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The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio: How My Mother Raised 10 Kids on 25 Words or Less
"The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio" introduces Evelyn Ryan, an enterprising woman who kept poverty at bay with wit, poetry, and perfect prose during the "contest era" of the 1950s and 1960s. Stepping back into a time when fledgling advertising agencies were active partners with consumers, and everyday people saw possibility in every coupon, Terry Ryan tells how her mother kept the family afloat by writing jingles and contest entries. Mom's winning ways defied the Church, her alcoholic husband, and antiquated views of housewives. To her, flouting convention was a small price to pay when it came to securing a happy home for her six sons and four daughters. Evelyn, who would surely be a Madison Avenue executive if she were working today, composed her jingles not in the boardroom, but at the ironing board.
By entering contests wherever she found them -- TV, radio, newspapers, direct-mail ads -- Evelyn Ryan was able to win every appliance her family ever owned, not to mention cars, television sets, bicycles, watches, a jukebox, and even trips to New York, Dallas, and Switzerland. But it wasn't just the winning that was miraculous; it was the timing. If a toaster died, one was sure to arrive in the mail from a forgotten contest. Days after the bank called in the second mortgage on the house, a call came from the Dr Pepper company: Evelyn was the grand-prize winner in its national contest -- and had won enough to pay the bank.
Graced with a rare appreciation for life's inherent hilarity, Evelyn turned every financial challenge into an opportunity for fun and profit. From her frenetic supermarket shopping spree -- worth $3,000 today -- to her clever entries worthy of Erma Bombeck, Dorothy Parker, and Ogden Nash, the story of this irrepressible woman whose talents reached far beyond her formidable verbal skills is told in "The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio" with an infectious joy that shows how a winning spirit will triumph over the poverty of circumstance.
By entering contests wherever she found them -- TV, radio, newspapers, direct-mail ads -- Evelyn Ryan was able to win every appliance her family ever owned, not to mention cars, television sets, bicycles, watches, a jukebox, and even trips to New York, Dallas, and Switzerland. But it wasn't just the winning that was miraculous; it was the timing. If a toaster died, one was sure to arrive in the mail from a forgotten contest. Days after the bank called in the second mortgage on the house, a call came from the Dr Pepper company: Evelyn was the grand-prize winner in its national contest -- and had won enough to pay the bank.
Graced with a rare appreciation for life's inherent hilarity, Evelyn turned every financial challenge into an opportunity for fun and profit. From her frenetic supermarket shopping spree -- worth $3,000 today -- to her clever entries worthy of Erma Bombeck, Dorothy Parker, and Ogden Nash, the story of this irrepressible woman whose talents reached far beyond her formidable verbal skills is told in "The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio" with an infectious joy that shows how a winning spirit will triumph over the poverty of circumstance.
346 pages, Hardcover
First published April 1, 2001
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,334 reviews
July 21, 2009
I feel like my review of this book can best be summed up in 25 words or less:
In Honor of Mrs. Evelyn Ryan
The rhymes... too many;
The laughs... too few.
Glad that I read it,
but more glad I'm through.
In Honor of Mrs. Evelyn Ryan
The rhymes... too many;
The laughs... too few.
Glad that I read it,
but more glad I'm through.
March 24, 2018
Mix together “A Tree Grows in Brooklyn,” or “The Glass Castle” (for the drunken dad and the poverty) and “Cheaper by the Dozen” or even our own home in Orem, Utah, in the 50's, and you get the feel of this book. Author Terry Ryan lived in my own era, and she captures it perfectly. Hey, their family was even more deprived than we were! And I remember entering those contests, where you complete a jingle in 25 words or less. But I had no idea I was competing against women who wrote jingles full-time, while they did their ironing, and I didn’t know you could submit dozens of entries for each contest. But I’m not bitter. I don’t mind that I never won, especially now that I know the prize money went to a family who needed it so much. So I highly recommend this book. But if you listen to the narrated version by Carrington McDuffie, I have to warn you, she’s way over-dramatic and over-enthusiastic. You're probably better off with the print version.
May 8, 2008
What I learned from this book is that you don't have to have a perfect life to be happy. Evelyn Ryan chooses to be happy in spite of numerous trials and setbacks, which would turn someone like me into a bitter old woman. Reading this book made me think that if she could raise her 10 children under her circumstances without regret, then maybe I can do a little better with my three kids, and keep a more positive outlook.
I also love the writing in this book, both Terry and Evelyn's writing! I am reminded of my aunt, who has an amazing vocabulary and a talent for poetry and witty phrases. I wish I had a little more of that ability!
I also love the writing in this book, both Terry and Evelyn's writing! I am reminded of my aunt, who has an amazing vocabulary and a talent for poetry and witty phrases. I wish I had a little more of that ability!
February 26, 2020
This book is an amazing and true story. It is a very quick read and I highly recommend to all. The book (written by one of 10 children) is steeped in Midwest 1950's atmosphere and tells the story of how a woman, Evelyn Ryan, used her intellect, initiative, and common sense to turn lemons into lemonade and provide for her children while burdened with a worse than useless (my opinion), violent and abusive husband, Kelly Ryan. Many women did not work in the period and if they did it was menial and for puny wages. The husband who worked (for the period that he was able) would get his wages at the end of the month, paid all the family’s bills (sometimes), and stashed the rest of the cash in his wallet - doling out the bare minimum (sometimes) for absolute essentials only - and drank away the rest. He was a mean drunk and although I am perhaps insensitive to the father's/husband's own personal internal demons he was, quite frankly, a totally unlikable character who terrorized his family, smashed dishes and furniture, flung pots and shouted abuse at his wife, children, and neighbors – among his numerous other less than charming characteristics . I suppose his one redeeming character trait is that when he was sober, he was somewhat able to demonstrate love for his children. The heroine of this novel (and she truly fits the bill) is Evelyn, wife and mother, who holds the family together and succeeds in filling the deep financial void by entering nearly every contest appearing on labels and box tops (a popular 1950’s advertising gimmick) - writing poems, jingles, stories, and entering every contest she could that provided prizes of cash, appliances, food, bicycles encyclopedias, accordion lessons...you name it and she entered a contest to win it. She was very, very good at winning contests and she is to be credited for keeping food on the table and a roof over their heads. Since the wolf was always at the door, this was a fulltime occupation for her which she handled with aplomb and great skill; her mind was ever-churning on how to turn a product into potential income, sustenance, or welfare for her family.
