Through No Fault of My Own: A Girl's Diary of Life on Summit Avenue in the Jazz Age by Coco Irvine is a one-year diary written by a 12-13 year old girl, daughter of a wealthy lumber man in St. Paul, MN in the 1920s. They live in a 20-room mansion which in later years was donated to the State of Minnesota and is now the Governor's mansion (see picture above. That's the house).
Coco is a very spirited child and pulls many pranks and shenanigans. It is quite funny. She continues to say "I am in deep trouble through no fault of my own." It is hilariously true to the way a young teen thinks. Nothing she does is blame-worthy, and her parents just don't understand anything.
This is a short, quick read. I laughed out loud and thoroughly enjoyed Coco's precocious attitude and good writing style. In the afterword we are treated to an update on Coco's adult life as well as her siblings' lives, not all of it happy, but it's a treat for the reader to learn what ensues.
4 stars
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The Orchard by Theresa Weir was so good, I couldn't put it down. I finished it in one day. A memoir, the author tells about her tough childhood and then her growth into her adult life. She marries a guy she barely knows; he works on a farm/apple orchard.
The story reveals family struggles and joys along with alarming farming practices, changes within individuals and the changes that led to the demise of the family farm and the growth of industrial farming. The story is well written and very engaging. Next time you have a day to read a page-turner, choose The Orchard.
5 stars
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