An often entertaining history of a Minnesota farm family.
An account of the author’s family’s history in the American Midwest, starting in the early part of the 20th century.
Debut author Ehlert begins this remembrance with his father’s life in Stearns County in central Minnesota. Melvin George Ehlert was born in 1923, and until 1931 he was commonly known as “Bunny”; this changed at a family dinner when the 7-year-old declared that he would only answer to “Melvin” from that point forward. From there, the reader is given a tour of Melvin’s life, which included plenty of farm work, being rejected for service in World War II due to flat feet, and eventually opening a store and settling down to start a family. The titular Melvin is the focus of the book, but there are also moments from the author’s own life, as he’s Melvin’s oldest child. He was the first sibling to sweep the family store, he says, and he later attended and eventually dropped out of Pontifical College Josephinum in Columbus, Ohio, before joining the U.S. Marines in 1967. Throughout the personal accounts are inklings of what was going on in the popular culture of the United States at the time; for example, the author notes that in 1958, when Melvin opened his store, the hula hoop was wildly popular. There’s also a portion of the book devoted to the life of a local celebrity: Nobel Prize–winning author Sinclair Lewis, who was born in the nearby Sauk Centre, Minnesota, in 1885. Regardless of the subject matter, the book maintains a folksy sense of humor throughout. For instance, the author says that when someone once remarked on the delightfulness of Melvin’s many stories, he responded, “But how do you know they’re true?” Such details are relatable and often touching. However, occasional accounts of small-town dramas are less memorable; at one point, Melvin is on the board of directors of a local hospital, and the board, which wanted to attract doctors to the town, discussed the merits of hiring a medical doctor versus a doctor of osteopathy. Neither this discussion nor its conclusion is particularly engaging. Overall, the book shines brightest when keeping things personal.
An often entertaining history of a Minnesota farm family.Pub Date: Feb. 14, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-945330-20-9
Page Count: 322
Publisher: Telemachus Press, LLC
Review Posted Online: June 11, 2019
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
This is not the Nutcracker sweet, as passed on by Tchaikovsky and Marius Petipa. No, this is the original Hoffmann tale of 1816, in which the froth of Christmas revelry occasionally parts to let the dark underside of childhood fantasies and fears peek through. The boundaries between dream and reality fade, just as Godfather Drosselmeier, the Nutcracker's creator, is seen as alternately sinister and jolly. And Italian artist Roberto Innocenti gives an errily realistic air to Marie's dreams, in richly detailed illustrations touched by a mysterious light. A beautiful version of this classic tale, which will captivate adults and children alike. (Nutcracker; $35.00; Oct. 28, 1996; 136 pp.; 0-15-100227-4)
Pub Date: Oct. 28, 1996
ISBN: 0-15-100227-4
Page Count: 136
Publisher: Harcourt
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 1996
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
An extravaganza in Bemelmans' inimitable vein, but written almost dead pan, with sly, amusing, sometimes biting undertones, breaking through. For Bemelmans was "the man who came to cocktails". And his hostess was Lady Mendl (Elsie de Wolfe), arbiter of American decorating taste over a generation. Lady Mendl was an incredible person,- self-made in proper American tradition on the one hand, for she had been haunted by the poverty of her childhood, and the years of struggle up from its ugliness,- until she became synonymous with the exotic, exquisite, worshipper at beauty's whrine. Bemelmans draws a portrait in extremes, through apt descriptions, through hilarious anecdote, through surprisingly sympathetic and understanding bits of appreciation. The scene shifts from Hollywood to the home she loved the best in Versailles. One meets in passing a vast roster of famous figures of the international and artistic set. And always one feels Bemelmans, slightly offstage, observing, recording, commenting, illustrated.
Pub Date: Feb. 23, 1955
ISBN: 0670717797
Page Count: -
Publisher: Viking
Review Posted Online: Oct. 25, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 1955
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