PWDO was made into an excellent movie in 2005 with the brilliant Julianne Moore and Woody Harrelson, as Evelyn and Kelly Ryan.
PWDO was made into an excellent movie in 2005 with the brilliant Julianne Moore and Woody Harrelson, as Evelyn and Kelly Ryan.
June 15, 2020
I read this book several years ago, shortly after it was published, and I loved it. Entertaining, uplifting, and incredibly inspiring, it is the true story of a remarkable mother of 10 children who held her family together financially by clipping and using coupons, entering contests, and submitting jingles for advertising contests. She is optimistic with a strong sense of humor: “Sometimes it feels like I live in a circus and all the animals are loose,” and there are some parts that are very funny. But there are also some sad ones. The book is written by one of her daughters who comments, “From then on, we knew there could never be a problem bigger than Mom's ability to solve it. . . we knew that as long as we used our brains, we were not victims. By striking out to write our own ticket, we would grow up to be like our mother, winners.” I highly recommend it.
July 30, 2008
I really enjoyed this nonfictional account of a 1950s stay-at-home mom of ten children who kept the family clothed and fed by winning slogan contests. Her husband Kelly had a job at a machinery but drank away a big chunk of his paycheck (a pint of whiskey and a six pack of beer every night), so Evelyn Ryan relied on her clever wit to compensate.
The film based on the book is pretty true to the story. What I like about the book, though (which I read after seeing the movie), is reading all the rhymes -- the winners and the losers -- Evelyn wrote while ironing or doing other chores. Terry Ryan weaves these verses well into the narrative so that it all flows. For example, if the dad has had an alcohol-fueled episode, we get to read a touching yet completely fantasy-based poem about why Kelly Ryan should be named father of the year, or the following contest entry for Dial Soap:
I'm glad I use Dial
It's the one "bar" in town
With a "chaser" for "troubles"
Plain water can't drown
I also enjoyed all the anecdotes and disaster stories you'd expect to happen in a family with 10 kids. Through it all, Mrs. Ryan never loses her positive attitude and always makes the best of every situation. The part where she goes on the 10-minute grocery store shopping spree brought a tear to my eye while I was reading on the bus.
I felt sad for this family's situation during many points of the story, but as I kept reading I felt increasingly angry with those current-day families who are stretched to the limit on credit yet still buying luxury items as if they need them. If the Ryans didn't have the cash, they didn't buy milk or new shoes. They never went out to dinner. Twelve people slept in a two-bedroom house before Mrs. Ryan won a $3,000 grand prize that afforded them the opportunity to buy a home with four bedrooms.
There is so much to love about this true story; I would recommend it to anyone.
The film based on the book is pretty true to the story. What I like about the book, though (which I read after seeing the movie), is reading all the rhymes -- the winners and the losers -- Evelyn wrote while ironing or doing other chores. Terry Ryan weaves these verses well into the narrative so that it all flows. For example, if the dad has had an alcohol-fueled episode, we get to read a touching yet completely fantasy-based poem about why Kelly Ryan should be named father of the year, or the following contest entry for Dial Soap:
I'm glad I use Dial
It's the one "bar" in town
With a "chaser" for "troubles"
Plain water can't drown
I also enjoyed all the anecdotes and disaster stories you'd expect to happen in a family with 10 kids. Through it all, Mrs. Ryan never loses her positive attitude and always makes the best of every situation. The part where she goes on the 10-minute grocery store shopping spree brought a tear to my eye while I was reading on the bus.
I felt sad for this family's situation during many points of the story, but as I kept reading I felt increasingly angry with those current-day families who are stretched to the limit on credit yet still buying luxury items as if they need them. If the Ryans didn't have the cash, they didn't buy milk or new shoes. They never went out to dinner. Twelve people slept in a two-bedroom house before Mrs. Ryan won a $3,000 grand prize that afforded them the opportunity to buy a home with four bedrooms.
There is so much to love about this true story; I would recommend it to anyone.
May 20, 2009
4 stars
This is such a heartwarming story that I am surprised it has taken me until now to add it to my “read” shelves, let alone take the time to at least write a short review. Perhaps it is because it was on loan for so long to family and friends!
Now that I actually have it in hand, all I need to do is flip through the pages, complete with black and white pictures of family members, contest entries and/or rules, sometimes blank, sometimes completed with a typewritten entry, to remember why I read this biography – written by middle child, Terry – in one sitting.
Terry Ryan was fortunate to have memorabilia and hosts of people to assist her in memories of those days during the 1950’s and ‘60’s. Not to take anything away from the author, because it is Terry’s perceptive portrayal and fluid writing that makes this biography so unique.
Terry’s love and respect for her mother can be read between the lines throughout the story. And well she would: Who would believe a woman could, despite her alcoholic husband, write enough winning jingles to keep a family of ten children fed, clothed, sheltered and loved, throughout their years growing up in post-war America.
The book brought back many memories for me, for which I appreciated the read very much. A bonus was turning to the Afterward to read this, written by sister, Betsy:
Looking through these things she left for us in the months after she died allowed us to see, piece by piece, what she was all about, and to appreciate her true accomplishment.
