading in college government classes. The liberal professors would probably rather put it on a censor list.
| Description: Many authors have written about the devastation of the Dust Bowl in the Dirty Thirties and the Exodus from the area to find a better life. The Farmer's Daughter chronicles the faith, grit, strength, and determination of those who chose to stay despite the obstacles. It is a tribute to the family farmer and his place in the American economy. Gwen Stevens Hanson's book tells of her family's slow rise from poverty to prosperity with humor and nostalgia. The author spins tales of her life as a young wife and mother of four children in as many years. She touches on the loss of her eyesight and therefore her independence and the lengthy partial recovery. She goes into the death of her father and the sinking realization by the sisters that their beloved mother has Alzheimer's. The Farmer's Daughter is a feel-good story about attaining the great American Dream if you are willing to work hard and sacrifice. An inspirational story with a bit of politics, you will both laugh and shed a few tears as you read. | Affiliate link. See our disclosure policy for details. |
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