THE ROOTS OF A FAMILY - Life in Rural Maine

Publish Date: April 2012

Page Count: 355

Book Size: 6" x 9"

Binding: Perfect Bound

The "Roots of a Family" is a remarkable story of three families: the McGinleys, a family of seventeen, who lived through the Great Depression in northern Penobscot County; the Gliddens, a family of six, raised on a small dairy farm in central Maine; and the writer's family, a joining of these two and her experience of growing up in the 1950s and 1960s in rural Maine. The book provides interesting, insightful and very personal descriptions of family life in the '30s and '40s and includes Gail's great-grandfather's experience in the Civil War, difficulties of growing up poor in a large family, dairy farming, the Depression and Prohibition in Maine, and life in Maine during and after World War II. 197 photos.

Posted by: Anonymous on: June 2012 This book is not a Little House On The Prairie type, the kind that depicts a somewhat idyllic life in earlier years. The author's description of her grandmothers' lives and toils during the depression and WWII years is almost unfathomable to me as I now live on a relatively "easy street." The book appears to be an honest and encompassing story of the everyday life of two families using the history of the times to show the effect on everyday behavior and the energy required to survive.

Posted by: jbuck41 on: June 2012 A very well researched and detailed account of the earlier generations of the author's family. I was amazed at how hard life was back in the Depression, as well as the strong ties to family over the years. The letters back and forth between the author's father and his mother during World War II are especially riveting. As an added bonus, this book has many photographs which help tell the story.

Posted by: gmonteux@gmail.com on: June 2012 When I first heard of the concept of "The Roots of a Family" I thought 'why'? Why would I be interested in learning details about another person's family? But the book was recommended by a friend, so decided to give it a shot. That turned out to be a very good idea. Ms. Rowe has managed to take her unique family perspective and turn it into more of a living history lesson, one we all can relate to, in one way or another. Her weaving of historical facts and figures into the narrative also makes it a real page-turner, in my humble opinion.