I have a recurring dream about my mother: She is sitting on her living room couch, holding this book in her hands. “This is wonderful,” she is saying, with tears in her eyes. “But where did you find all of this material? Where did it all come from?
From you, Mom. It came from you.
As I said at the outset, this is a touching, inspirational story. That’s why it appears to have been passed from person to person before finding its way back to my bookshelves.
This is such a heartwarming story that I am surprised it has taken me until now to add it to my “read” shelves, let alone take the time to at least write a short review. Perhaps it is because it was on loan for so long to family and friends!
Now that I actually have it in hand, all I need to do is flip through the pages, complete with black and white pictures of family members, contest entries and/or rules, sometimes blank, sometimes completed with a typewritten entry, to remember why I read this biography – written by middle child, Terry – in one sitting.
Terry Ryan was fortunate to have memorabilia and hosts of people to assist her in memories of those days during the 1950’s and ‘60’s. Not to take anything away from the author, because it is Terry’s perceptive portrayal and fluid writing that makes this biography so unique.
Terry’s love and respect for her mother can be read between the lines throughout the story. And well she would: Who would believe a woman could, despite her alcoholic husband, write enough winning jingles to keep a family of ten children fed, clothed, sheltered and loved, throughout their years growing up in post-war America.
The book brought back many memories for me, for which I appreciated the read very much. A bonus was turning to the Afterward to read this, written by sister, Betsy:
Looking through these things she left for us in the months after she died allowed us to see, piece by piece, what she was all about, and to appreciate her true accomplishment.
I have a recurring dream about my mother: She is sitting on her living room couch, holding this book in her hands. “This is wonderful,” she is saying, with tears in her eyes. “But where did you find all of this material? Where did it all come from?
From you, Mom. It came from you.
As I said at the outset, this is a touching, inspirational story. That’s why it appears to have been passed from person to person before finding its way back to my bookshelves.
December 30, 2009
I don't want to mislead anyone. I usually reserve five star ratings for books that are life-changing and a profound reading experience, and this was neither. But, try as I might, I couldn't come up with a good reason to take off a star and felt dishonest doing it simply to preserve a snooty image.
This family memoir was honest and revealing without being bitter, sweet and uplifting without being sentimental. Like Cheaper by the Dozen, it was the story of a quirky but happy large (10 kids) family. Unlike Cheaper by the Dozen, there was a dark side to the story with the father's alcoholism and abuse and the family's dire poverty. Yet, this book was not Angela's Ashes or The Glass Castle either. Evelyn Ryan, the family matriarch, maintained her relentless optimism against serious odds and supplemented the family income in a creative and unusual way by addictively participating in jingle contests for a wide variety of products and frequently winning both useful and useless prizes. More than a hobby, Evelyn's "wins" kept the family afloat. Eventually, Evelyn learned that "contesting" was a popular activity among other 1950s housewives and discovered a support system of women in similar situations who helped each other by sharing news of new contests and giving each other helpful feedback on their entries.
This book won't change your life in any way, but it's a touching and enjoyable read.
This family memoir was honest and revealing without being bitter, sweet and uplifting without being sentimental. Like Cheaper by the Dozen, it was the story of a quirky but happy large (10 kids) family. Unlike Cheaper by the Dozen, there was a dark side to the story with the father's alcoholism and abuse and the family's dire poverty. Yet, this book was not Angela's Ashes or The Glass Castle either. Evelyn Ryan, the family matriarch, maintained her relentless optimism against serious odds and supplemented the family income in a creative and unusual way by addictively participating in jingle contests for a wide variety of products and frequently winning both useful and useless prizes. More than a hobby, Evelyn's "wins" kept the family afloat. Eventually, Evelyn learned that "contesting" was a popular activity among other 1950s housewives and discovered a support system of women in similar situations who helped each other by sharing news of new contests and giving each other helpful feedback on their entries.
This book won't change your life in any way, but it's a touching and enjoyable read.
December 27, 2012
Kinda makes you wish they still had contests requiring skill, rather than the random drawings of modern sweepstakes. I'm pretty good with words. I probably coulda won me some cool stuff.
November 20, 2008
This kind of story always makes me feel really feisty-- it's about the author's mother who overcame the disadvantages of an alcoholic husband and poverty to raise 10 children; and then I realize, I am not living in poverty, and my husband is about as far from abusive as you can get. So, I guess the real take-home message is not to let your disadvantages define you, and to be the sort of person who gets out and does something about their problems rather than sit by and whine about them. This story was well-written (with the exception of listing out twenty examples of the entries she wrote for each contest mentioned--I just didn't care that much, although a few of them were amusing; also, one conversation with her mother about how she felt powerless against her father's alcolholism that felt apocryphal-- no one, let alone a 13-year-old girl, manages to get their deepest parental-related angst out in one two-page conversation that actually begins about their mother not winning a contest.) and interesting, and it was fun to learn a bit more about these contests companies would sponsor through the '50s and '60s. In some ways you have to feel like our culture has lost a bit without them. I was surprised to learn that there were actual clubs and magazines for people who more-or-less professionally entered them. Who knew? I was also a bit jealous--the closest I've ever come to anyone winning anything even remotely major was when my sister Danielle won 1st place in the K-Mart easter egg hunt and won a brand-new Super Nintendo when she was...what, 7? Maybe not that old, but it was a big deal for us!
November 4, 2007
Mom read a review of this book and one day went to the bookstore with several reviews and told the clerk she wanted all of them. She hadn't read it yet. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and kept quoting it the whole time I was there on vacation.
