I said I was going to write a review of Amy Mattson Lauters’ latest book, More Than a Farmer’s Wife. But I’m not going to do that after all. You see, the book resonated with me so much that something so formal as a review seems too cold and distant. So instead, I give you a response, and suggest that you just read the book for yourself. (Hint: If you don’t like to purchase books without knowing for sure you’ll like them, try asking your local library to purchase it. They nearly always will buy what their patrons request!)
The subtitle of this book is “Voices of American Farm Women, 1910-1960.” My grandmother was raised on a farm in eastern Kentucky during the 1930s and early 40s, making her, and more specifically her mother, among the subjects of this book, by default.
I grew up entertained by stories of her early days on the farm, and nothing was more exciting than accompanying her on a visit back to the farm, which was sure to happen at least once or twice a summer. I still love that old farm and though I’ve never lived on it, it feels like home. And as a young Little House fan, I loved nothing better than to compare Laura’s stories to my grandmother’s — despite the time difference, they lived their lives so similarly, and I believe that connection between Laura and my grandmother was one reason I loved the Little House books so much.
Reading through More Than a Farmer’s Wife, I found myself nodding time and time again as descriptions were given of the farm woman’s role throughout these decades, and the farm women themselves spoke out via interviews and articles. (Little House fans will be glad to know that Laura Ingalls Wilder is featured heavily in Chapter 5.) Lauters is reporting on research; I was pleased to see that research backed up my grandmother’s anecdotal remembrances.
But something else struck me as I read through this book. You see, I am not an “academic” and have no desire to be. I appreciate the work that academics provide us with, and I enjoy reading it and thinking about their theories and claims, but I’m no expert in such matters. However, Lauters broached the subject of the political shift toward conservatism in the latter part of the 20th century, offering a possible connection with her study on the role of American farm women during the earlier half of the 20th century, and the principles and beliefs that they taught their children. These children grew up and many left the farms for city life, but took with them the values learned on the farm, and handed those same values down to their children after them.
I didn’t need to stop and consider the possibility of a connection here. You see, I’d already considered it without really realizing it, after reading Anita Clair Fellman’s Little House, Long Shadow, last year. An excerpt from my discussion of this book on the Frontier Girl Message Board at that time that pertains to Lauters’ theory follows.
“When I examined in myself….why I was so eager to pass the books down to my niece, it’s simple: 1) they’ve brought a lot of joy into my life and I want her to share that too; and 2) the books teach the values that I already believe in and therefore would want her to learn. But I don’t believe in those values because I read the books as a child; my values were taught to me and are shared by the vast majority of people in my family, most of whom have never read a Little House book. Those values were handed down to us by the previous generation, and handed down to them by the generation previous to that. Laura grew up during a time period when such values were far more widespread among Americans than they are today; those of us with strong family ties are still being handed down that value system from those previous generations.”
Now Lauters’ book has me thinking: is it that such values were more widespread in an earlier time period, as I conjectured, or could it be that both Laura and my grandparents were raised on farms, and those values being handed down to me — those same values present throughout the Little House books — are farm values?
It’s food for thought. And I’d love to hear your discussion on the subject. Any takers?