NOT SO VERY LONG AGO: Life in a Small Country Village

Written by a Parisian, first published in Germany, and erroneously classified in 973.8 by LC, a portrayal of European village life 100 years ago, at its most serene. This edition helps young Americans make a connection by pointing out that their ancestors may include such village craftsmen and schoolchildren. Centering on one family (Anton, a peddler, his wife, and their children John and Laura), Fix follows their activities at school, play, and the local fair; going to the cobbler, tailor, apothecary, etc.; the laborious boiling of laundry; visiting grandparents on a farm in the rolling countryside; and seeing a mill at work. His color illustrations are carefully researched and meticulously rendered, with many details of daily life to discover -- a fine complement to the informative text. An attractive European equivalent to a visit to, say, Massachusetts's Sturbridge Village, though the generic nature of the northern European setting may trouble those readers who know the area well.