The author was number six of ten children born into an Irish Catholic family. The father drank a large proportion of his already insufficient paycheck. The mother, Evelyn Ryan, entered contests constantly to try to keep the family afloat. She also kept meticulous notebooks (mostly by the ironing board) of her entries and of her poetry, which she could also sell to the newspapers and magazine for usually $1 each.
She did manage to keep them off of the street with a couple of major "in the nick of time" wins. There was always a constant flow of small wins of cash and prizes (she kept a closet full for later use.)
The book is full of the hilarious happenings of the Ryan family and peppered with mom's limericks and dad's tirades.
I probably should have been underlining favorite parts but it wasn't my book.
The author was number six of ten children born into an Irish Catholic family. The father drank a large proportion of his already insufficient paycheck. The mother, Evelyn Ryan, entered contests constantly to try to keep the family afloat. She also kept meticulous notebooks (mostly by the ironing board) of her entries and of her poetry, which she could also sell to the newspapers and magazine for usually $1 each.
She did manage to keep them off of the street with a couple of major "in the nick of time" wins. There was always a constant flow of small wins of cash and prizes (she kept a closet full for later use.)
The book is full of the hilarious happenings of the Ryan family and peppered with mom's limericks and dad's tirades.
I probably should have been underlining favorite parts but it wasn't my book.
April 15, 2008
What a great book! I read this right after reading Eat, Pray, Love and you couldn't find two more opposite stories. This story is about a woman who raises 10 children with her husbands meager income and her prize winnings from jingle contests. She enters this contests as much to give out let to her creative energy and wit as for the money. She shows her children how to give it your all and never give up and that the process is the enjoyment and outcome is a lucky byproduct.
What a great book!!
What a great book!!
July 18, 2010
I LOVED this book! It read like good fiction & was totally engaging. As a mother myself, I really could relate to Evelyn's life & situation. I only had one tiny quibble. I didn't like how the author (Evelyn Ryan's daughter) kept going back to the fact that Evelyn left behind what could've been a promising career writing to raise her 10 kids. She made a couple comments about how she would've been a high level executive in an advertising company if she hadn't gotten pregnant out of wedlock and gone on to have so many children. Her worth is clearly, clearly not measured by how good her jingles were or how proficient her writing was, but what a wonderful mother she was, despite dealing with poverty & an alcoholic spouse. She truly is a shining example of motherhood & a positive outlook on life.
March 6, 2014
Audible. *
On the heels of The Goldfinch, and all the dialogue that has surrounded that review, I am giving up -- yes, GIVING UP -- on this book. I am taking to heart the many (the hundreds) of people who said "if you don't like the book then stop reading it!" I never do that. For one, I'm too cheap. For another, I always assume I'll be missing some nugget of brilliance.
But I am going to "just do it" and stop. This book is driving me mental. The very things that others love it for, I loathe it for. Call me mean spirited or calloused, but her perpetually sunny disposition in the face of heartbreak, alcoholism and more just strike me as dumbness. [Is dumbness even a word?]
I know that sounds horrible, but it's true. "My father was a raging, mean alchohic, but heck! it wasn't so bad! We kids had an apple tree to climb and life was GRAND…" [I made that up, but it pretty much sums up the prose]
And interspersed every few pages, she reads something like 708 different entries to the same contest submitted in a variety of names, all starting the same way: "Dove soap is SUPER DEE DUPER because…" And curiously, all ending with the same rhyming syllable. --As if the different contest entries all had to rhyme with each other. "in the month of May" "Clean as a summer day" Germs… aWAY!" and on and on and on and on until I feel I might scream.
Yes. it is time to stop.
*a paper book (or kindle) would have at least allowed me to skim. Do not recommend Audio version.
On the heels of The Goldfinch, and all the dialogue that has surrounded that review, I am giving up -- yes, GIVING UP -- on this book. I am taking to heart the many (the hundreds) of people who said "if you don't like the book then stop reading it!" I never do that. For one, I'm too cheap. For another, I always assume I'll be missing some nugget of brilliance.
But I am going to "just do it" and stop. This book is driving me mental. The very things that others love it for, I loathe it for. Call me mean spirited or calloused, but her perpetually sunny disposition in the face of heartbreak, alcoholism and more just strike me as dumbness. [Is dumbness even a word?]
I know that sounds horrible, but it's true. "My father was a raging, mean alchohic, but heck! it wasn't so bad! We kids had an apple tree to climb and life was GRAND…" [I made that up, but it pretty much sums up the prose]
And interspersed every few pages, she reads something like 708 different entries to the same contest submitted in a variety of names, all starting the same way: "Dove soap is SUPER DEE DUPER because…" And curiously, all ending with the same rhyming syllable. --As if the different contest entries all had to rhyme with each other. "in the month of May" "Clean as a summer day" Germs… aWAY!" and on and on and on and on until I feel I might scream.
Yes. it is time to stop.
*a paper book (or kindle) would have at least allowed me to skim. Do not recommend Audio version.
January 9, 2020
Unexpectedly loved it, although the constant jingles got a bit jangly. It IS a slice of American culture at that time. Completely gobsmacked at precisely that slice of timeline, though, that allowed a man to glide through a whole life without any consequences to shockingly bad behavior, though. That part is scary-shocking.
February 6, 2019
Made for an excellent book discussion with my senior book discussion group. A really powerful memoir that serves as a time capsule of growing up poor in a large family in small town Ohio.
November 18, 2019
Just rewatched the movie. So, naturally, I'm re-listening to the book. Original review below.
----------
Having seen the movie I was curious about how closely it hewed to the book. It turns out to have been a surprisingly close telling that captured the feel of the book well.
The book itself has the same feel as Cheaper By the Dozen, if that family's father had been an alcoholic, putting them always one contest win away from abject poverty. It is also a look back at small town life in the 1950s and 60s.
