Recently Read: The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio

The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio by Terry Ryan

This book is the current selection of my book club. It tells the story of a woman raising her family in the 1950s-60s. She has ten children and husband who is an alcoholic, and they spend most of their lives hanging on the brink of poverty. The amazing part of the story is the attitude of the mother. She demonstrates resourcefulness by entering (and winning!) contests--the kind where you submit a 25 word jingle extolling the merits of a product/company in order to win fabulous prizes like refrigerators or watches or cars.

Through all of the struggles of the family, the mother maintains a positive can-do attitude. This book is a great example of a mother using her ingenuity and positive attitude to teach and support her children, even when faced with impossible odds.