Helpful Score: 2
A good read about life in the Midwest where a hopeful family in the innocent 1940s follows their American dream.
Helpful Score: 2
Small town cynicism and human frailties characterize this 1944 Minnesota family story. A sensitive 12 year old boy and a womanizing grandfather dominate the scene while they become involved in small town life new to them...This is a well-written novel with lots of colorful characters the reader can identify...You'll find yourself remembering people you want to remember and others you want to forget.
Helpful Score: 2
Fantastic book. Great characters. I've read everything by Hassler and this is his best IMO, with 'North of Hope' coming in a close second.
Helpful Score: 2
Wow, what an incredible study of human character. This book had me glued to it and finished it in one day, which is unlike me. What drew me to this book at first was the fact that it was written and takes place in MN where I live. Once started, the author caught me with an easily readable style but more than that, his truthful interpretaion of small town MN live and his astutement in developing his characters. This book offers lessons in grief, despair, the bad and the good of the human spirit. It leaves you with a heartfelt message that leaves a lingering impression.
Helpful Score: 1
Very good book showing a slice of life in America in the 1940's. Really enjoyed.
Enjoyable easy read. Midwest small town in the early 1940's. A good picutre of the biases and factions present in any town, any age. Characters are beleivable, and lovable or easy to dislike.
Tho the book is well written, I fond it terribly depressing. All the gossip and bigotry and religious wars in this small town were exhausting.
This is a wonderfully nostalgic glimpse into a small midwestern town in the 1940s - it's Mayberry with an edge. The characters range from poignant to evil with the Foster family at the epicenter. It's an engaging book.
This was a very good story and kept me interested in the characters and what would happen to them throughout the book. The story centers on a husband and wife and their young son and grandfather, who move from the big city to a small town in Minnesota, where they encounter bigotry in a very strange sense.