Evelyn Ryan's story is woven through the humorous tales of raising ten children. She parlayed her writing skill and determination into enough income to overcome one financial crisis after another. Ryan did this in a way unique to the time, by entering numerous jingle-writing contests, and submitting poems and humorous stories to publications. Many of these are scattered through the text and they almost serve as a mini-history of product contests.
Along the way Ryan taught her family a precious lesson about how to live a full, rich life no matter your economic status. Author Terry Ryan, one of the daughters of the family, pulls off telling a positive, upbeat story without denying the reality and severity of the trials that had to be overcome.
----------
Having seen the movie I was curious about how closely it hewed to the book. It turns out to have been a surprisingly close telling that captured the feel of the book well.
The book itself has the same feel as Cheaper By the Dozen, if that family's father had been an alcoholic, putting them always one contest win away from abject poverty. It is also a look back at small town life in the 1950s and 60s.
Evelyn Ryan's story is woven through the humorous tales of raising ten children. She parlayed her writing skill and determination into enough income to overcome one financial crisis after another. Ryan did this in a way unique to the time, by entering numerous jingle-writing contests, and submitting poems and humorous stories to publications. Many of these are scattered through the text and they almost serve as a mini-history of product contests.
Along the way Ryan taught her family a precious lesson about how to live a full, rich life no matter your economic status. Author Terry Ryan, one of the daughters of the family, pulls off telling a positive, upbeat story without denying the reality and severity of the trials that had to be overcome.
At that moment we knew that as long as we used our brains, we were not victims. By striking out to write our own ticket, we would grow up to be like our mother, winners.I listened to the audio book and enjoyed it. I've seen people complain about the narration as over the top and too enthusiastic but I don't agree. I thought the straight forward feel perfectly reflected the tone of the book.
February 27, 2017
Before reading this, I imagined a lucky woman winning a few contests. I didn't realize that "contesting" was a part of 1950s culture. There were magazines about how to win contests, and groups who got together to help each other. A big part of winning seemed to be knowing which advertising agency would judge; some wanted humor, some wanted earnest product endorsement, some appreciated clever word play. It's a history of this little-known cultural phenomenon.
It's also an autobiography--well, actually a biography of the author's mother. I found it hard to read about her relentless positive attitude amid an endless stream of soul-crushing humiliations: an alcoholic abusive husband, constantly paying every bill late, accepting charity to keep the kids fed, begging the bank not to foreclose, having no support system, oppression from the church . . . all this in a small Midwestern town. Awful stuff, packed into bright aren't-we-having-fun anecdotes. The book's thesis: Mom was able to use her skills and creativity to scrape the family out of problems again and again.
At the same time, it's a story of grief. This was a wonderful way for the author to process her mother's death. It's a thoughtful tribute to a hardworking and loving woman.
I like the book. But it's definitely not a "feel good" book for me.
It's also an autobiography--well, actually a biography of the author's mother. I found it hard to read about her relentless positive attitude amid an endless stream of soul-crushing humiliations: an alcoholic abusive husband, constantly paying every bill late, accepting charity to keep the kids fed, begging the bank not to foreclose, having no support system, oppression from the church . . . all this in a small Midwestern town. Awful stuff, packed into bright aren't-we-having-fun anecdotes. The book's thesis: Mom was able to use her skills and creativity to scrape the family out of problems again and again.
At the same time, it's a story of grief. This was a wonderful way for the author to process her mother's death. It's a thoughtful tribute to a hardworking and loving woman.
I like the book. But it's definitely not a "feel good" book for me.
December 27, 2015
Made me want to drink Dr Pepper! Really adorable and sober at the same time. Its as if Ralphie's mom from "A Christmas Story" had been real and had a doorknob-turning cat. Loved this.
April 16, 2014
Below I've included a touching anecdote on atonement.
I find this book to be compelling because it gives a deeper look into the life of an intelligent, hardworking, midwestern mom with 10 kids, living a life of poverty in the middle of nowhere, with an alcoholic husband who consistently ferried away any savings. In this true story, "Mom" makes ends meet by winning contests where you mail in limericks, 25 words or less type poems, and the last line of whatever jingle the company has created. She works hard and wins an astonishing amount, especially considering that many of the contests have upwards of 250,000 entries! This story shows how this mother finds meaning in her life, and how she stays positive in what seem like very bleak situations despite the odds. Towards the end of the biography, you, along with her 10 children, discover that the reason she married "Dad" was because of a pregnancy. The children had always wondered why their mother hadn't followed what could have been a glorious and glamorous career in publishing, and now they knew why. Her determination in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds is inspiring and admirable to say the least.
One of the most touching stories was this: (possible spoiler)
"Dad was diagnosed with diabetes in the mid-1970's. He quit drinking, but not in time to save his body. After his leg was amputated, he became dependent on Mom, spending most of his time in the kitchen in his wheelchair, listening to baseball on the radio. He died in 1983 at the age of seventy-five.
My father left a legacy of atonement that stunned my mother and all of their children. He told Betsy about his plans ten years before his death. "I go down to First Federal every month, Bets, and I just put this pension check right in the bank, see? It's a surprise for Mother. It belongs to her. You make sure she uses it. Will you do that for me?"
When Dad died, we discovered that he had saved over $60,000, more money than my parents had ever dreamed of having in their lifetime, and left it all to Mom."
I cried when I read this, because this was a man who had pushed his wife so she fell unconscious, who had secretly taken a second mortgage on the house and spent it all, who was more angry and volatile than he needed to be. I wondered how a woman could live with him, how she could stand it. But I guess she saw the good in him, and was dedicated, and ultimately he showed that he did love her, and that he wasn't all bad. Very beautiful.
