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fluteplayer7's review against another edition
5.0
This is a great little resource book with lots of information on things that most people no longer take the time to do. The recipes and methods are simply laid out and clearly described. Even if you are not a DIYer, this book will give you enormous insight into what women in the past had to do for their families.
nicolec417's review against another edition
2.0
Loved the concept but was disappointed in the format. I regard these kinds of books like cookbooks - they're better with pictures!
meg_reading's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoyed the stories of the grandmothers in this book mixed with basic how to do's and handy tips.
nina1117's review against another edition
4.0
A cute and quirky book to get you thinking about knowledge that is being lost with modern conveniences. As some people commented, it is far from being an end-all in cooking, sewing, or socializing; more like dipping one's toes into a pond of tradition. I personally found the sections about canning, darning and gardening especially helpful. And though this isn't a book most people consume whole, I nibbled at it all the way through, piece by piece, for some light night time reading. Can't wait to try to make some jam!
cinnachick's review against another edition
4.0
I want to write a longer review on my blog about this, but I have to say I found this a very interesting read. And I've tried a few of the tips and tricks in here that I didn't know and I'm quite content with how they worked and will use them going forward. I do think my technique for roasting a chicken is better than the one she gives here, but otherwise I don't have any complaints about the processes she describes.
I like the bios of the grandmothers and wish there was a little more of their voice throughout the book. And I'd like to point out that not every grandmother was/is like this. Mine was an abusive alcoholic who couldn't change a diaper or cook a meal without help. And while I'm glad the she doesn't glamorize or romanticize the poverty and hard times that encouraged these grandmothers to develop these home techniques, I have to say that I just didn't have grandmothers like this to pass stuff on to me. Which is probably why this book was enjoyable, it gave me something I was missing.
I like the bios of the grandmothers and wish there was a little more of their voice throughout the book. And I'd like to point out that not every grandmother was/is like this. Mine was an abusive alcoholic who couldn't change a diaper or cook a meal without help. And while I'm glad the she doesn't glamorize or romanticize the poverty and hard times that encouraged these grandmothers to develop these home techniques, I have to say that I just didn't have grandmothers like this to pass stuff on to me. Which is probably why this book was enjoyable, it gave me something I was missing.
bluenicorn's review against another edition
2.0
It was easy to read. Just not as good or helpful as I hoped. I think I had another book in mind. Worth looking at, in the same way you'd leaf through a magazine.
callistas's review against another edition
2.0
Got this book through my "Singe Swag" subscription box. I'm overall happy with it! We all google some weird questions sometimes, as how to get coffee stains away. This book is nice to have in handy. I don't think I'd buy it for myself, but I'm happy to have it in my bookshelf.
quietjenn's review against another edition
2.0
i'm pretty sure that i heard about this book in an issue of real simple magazine. and, if i hadn't than i should have because it's a lot like reading real simple, only not as good. i.e. a few bits of "oo, fab idea" nestled amidst lots of painfully obvious bits that you should've learned in elementary school. and, everything was just so random and simplified - although written in a tone which i think was supposed to be snarky and fun, sort "you go girl!;" only instead of being snarky and fun, it was grating. and the stuff i'd like to try out, the information was so limited that if i really wanted to try it out, i'd just get a real book on the subject (say, canning or quilting or whatever).
and, overall that just annoys me, because i think the title and the premise are kinda cool and, if executed differently, could have been awesome. alas, alack.
and, overall that just annoys me, because i think the title and the premise are kinda cool and, if executed differently, could have been awesome. alas, alack.
finesilkflower's review against another edition
2.0
** SKIM ALERT: Take this review with a grain of salt. I only skimmed the book. ** This is sort of a reference book, not the type you read cover to cover. I really like the premise: realizing that grandmas who lived through the Great Depression are an excellent resource of frugal and environmentally sound skills and wisdom, the author interviewed a bunch of them and filled this book with household how-to's based on their knowledge. The topics are definitely things I really want to know (how to properly iron, gardening tips, etc.) and the grandmas' quotes and life lessons sprinkled throughout are great. I do wish the author would get out of her own way a bit and let the grandmas speak more; she puts her own modern spin on most of the tips, and they come out sounding cheesy and instantly dated in a very women's magazine-y way. The other problem with this book is that there are almost no diagrams or illustrations, but most of the tips that I read could really have benefited from them. "How to tie a scarf" in words alone is unnecessarily hard to follow. Or they're just poorly explained? Because I feel like I DID want to know a lot of the stuff in this book, but reading the section on it, I didn't feel like I knew it any more than I did before.