Rating: 
Summary: Another world a few blocks away
Review: We lived down the street from the Ryans from, I think, 1960 to 1963(626 Washington Avenue, Terry!). Possibly because we went to public school and they went to Catholic school, we didn't know them. Terry Ryan's book is, besides being a testament to her mother, a testament to Defiance's public library. The Carnegie library, next to the fort, might as well have been the Reading Room at the British Library as far as we were concerned. It's obvious Terry spent a lot of time there too. I really thank her for writing this book, and I hope she writes more.
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful, highly entertaining and engaging book
Review: Saving Family Ryan might have been another title for this book. Evelyn Ryan practically deserves sainthood for raising 10 kids in almost perpetual poverty while being married to an alcoholic, and daughter Terry Ryan did a great job of telling us all about it. As Terry says she and her siblings discussed, their mother could've probably been a top ad executive or writer if she'd lived under different circumstances or at a different time. But as Terry also says, her mother DID achieve remarkable success (and occasionally some notariety) with her talents. An enjoyable book on several levels. I've become almost a memoir junkie in the past couple of years, having read "Angela's Ashes", "Change Me Into Zues's Daughter", "The Liar's Club", "All Over But the Shoutin'", "'Tis", and "Me Talk Pretty One Day" (which I guess falls into the memoir category), and this was as enjoyable as most of them.
Rating: 
Summary: A WINNER!
Review: Back before sweepstakes and powerballs, you needed talent to to win big. This is the story of Evelyn Ryan, a truly talented woman. This is one of the best books I've read in a long time. An outstanding tribute to a remarkable person.
Rating:
Summary: A book that made me smile and cry
Review: I alternately smiled and brushed away tears reading Prize Winner on the train last weekend. Terry Ryan's book sensitively and accurately captures what life in a very large family is like. Although her family is 10 years older than ours, my family of 10 had a "boys' room and girls' room," beds that collapsed when the slats fell out (usually with 3 boys sleeping on it at the time), and a dad who took us on rides on country roads to enjoy "tummy bumpers" (Terry called them tickle hills). My one quibble with the book is that it would've benefitted from more judicious editing.What stands out for me personally in reading Prize Winner, though, are the similarities between her mother and mine -- both in their literary gifts and indomitable spirits. I wish they could've met. One thing I am sure of, whatever regrets both women had over roads not taken, the accomplishment that mattered most to them was being a loving wife and mother and caring for their family. That's what Terry makes abundantly clear about Evelyn's penchant for entering contests -- all was done for the love of her family, not her own gain or glory. In my eyes, women like Evelyn Ryan and my mother understood what true success is in this life. They are my heroes. Thank you, Terry, for such a great, readable tribute to your mother.
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Summary: Saw it on Rosie ,and had to have it !
Review: I'm 15 and first saw the book and Author on the Rosie O'Donnel show. It sounded like a good read, but WOW was I in for more. The Author of this book who is also a child in the Ryan family gave the perfect point of view, she is such a good writer. I'm loaning my copy to a friend right now, and I'd really reccomend this book to any one friend or stranger. Thanks again, Merritt Riley (Althea's Daughter)
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Summary: Prize Winner of Defiance
Review: This is the best audio book I have listened to in years. I actually looked forward to getting into my car and listening to it. Evelyn Ryan is an inspiration to all mothers. She always found a way to solve even the most difficult problems. I was very sad today when I finished listening to it. Don't hesitate to buy this one, it's a must have.
Rating:
Summary: A Hilarious, Heartbreaking Tale
Review: To describe the family portayed in _The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio_ in plain terms would suggest a book quite different than the one reviewed here. A family of twelve, with an irresponisible, alcoholic, abusive father, who undermines every chance the family has to get ahead; a long-suffering mother, whose stultifying domestic existance provides so few creative outlets that she is forced to rely on contest-entries in which she creates a fantasy world so utterly unlike her own as to be unrecognizable to any others who live in it; ten children, and a menagerie of cats and birds. It sounds like the basis for one of those "uplifting" tear-jerkers about Surviving Through Hardship, that make us all wring our hands, sniffle a little bit, be thankful, briefly, that we didn't have this family, and forget. _The Prize Winner_ is not one of those books. _The Prize Winner_ would, without the innate sense of humor, unquenchable optimism, and unshakeable dignity of its subject and author, rapidly descend into melodrama of nightmarish proportion. However, the aforementioned optimism, etc., blend with the dysfunction to create a first-class work that is witty, insightful, and memorable. The author's descision to dwell, not on the daily tragedy of her family life, but on the strong character and strength of her mother (who, we are led to believe, would have led a remarkable life, regardless of the circumstances), make a far more resonant and enduring tale than any of the "my upbringing was hard because..." memoirs of the past five or six years. I do wish, however, that Ryan would have spent more time on her father. As it stands, her father represents (as he probably did while she was growing up) a dark star; barely seen, but around which everything rotates, before which all are helpless. I suppose this portrayal helps avoid the creation of an atmosphere that would turn _The Prize Winner_ into another narrative of victimization; still, I would like to have seen more. On the other hand, this really isn't his story. In all, a remarkable book.
Rating:
Summary: delightful
Review: What an awesome woman!! And what a disgusting husband. Catches the right balance between manner of fact and syrupy sentimentality. Thoroughly enjoyed the book.
Rating: 
Summary: Quick read, but doesn't completely deliver
Review: The premise of this book is very engaging, almost Oprah's-Book-Club-esque - a woman with little money and few resources manages to succeed in the face of great adversity. I thought I would really enjoy this book, but it didn't quite live up to my expectations. I felt like I never really got to know the characters in the book; they were only penciled in as opposed to a detailed drawing. Too often, incidents unrelated to Evelyn Ryan's prize-winning seemed to be just thrown in as filler, without any connecting threads to the prize-winning. The lack of chronology also bothered me. This is a nice and wholesome story that you can share with anyone in your family, but I don't think I'll remember it in any detail after a few days have gone by. Save your money on the hardcover; check it out from the library or borrow it from a friend.
Rating:
Summary: Delightful!
Review: This is a lovely book, funny and moving. I read it straight through and gave it to my mother. Recommended highly.
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