I find this book to be compelling because it gives a deeper look into the life of an intelligent, hardworking, midwestern mom with 10 kids, living a life of poverty in the middle of nowhere, with an alcoholic husband who consistently ferried away any savings. In this true story, "Mom" makes ends meet by winning contests where you mail in limericks, 25 words or less type poems, and the last line of whatever jingle the company has created. She works hard and wins an astonishing amount, especially considering that many of the contests have upwards of 250,000 entries! This story shows how this mother finds meaning in her life, and how she stays positive in what seem like very bleak situations despite the odds. Towards the end of the biography, you, along with her 10 children, discover that the reason she married "Dad" was because of a pregnancy. The children had always wondered why their mother hadn't followed what could have been a glorious and glamorous career in publishing, and now they knew why. Her determination in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds is inspiring and admirable to say the least.
One of the most touching stories was this: (possible spoiler)
"Dad was diagnosed with diabetes in the mid-1970's. He quit drinking, but not in time to save his body. After his leg was amputated, he became dependent on Mom, spending most of his time in the kitchen in his wheelchair, listening to baseball on the radio. He died in 1983 at the age of seventy-five.
My father left a legacy of atonement that stunned my mother and all of their children. He told Betsy about his plans ten years before his death. "I go down to First Federal every month, Bets, and I just put this pension check right in the bank, see? It's a surprise for Mother. It belongs to her. You make sure she uses it. Will you do that for me?"
When Dad died, we discovered that he had saved over $60,000, more money than my parents had ever dreamed of having in their lifetime, and left it all to Mom."
I cried when I read this, because this was a man who had pushed his wife so she fell unconscious, who had secretly taken a second mortgage on the house and spent it all, who was more angry and volatile than he needed to be. I wondered how a woman could live with him, how she could stand it. But I guess she saw the good in him, and was dedicated, and ultimately he showed that he did love her, and that he wasn't all bad. Very beautiful.
January 28, 2017
Life’s struggles come in all shapes and sizes. Some are easy to grasp: crime, war, loss of a loved one, a disability… Some are much subtler: getting into a regrettable marriage, giving up hopes for a career, financial hardship, or societal obstacles in one’s pursuit of a fulfilled life… However, no matter what the cause, when the life’s dream is dashed for someone, the long-lasting pain leaves its mark all the same.
What else one holds onto, despite the pain, is what makes this book so inspirational for me. In a small Ohio town in the 50’s and 60’s, an intelligent and hardworking woman who stayed at home to care for 10 children and an alcoholic husband, getting food from kind relatives, seemed to be a lost case. She was firmly trapped in place and time. But Evelyn Ryan, the protagonist in her daughter’s book, didn’t seem lost. She put her wit to perfect use, entering literacy contests and winning for her family appliances, shoes, cars, cash, and even food. With a bit of luck here and there, her talent, persistence and resourcefulness got her family a house, kept all children fed and healthy and well educated, brought them up to become fulfilled adults, and even brought a repentance of her husband in the end.
But the most amazing element of the story is how happy, content and optimistic Evelyn was. She was not one to be defeated, or to feel self-pity. She lived life as fully as she could, given what she had, and she faced her misfortunes with laughter. Everyday there was frustration but also celebration, and there was peace of mind no matter how she struggled with nonstop challenges. The vitality of her life was so strong that it amazes me and inspires me when I face some unexpected challenges of my own. The author, Terry Ryan, obviously inherited her mom’s wit, humor and optimism. The book was fun to read, the author was not asking for sympathy. She was able to look back at her mother’s life and the history of her family with pride and with humor.
I have read this book and watched the movie long ago. Recently, I watched the movie again with my kids and felt compelled to read the book again. Life can be tough for all kinds of reasons even for people who live in peacetime, in a prosperous economy, having a regular job and regular family, and sometimes we do feel as if we just don’t know how to keep going. But I think of Evelyn’s optimism and her fight with her everyday woes, and I smile, and feel that I can keep going, one step at a time.
What else one holds onto, despite the pain, is what makes this book so inspirational for me. In a small Ohio town in the 50’s and 60’s, an intelligent and hardworking woman who stayed at home to care for 10 children and an alcoholic husband, getting food from kind relatives, seemed to be a lost case. She was firmly trapped in place and time. But Evelyn Ryan, the protagonist in her daughter’s book, didn’t seem lost. She put her wit to perfect use, entering literacy contests and winning for her family appliances, shoes, cars, cash, and even food. With a bit of luck here and there, her talent, persistence and resourcefulness got her family a house, kept all children fed and healthy and well educated, brought them up to become fulfilled adults, and even brought a repentance of her husband in the end.
But the most amazing element of the story is how happy, content and optimistic Evelyn was. She was not one to be defeated, or to feel self-pity. She lived life as fully as she could, given what she had, and she faced her misfortunes with laughter. Everyday there was frustration but also celebration, and there was peace of mind no matter how she struggled with nonstop challenges. The vitality of her life was so strong that it amazes me and inspires me when I face some unexpected challenges of my own. The author, Terry Ryan, obviously inherited her mom’s wit, humor and optimism. The book was fun to read, the author was not asking for sympathy. She was able to look back at her mother’s life and the history of her family with pride and with humor.
I have read this book and watched the movie long ago. Recently, I watched the movie again with my kids and felt compelled to read the book again. Life can be tough for all kinds of reasons even for people who live in peacetime, in a prosperous economy, having a regular job and regular family, and sometimes we do feel as if we just don’t know how to keep going. But I think of Evelyn’s optimism and her fight with her everyday woes, and I smile, and feel that I can keep going, one step at a time.
January 6, 2011
Love Love Love! This is the first time that a book has made me cry actual tears in a long time. And it did it twice. I usually skip a synopsis since I assume that my friends can read the one given on this website and that it will be more concise and coherent than anything I could write. As a result I think most of my reviews make little sense to anyone who has not read the book. So, in that vein...
