Author: Ann Vigola Anderson
Genre: (Auto)biography/Memoir
Anderson takes us on a journey to 1950s and 60s Kansas and treats the reader to hometown cooking in her tasty memoir Posts of a Mid-Century Kid . With humor and richly crafted details, she chronicles her mid-century childhood, offering a sampling of another era. This delightful and mischievous memoir advocates coloring vividly outside of the lines! A fun exploration of vintage toys, traditional festivities and personal growth into adulthood when life was “easy.” Ann vividly describes the beauty of the prairie state and the restorative impact of nature in her life. Summers spent at her grandparents’ farm, growing up with cousins, and family reunions offer a connection to the halcyon days of the mid-century. Ann offers generous helpings of comfort-food-reading as she shares family stories and recipes of prize desserts prepared for generations, and gives second servings of hope and strength in the form of experiences shared, and the memories she stirs into her words. “Want to learn what it was like being a little girl growing up in Kansas during the 1950s and 60s? Here, in a carefully crafted set of stories, we get the answer to that question. We visit Grandma’s huge country garden ‘with perfectly straight rows.’ We see the then ten-year-old author giving a special gift to her Grandmother at Christmas—that brings tears to the reader’s eyes. ... There is much more as the author unpacks the memories of her childhood and growing up years.” —Jerry Apps, Author Simple Things: Lessons From the Family Farm "I think that a good book of any kind should provide the reader with insights into human nature, no matter how profound or quotidian the subject matter. Posts of a Mid-Century Kid by Ann Vigola Anderson gives the reader ample evidence of how interesting an ordinary life can be, of how observations as one simply goes along in life can provide universal insights. The format is one of a series of Facebook postings and the time frame is the 1950s and ‘60s, the era of my own teens and twenties. Anderson’s prose is clear and engaging, and the book’s subtitle sums up the author’s efforts and this reader’s reaction nicely: ‘Doing my best. Having fun.”’ —Jim Hoy, author of My Flint Hills "A life this rich also includes heartache. Ann speaks frankly of the loss of her mom and brother at a young age and the challenge of growing up with a father who never became involved in her life. She generously shares how she’s created a family from friends, a joyful marriage, and a bond with cats throughout her life." — Cheryl Unruh, author of Flyover People Anderson delivers a memoir that is at once humorous, poetic, and vulnerable. An excellent read. — Patty Reece, owner of The Volland Store “I thoroughly enjoyed Posts of a Mid-century Kid, a charming, heartwarming, emotional collection of memories that shows what growing up in the 1950s was like. From Anderson’s childhood came a lifelong love of family, tennis, cats, and Kansas. From her young friends, she learned the mysteries and misinformation of where babies come from and engaged in grooming experiments gone bad. She struggled with her parents’ divorce and an absentee father, along with other losses. However, Anderson found her way through both the happy and sad of life with her mother’s words to guide her: Do your best. Have fun. It is a message for all of us.” — Hazel Hart, author of the Pierce Family Saga historical fiction series Read more
