The Lonesome Train: Travels Through an Arkansas Childhood

ISBN-13: 9781539122210 / Angielski / Miękka / 2016 / 228 str.

Joyce Peden

Opis

Ella Smith of Pine Bluff, Arkansas, was a fearless and feisty young woman who had lost more than most at the tender age of thirteen. Her part Cherokee mother passed when she was seven, leaving Ella to take on the roles and responsibilities of womanhood during World War I. Her father worked hard to provide for them physically and spiritually. But he worked for the Cotton Belt Railroad weeks at a time and was missing from their daily lives. While her father was away working on the lonesome train, she ran the house loosely yet courageously. There were bouts of serious illness, hunger, ice storms, outrageous shenanigans with her sister and cousin and wild adventures like running away with her brothers. They went to school in a one room schoolhouse, rode in a wagon, and eventually got a Model T. For entertainment Ella loved and sang sad mountain songs while her brothers backed her up with their stringed instruments. She and her two older brothers and younger sister were tightly bound and shared together the struggle to grow up in the best way they knew how. They were totally mystified with the disappearance of their baby brother after their mother's death and continually searched for him in their minds. Equally disheartening and anxious for them was their father's marriage to a cruel lady who treated them unfairly. There is a hint of romance throughout for Ella and even for her father. Singing and making music kept the family going during both bitter and happy times. Ella fed the family with her delightful cooking ability and attained the reputation of being the best biscuit maker in Arkansas by her siblings. The rural novel is relatable to anyone who grew up in a small town. Everyone knows everyone and each other's business as well. Originally written for the tween years, this story has interested all ages. The author has been asked by many to write another novel to expand the story because they say that they do not want the book to end. That's in the plan.