Three favorite parts:
3: The chronicling of her sleepless night- considering I had just had a sleepless night due to sleepless children it made me laugh. Plus, a persistent woodpecker once kept me from sleeping so I enjoyed her inclusion of wildlife.
2: Her shopping spree. One of the laugh-out-loud moments of the book for me. I loved the ingenuity
used to gather as many items as possible. It was written so vividly I could see every hectic moment in my mind's eye. I also loved that she thought to get all the "exotic" things that her family otherwise would never have tried. I think I would have just gone for the usual staples, how boring of me, and what a wonderful, thoughtful woman (even if the kids didn't appreciate some of her choices).
1: Advice she gives to her daughter on pages 255-56. For me these few pages encompass a lot of who Evelyn Ryan is. Especially after reading her children's discovery at the end of the book.
But the real fun of this book were her quick-witted one liner entries, worth every penny (and more) that she earned for them. I especially enjoyed the double entendre and having to read some eight word or less endings several times before I got all (or most)of the intended meanings. Since (as you can see) writing anything short, simple and to the point is not my strong suit I was doubly impressed by her abilities to say so much with so few words.
None of these were the parts that made me cry. Sorry, I'm going to have to play the vague card on this one (not sure why I'm brimming with poker references today, don't even know how to play, hmmm). I'll just say that they are both toward the end. If you want to know you can read it and tear-jerkily find out for yourself (or not, I'm still dealing with post-partum hormonal lows= cries easily).
Three favorite parts:
3: The chronicling of her sleepless night- considering I had just had a sleepless night due to sleepless children it made me laugh. Plus, a persistent woodpecker once kept me from sleeping so I enjoyed her inclusion of wildlife.
2: Her shopping spree. One of the laugh-out-loud moments of the book for me. I loved the ingenuity
used to gather as many items as possible. It was written so vividly I could see every hectic moment in my mind's eye. I also loved that she thought to get all the "exotic" things that her family otherwise would never have tried. I think I would have just gone for the usual staples, how boring of me, and what a wonderful, thoughtful woman (even if the kids didn't appreciate some of her choices).
1: Advice she gives to her daughter on pages 255-56. For me these few pages encompass a lot of who Evelyn Ryan is. Especially after reading her children's discovery at the end of the book.
But the real fun of this book were her quick-witted one liner entries, worth every penny (and more) that she earned for them. I especially enjoyed the double entendre and having to read some eight word or less endings several times before I got all (or most)of the intended meanings. Since (as you can see) writing anything short, simple and to the point is not my strong suit I was doubly impressed by her abilities to say so much with so few words.
None of these were the parts that made me cry. Sorry, I'm going to have to play the vague card on this one (not sure why I'm brimming with poker references today, don't even know how to play, hmmm). I'll just say that they are both toward the end. If you want to know you can read it and tear-jerkily find out for yourself (or not, I'm still dealing with post-partum hormonal lows= cries easily).
February 22, 2013
I'm not sure where or why I got this book. It's been lying around for some time, so I thought I'd give it a try. The story is heartbreaking in some ways, inspiring in others, and interesting throughout. It's the story of Evelyn Lenore Lehman Ryan and her family and how she kept them more-or-less solvent through winning product-promotion contests that were common-place during most of her married life. It's a history of a poor family living in small-town America during the middle of the 20th century. When Evelyn Ryan died she left behind a slice of American history in the form of all the memorabilia she had saved in an old chest. This book chronicles the production of her treasures that she so lovingly saved. A short poem she wrote shortly before her death from cancer is typical of her clever writing that won so many prizes:
Every time I pass the church
I stop and make a visit
So when I'm carried in feet first
God won't say, "Who is it?"
Referring to this poem, her daughter, Terry (nicknamed Tuff), said to her, "I wouldn't worry, Mom. God will know who you are. You two go way back."
Evelyn Ryan's life is a case study in how dwelling on the positive creates an atmosphere of happiness even in a sea of problems and disappointments. Despite poverty and an abusive and irresponsible husband, she choose to "count [her] blessings instead of sheep" as the Irving Berlin song suggests. She refused to be a victim and the consequence of this wise use of her agency was a largely happy and productive life.
Every time I pass the church
I stop and make a visit
So when I'm carried in feet first
God won't say, "Who is it?"
Referring to this poem, her daughter, Terry (nicknamed Tuff), said to her, "I wouldn't worry, Mom. God will know who you are. You two go way back."
Evelyn Ryan's life is a case study in how dwelling on the positive creates an atmosphere of happiness even in a sea of problems and disappointments. Despite poverty and an abusive and irresponsible husband, she choose to "count [her] blessings instead of sheep" as the Irving Berlin song suggests. She refused to be a victim and the consequence of this wise use of her agency was a largely happy and productive life.
March 6, 2024
This summer I read a signed copy of this book in northern Ohio, one hour’s drive from Defiance, Ohio. The author, Terry Ryan, chronicles the days of her mother, a game-entering housewife who helped fuel the American economy during the 1950s and 60s, back when panels of advertising company judges in Chicago and New York regularly awarded cash and goods to entrants for writing jingles, completing sentences, and composing poems. This book makes the trials of one large, poor Catholic family of that era into a highly readable, entertaining window to the past. The family is big, the mother is unemployed but resourceful, and the father is a violent drunk with a regular job at a machine shop. This is Ohio’s post-depression answer to the Waltons (for those of you who remember that 70s era throwback), a raucous, fist-fighting, angry mob of a family, who nevertheless seem to have plenty of fun as they scrounge for crackers and soup, and worry about the bank foreclosing on the house.
This book is chock-full of jingles and contest entries by the author’s mother, and also relates the activities of members a of local prize-entrant circle, the Affadaisies. New phrase: the “red mitten”, the hook that makes a prize entry stand out from the thousands of others.
