A Companion for Clara!

A few weeks ago we talked about Lovely Clara and her Depression cooking. I wanted to tell you about a book that might almost be called a “companion” to Clara, and her recipes and wonderful stories:

in Bread on the Table, author Renetta Burlage has set down a historical record of what ordinary life was like for one Midwestern family during the Great Depression. If that sounds like grim reading, it is anything but. The story of Lottie Porter “and the family she raised” on an small Iowa farm is all “bootstrap” Americana. For those who do not recall such a nation, the book will be a wholesome eye-opener. For those wondering if the storied self-reliance of Americans is all simply part of a myth (or who know better, but miss it) this book shows you how extraordinary the “ordinary” people really are.

This would be a lovely gift for an older mom or grandmother, a teacher, a harried mother who wonders if what she does is worth it. If you’re looking for a Christmas present that is not being hawked on every corner of the mall, this may be it.