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

Rating:
Summary: Defiance is not always a negative response.
Review: This mother defied the odds and provided a fun and entertaining home for her children.Her optimism,determination,energy and spirit pervaded their environment.Although this was a poor family,they were extremely rich in spirit. I laughed,cried,told all my friends about the book,and immediately entered a few contests!

Rating:
Summary: I laughed, cried and couldn't put this book down.
Review: I just finished this Book and I have one word to describe it Fantastic. Reading this Book made me feel like I was part of the Ryan family. I laughed at the crazy things that happened to them. I cried when things seemed like it couldn't get any worse. I was in shock with the Great talent Evelyn Ryan had. If you love to read books about true people this book is definitly for you. It is an amazing book and I suggest you read it. I loved it.

Rating:
Summary: Encouraging and uplifting woman's story
Review: Thank you Tuffy for sharing your beautiful mother with the world. I was so deeply moved. I laughed and cried all the way through the book. Growing up in a small Ohio town myself, I could relate to so many things in the book, but this woman's story should be enjoyed by people everywhere. This book has been added to my list of favorites.

Rating:
Summary: reminds me of Yours, Mine and Ours
Review: Captivating, funny, touching. With the right actors (perhaps Rosie O'Donnell as the mother) a film as good as Yours, Mine and Ours could be made from this book.

Rating:
Summary: Did not want this book to end!
Review: I agree with Kimberly Croteau, I, too, felt like I was leaving old friends when the book finished and I was sad about it. This was one of those rare books that I could not put down and at the same time wanted to savor every word because I didn't want it to end too quickly. I have told others not to miss it.

Rating:
Summary: Truly a Treasure of a book
Review: This is the best book I read in a long time. Family, history and social issues all meld beautifully and effortlessly into a wonderful tale that is even more touching because it's true. A book I'll surely pass along to others.

Rating:
Summary: Lots of detail
Review: I grew up in a large Irish Catholic family in the fifties and was looking forward to the story of this family. I was disappointed in the great detail about all the contests won (and lost) and would have liked less contest detail and more substance to the family story.

Rating:
Summary: This is a great summer read!
Review: If you're going to take one book to the beach this summer, take this one! What an inspiring read! It works on several levels, so if you're interested in any one of these, you'll love the book: humor, large families, courage, creativity, the 50s, small town life, and inspiring "ordinary" women.

Rating:
Summary: much ado about nothing.
Review: This is an insipid little book about a cute little story. Terry Ryan has stretched what would have been an excellent essay into 350 pages of highly skippable prose. Let see, a drunk husband, lotsa kids and a tight budget. hmmm nothing new so far. Evelyn Ryan like most women in her peer group entered contests for fun and profit.

If you want to read a memoir about tough times, large families and going through life with dignity I recommend James McBride's 'The Color of Water: A Black Man's tribute to his white mother'. The jewish-born widow of a black minister in that book raised 12 children and taught them how to take pain and suffering with dignity.

Rating:
Summary: Cute easy read
Review: I enjoyed reading about the exploits of the mom and family and how she was able to pull the family out of the depths of despair with her winnings. This is a nice little memoir and made me want to enter some contests myself.