book recommendation: the prize winner of defiance, ohio.

It's been a while since I've talked about books.  Let's remedy that.

I thought I'd start sharing book reviews with you occasionally, as I finish things that I think you'd enjoy.  So today I wanted to spread the word that this book is amazing.

The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio: How My Mother Raised 10 Kids on 25 Words or Less by Terry Ryan

I knew I'd enjoy it right off the bat.  It's about a mom of a large family, using her creative writing skills to provide for her family and find an artistic outlet.  I can get behind that.

To go into more detail, it's basically about a mother of ten, married to an alcoholic husband, finding a creative way to keep her family afloat.  She entered a lot of poetry and jingle contests in the fifties and sixties, when companies would offer substantial (and not-so-substantial) prizes to finalists.  She won everything from small cash prizes ($5 or $10 at a time), to small and large kitchen appliances, to bikes, to baseball gloves, to television sets.  She won enough money to put a down payment on a house when they got evicted from their rental.  (They were a family of twelve, renting a two bedroom house with no bathtub or shower!  She was actually able to purchase a larger home with her winnings.)  She won multiple cars, which she sold for cash.  It was incredible to see some of the miraculous timing of some of her wins - she would win things exactly as they were needed.  The story of her final contest will floor you.

But more than just the fascination with the unusual way she was able to take care of her family materially, I felt an awe at her attitude through all of it.  She chose joy and optimism in the face of a lot of difficulty.  She refused to allow herself to become bitter or defeated in her marriage.  She knew and cheered her kids on as individuals.  Her example was such an inspiration and a challenge to me.

On top of a great story line and really interesting characters, it's well-written.  Sometimes memoirs are interesting reading, but not enjoyable reading, if you know what I mean.  But this was really engaging on every level.




I've read this book two, maybe three times now, and I fully intend on reading it again.  It's that good.

On the "How Much Do I Think You Should Read It?" scale of 1-10, I give it an 8.

So go out and read it, and then let's chat about it!  I'm positive you're going to love it.


*This post contains affiliate links, if that wasn't obvious from the clear affiliate links displayed in the post. ;)  Every time you order through one of these links, my family receives a small commission.  It doesn't increase your cost at all, but it is a blessing to us.  Thanks so much for your support!