Overview

"Collected stories from fifty-six women and young girls around the country reveal the times and tensions of a wider world, from a first ride in a Model T in 1911 to leading a school campaign against bullying in 2011. Girls' lives change in expected--and surprising--ways when indoor plumbing and electricity come into homes in the 1920s. Antibiotics replace mustard plasters, World War II ends, soldiers come home, and there is an explosion of new suburbs followed by the fascination of TV. Girls' lives take a new turn, as culture includes them in new ways. And history keeps unfolding. From the 1960s onward families include single moms and ""weekend dads,"" and more mothers are at work when school is out. It's an unusual way of seeing culture change as you read about the fads and fears that come and go through the 1980s and 1990s. And then the Digital Age is here, expanding girls' worlds even further. In the 21st century, girls' culture tells a new American story. Have fun time-traveling! The power of the personal teaches in ways history books never can--it's the real story, in the voices of experience. ""A useful sourcebook and an entertaining read."" Kirkus Review"

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9780990452706

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Reviews

There's much food for thought here, whether readers focus on a single decade or trace themes over time, such as the immigrant experience, how appliances have eased household chores, or how expectations regarding girls' dress, schooling, and careers have changed. Some cultural experiences serve as common touchstones through the years (such as reading Louisa May Alcott's works); others are very much of their time, such as accompanying the iceman on his deliveries. Overall, the contributions are wonderfully lively and vivid. Here, Florence Smith--5 years old in 1911--describes the excitement of her family buying the first Model T on the block: Neighbors up the street came outside to see us, and they waved as we passed. My mother was laughing and hugging my father as we bounced along and I was feeling the air move through my fingers with both hands held up. Readers inclined to take modernity for granted will find much here to surprise and interest them. As the first in a planned series of 100 Years in the Life books, it also has great classroom potential with its discussion questions. A useful sourcebook and an entertaining read. --KIRKUS REVIEWSI wish this book was in every school; the historical perspective and the personal stories weave together to create a complex and fascinating tapestry--Mary CaroubaHere are memories of the look of the flag waving over a victory bonfire on Nov 11, 1918; the sounds of a horse drawn rag and bone cart in San Francisco; a girl treasuring a penny flattened by the wheels of FDR's campaign train, the look of the San Gabriel Mountains as my own mother would have seen them in the 1940s. Here are principled children trying to save the world in their own ways, and playful kids beguiled by the million toys the silicon chip brought them.--Richard von BusackIn the first four to five decades (chapters) of the book, I revisited aspects of my grandmother's stories and my mother's stories. I revisited some of my own experiences during the 60s and 70s, and finally I revisited some of those of my son's (and his friends) during the 1980s and 1990s. It is oral history at its very best. It is something of more than ordinary significance.--Ella Wong

Sherman (Lesbian and Gay Marriage, 1992) taught memoir writing for many years. Many of these entries were written by her students, while others were adapted from interviews with women and girls from diverse cultural, geographical, racial, and class backgrounds. Sherman asked her interviewees about their first 13 years and specifically about their experiences with family, school, friendships, and play; other topics include racism, divorce, [and] being 'different.' Readers will see the differences, similarities, and connections within and across decades as they compare and contrast other childhoods with their own. Each chapter has a useful introduction explaining the historical characteristics of a particular decade, including its newest products, books, and similar artifacts, and the 10 most popular girls' names. There's much food for thought here, whether readers focus on a single decade or trace themes over time, such as the immigrant experience, how appliances have eased household chores, or how expectations regarding girls' dress, schooling, and careers have changed. Some cultural experiences serve as common touchstones through the years (such as reading Louisa May Alcott's works); others are very much of their time, such as accompanying the iceman on his deliveries. Overall, the contributions are wonderfully lively and vivid. Here, Florence Smith-5 years old in 1911-describes the excitement of her family buying the first Model T on the block: Neighbors up the street came outside to see us, and they waved as we passed. My mother was laughing and hugging my father as we bounced along and I was feeling the air move through my fingers with both hands held up. Readers inclined to take modernity for granted will find much here to surprise and interest them. As the first in a planned series of 100 Years in the Life books, it also has great classroom potential with its discussion questions. A useful sourcebook and an entertaining read. -KIRKUS REVIEWS I love this book! Informative, fun and illuminating! -Linda Joy Myers, Author and President of the National Association of Memoir Writers This powerful collection of personal stories weaves the American experience like I've never seen done before. -Susan Hagen, co-author of Women at Ground Zero Here are memories of the look of the flag waving over a victory bonfire on Nov 11, 1918; the sounds of a horse drawn rag and bone cart in San Francisco; a girl treasuring a penny flattened by the wheels of FDR's campaign train, the look of the San Gabriel Mountains as my own mother would have seen them in the 1940s. Here are principled children trying to save the world in their own ways, and playful kids beguiled by the million toys the silicon chip brought them.-Richard von Busack I wasn't born in this country so in addition to being a very interesting read, these stories provided me with unique and intimate snapshots of American history. Author Suzanne invites her readers to Have fun time-traveling. I certainly did!-Sarah Halligan In the first four to five decades of the book, I was revisiting aspects of my grandmother's stories and my mother's stories. Then I was revisiting some of my own experiences during the 60s and 70s, and finally I was revisiting some of those of my son's (and his friends) during the 1980s and 1990s. It is oral history at its very best. It is memoir, and, as good memoir should be, it is also story. Like art, it is something of more than ordinary significance.-Ella Wong I love this book! Once I started it, I couldn't put it down until I finished it, and then I put it on a shelf reserved for books that I intend to read again (and possibly again and again).-Norma Borelli I wish this book was in every school; the historical perspective and the personal stories weave together to create a complex and fascinating tapestry.-Mary Carouba

Author Information

Suzanne Sherman's new book series, 100 Years in the Life, is inspired in part by the thousands of memoirs she has shepherded in her thirty-year career as a memoir teacher, consultant, and editor (www.suzannesherman.com). 100 Years in the Life of an American Girl is the first book in that series. Visit www.100yearsinthelife.com for more and find out how you can submit your story to a planned book in the series.

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