As I read I started to miss the seeming innocence of those consumer prize contest days when what was shared was a strong faith in community and country, and hucksters didn’t spew patriotism like John Birchers because they wouldn’t get much of an audience.
This book is chock-full of jingles and contest entries by the author’s mother, and also relates the activities of members a of local prize-entrant circle, the Affadaisies. New phrase: the “red mitten”, the hook that makes a prize entry stand out from the thousands of others.
As I read I started to miss the seeming innocence of those consumer prize contest days when what was shared was a strong faith in community and country, and hucksters didn’t spew patriotism like John Birchers because they wouldn’t get much of an audience.
December 8, 2008
I really enjoyed this daughter's love letter to her mother...about Evelyn Ryan, wife of an alcoholic and mother of 10 very active kids. She supplemented the small amount her husband brought home by entering contests in the 50s and 60s, using her wit, wisdom, and writing skills to craft jingles and poems and win money and prizes.
I find it interesting to note that many of the people who reviewed this book found it to be too sugary or unrealistic, or had a hard time understanding why Evelyn didn't leave her husband. I observe several reasons: (1) she clearly loved him, (2) he was not abusive to her except for one notable occasion, (3) she had 10 kids and no employable skills, (4) it was the 50s and 60s, for God's sake, (5) she was a Catholic convert and believed that divorce was wrong, and (6) she felt as responsible for him as she did for her children...and clearly, he needed her.
As much about Terry Ryan's mother's creativity and stamina as it is about growing up in a family with 10 kids with an alcoholic parent, this story is a wonderful testimony to Evelyn Ryan's strong character and amazing parenting skills. It made my life seem quite a bit less chaotic, with only three children and a steady income. It also managed to make growing up in such a huge family sound fun! They were certainly a close-knit family, in spite of their struggles.
I find it interesting to note that many of the people who reviewed this book found it to be too sugary or unrealistic, or had a hard time understanding why Evelyn didn't leave her husband. I observe several reasons: (1) she clearly loved him, (2) he was not abusive to her except for one notable occasion, (3) she had 10 kids and no employable skills, (4) it was the 50s and 60s, for God's sake, (5) she was a Catholic convert and believed that divorce was wrong, and (6) she felt as responsible for him as she did for her children...and clearly, he needed her.
As much about Terry Ryan's mother's creativity and stamina as it is about growing up in a family with 10 kids with an alcoholic parent, this story is a wonderful testimony to Evelyn Ryan's strong character and amazing parenting skills. It made my life seem quite a bit less chaotic, with only three children and a steady income. It also managed to make growing up in such a huge family sound fun! They were certainly a close-knit family, in spite of their struggles.
January 12, 2008
My mom would love this book.
It's a worshipful biography of a woman who would supplement her husband's too-small-for-ten-kids income by writing advertising jingles and entering them in contests. The highlight for me was the anecdote about Mrs. Ryan's ten-minute grocery shopping spree. This homemaker was determined to fill her freezer (another contest win) with food items other than fish sticks, and she approached her one chance at free groceries with military strategy.
I also thought that the author's stories of growing up in a large family were dead-on at describing the right combination of disorganization, energy, teamwork, and the craving for treats and personal attention.
This book is hugely optimistic about some of this family's darkest times, financial and otherwise. If you read it, it will make you feel genuinely happy.
It's a worshipful biography of a woman who would supplement her husband's too-small-for-ten-kids income by writing advertising jingles and entering them in contests. The highlight for me was the anecdote about Mrs. Ryan's ten-minute grocery shopping spree. This homemaker was determined to fill her freezer (another contest win) with food items other than fish sticks, and she approached her one chance at free groceries with military strategy.
I also thought that the author's stories of growing up in a large family were dead-on at describing the right combination of disorganization, energy, teamwork, and the craving for treats and personal attention.
This book is hugely optimistic about some of this family's darkest times, financial and otherwise. If you read it, it will make you feel genuinely happy.
January 13, 2009
I recently finished this great book. The author is the daughter of Evelyn Ryan, a fiesty, resilient mother of 10, who writes jingles and ads for contests. The story is mainly about her contesting.. but I am getting more 'umph' from the author's story behind the story: how her mother manages with 10 children, a drunken husband and a car that falls apart for years, washing machines and other appliances that die every month, not enough money for food and constant trips to the emergency room.. and yet everyone survives. That alone inspires me. I am looking for more stories like this one.
April 24, 2009
This book is a nonfiction account of how a woman of uncommon pluck and optimism provided for her family of 10 children and alcoholic husband by winning the kind of contests common in the mid 20th century that required writing skill and wit. It reminded me of "Cheaper by the Dozen" in style and good humor. It is uplifting, funny and heartwarming.
July 23, 2022
This is a bit of local history for me that I’ve always been somewhat aware of, from my mom borrowing the movie adaptation from the library when I was little, to the movie poster always on display at the Defiance movie theater. My grasp of local history isn’t great, but there were constant little lights going off in my head at references to things and it was very!!!!
An appreciation for family chaos, witticisms, and puns (of which there are many) is an absolute must.
An appreciation for family chaos, witticisms, and puns (of which there are many) is an absolute must.
June 14, 2020
4.5 stars. Uplifting, humorous and well-written. I enjoyed listening to this true story of a Mom of 10 who found a creative way to make ends meet for her children. She's unfailingly optimistic and clever. I loved all the quirks and hilarity of big family life and felt inspired by how mom kept it together through everything. Her complete unselfishness is inspiring. There were a few too many examples of her rhymes and jingles, but by the end you realized just how much these words written by their mother meant to the Ryan kids. The lessons she taught them and the lives she gave them in spite of the setbacks are incredible. Highly recommended.
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