July Book Club: The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio by Terry Ryan

What a wonderful, relaxing evening we had together discussing Debbie’s book pick of The Honest Truth about Dishonesty by Dan Ariely. We found the book to be well presented with just enough humor and research (perhaps lacking in numbers!) to be enjoyable. We laughed as we talked about our own experiences with honesty and our perceptions of others. It was nice to gather outside under the lights of the umbrella and share our insights with each other. Love you guys! And so yummy fruit pizza. Please share that recipe, Debbie.

Our next meeting will be hosted by Beth Nelson on July 2 at 7 pm. She lives at 704 N. Madson Ct. in Liberty Lake. Her book pick is:

                            

Goodreads review says: Evelyn Ryan, wife of an alcoholic husband and mother of ten children, lived in a small town in a time and place when women did not seek jobs outside the home. When finances ran low, feeling desperate, she turned to her parish priest who suggested she "take in laundry." Ryan had to laugh at the advice because she could barely keep up with her own family's washing and ironing. A lesser woman might have succumbed to poverty, but she was determined to keep her family financially afloat and to teach her children that the life of the mind was important. In the early 1950s, Ryan started entering contests, composing her jingles, poems, and essays at the ironing board. She won household appliances, bikes, watches, clocks, and, occasionally, cash. She won a freezer, and several weeks later, she won a supermarket shopping-spree. When the family was faced with eviction, she received a $5000 first place check from the regional Western Auto Store. Ryan's unconventionality and sense of humor triumphed over poverty, and her persistence makes the reader cheer her on.

A goodreads reader says:  Mix together “A Tree Grows in Brooklyn,” or “The Glass Castle” (for the drunken dad and the poverty) and “Cheaper by the Dozen” or even our own home in Orem, Utah, in the 50's, and you get the feel of this book. Author Terry Ryan lived in my own era, and she captures it perfectly. Hey, their family was even more deprived than we were! And I remember entering those contests, where you complete a jingle in 25 words or less. But I had no idea I was competing against women who wrote jingles full-time, while they did their ironing, and I didn’t know you could submit dozens of entries for each contest. But I’m not bitter. I don’t mind that I never won, especially now that I know the prize money went to a family who needed it so much. So I highly recommend this book.

Looks like this one will be lots of fun to read and talk about.

Coming up for July 30 is Left to Tell by Immaculee Ilibagiza and August 27 The Rent Collector by Camron Wright

Happy Reading!!