Christmas After All: The Great Depression Diary of Minnie Swift, Indianapolis, Indiana, 1932 (Dear America)

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Summary: Christmas After All
Review: Do you like books taking place in history with a fun story to it? If you do this would be a great book for you!This takes place in 1932 during the Great Depression in Indianapolis,Indiana.
This is about a family who gets a new member, their cousin, Willie Faye, from Texas. She is very different from all of the family, except for Minnie who is the same age. This book explains how many people loose thier jobs, and Minnies father was one of them. Suddenly something happened; someone was missing but you'll have to read the book to find out!
This book has a lot of surprises, and the characters are always coming up with exciting ideas. For example,Minnie and Willie Faye don't have any money, so they make their Christmas gifts. Now you'll never belive what they use to decorate the gifts, but chicken feathers from their very own live chickens! There are many more exciting events through out the book!
I think this author was trying to give the message that no matter how poor, or how rich you are you still have the love in your heart that somehow everyone will get a chance to live the life they deserve.

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Summary: A Christmas You Will Never Forget
Review: Have you ever read a book that touch your heart so much that it send chills up and down your spine? I have, and the book that sent me these emotions was, "Christmas After All".
The setting of "Christmas after All", is what really interested me to read this book. The setting of this book was in Indiana during the 1930s, and the reason why I was so interested in it was because I live in Indiana. I just love to hear about our history, and what life was like back then. The special part about this book that really touched me was that it was written about living through the depression. My grandma lived during the depression and she told me stories about how life was like back then, and I thought it was really neat to compare that to this story.
This book was amazing and so entertaining, that I couldn't put it down. I kept imagining myself there in that time period, and just trying to get by like they did. It just made my heart break, because I feel so lucky to have what I have now. If you ever want to learn about Indiana history, the depression, or if you are just looking for a quick read that is enjoyable. I highly recommend you read this fantastic book.

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Summary: A Christmas You Will Never Forget
Review: Is this the story of Minnie OR is it the story of Willie Faye enchanting the Swift family? She is their distant relative who comes from Heart's Bend, Texas, to live with them in Indianapolis in the Fall of 1932. Willie Faye captivates the four sisters and brother Ozzie, who are growing up just as the Great Depression intrudes on their comfortable life.

Minnie calls it "The Time of The Dwindling" and her diary holds all her thoughts from the month before Christmas. There are colorful colloquialisms scattered throughout, and clever hands working on such projects as Christmas gift hats decorated with guinea hen feathers. The grinding economies forced on the family by the Depression and Papa's loss of work is evident mostly in dress make-overs, and in the menus concocted to stretch some meat, or no meat at all. A description of aspics made this reader laugh out loud, knowing how most of our family hold wobbly gelatines in distain. Young Ozzie's inventions include a "vomitron" which measures the revulsion some recipes provoke!

Imagination and creativity thrived in those years, and favorite radio shows were an important part of family life. Movie-going was a popular pastime, too, although in hard-hit families only the boys with jobs could afford tickets, even at ten cents, or a quarter for a double feature. But for true entertainment nothing could match the starry-eyed magic of Willie Faye's Christmas Eve story. Author Kathryn Lasky makes converts of her readers!

While the Swift family takes a stiff upper lip attitude about difficult times, their lives are changed by the arrival of the orphan cousin, and even more by the disappearance of their papa. It turns out that Ozzie inspired his father to write a radio serial, "Ozzie, the Boy Wonder." It becomes so popular the family is catapulted right out of their personal Depression.

I wanted to reread Minnie's take on hard times after being charmed by the 2003 novel "CHIG and the Second Spread," which tells the story of a family living only fifty miles south of Minnie Swift. In the hill country Minerva (Chig) Kalpin (could Minnie's name also be 'Minerva'?)grew up in poor, rather than 'comfortable' circumstances. Her experience was different yet similar: both families pulled together to overcome hard times with ingenuity and integrity.

Does the Depression Era seem part of the realm of fantasy today? For young readers it must hold the attraction of the unknown. Today's computer-age children will learn much from befriending Minnie and Willie Faye, AND Chig.

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Summary: A girl's diary of one holiday season during the Depression.
Review: It's late November, 1932, and the entire nation is feeling the effects of the Great Depression. Christmas is nearing, but for many families, it will be a joyless holiday. Eleven-year-old Minnie Swift fears that will be the case for her family. Although her father still has a job, he hasn't been making much money. Life changes for the whole family, however, when Minnie's orphaned cousin, Willie Faye, comes to live with the family. Eleven-year-old Willie Faye is the same age as Minnie, but she is very different. Having grown up in the dust bowl of Texas, she's had an even harder life than Minnie. Minnie and her older sisters, and even her pesky younger brother, welcome Willie Faye into their family. But when her father loses his job, Minnie fears that her family will soon be joining the homeless. This wonderful new Dear America book, told through Minnie's diary entries over the month from Thanksgiving to Christmas, showed how the love in a family could help make the worst of times bearable. All fans of the series will want to read this book.

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Summary: Extra Extra Read All About It Great Christmas Story
Review: You will love this book. If your down in the dumps then you should read this book. It will boost your spirit back where it needs to be. Christmas after all is very enjoyable! If you like reading like I do you should read this book! Christmas After All takes place during the Great Depression. Minnie the main character is not dissapointed that Christmas is going to be during the Great Depression. If you like mysterys like me then you will love this book. In the story Minnie's family can not affrod to buy Christmas gifts, so guess what Minnie and her cousin, Willie Faye do, they make their own presents out of chickin feathers. But something sad happens in the story. Her father goes MISSING!! If you live in Indianapolis then you live close to where this story takes place. Minnie lives in caramel on Meridian street at 450. My favorite part is when thier chicken gets it leg froze to the trash can and later on it turns black and falls off. Also when Lady (her sister)dies her hair orangatang red and has to shave it all off. Minnie's real name is Minerva. This book is the best Dear America book I have ever read! You will love this book about Christmas!