Man of the Family

Little Britches #2

by Ralph Moody

Early 1900s Colorado. Fortified with Yankee ingenuity and western energy, the Moody family, transplanted from New England, builds a new ranch life. Father has died and Little Britches shoulders the responsibilities of a man at age eleven. Determined Grace and religious Mother cooks beans, bread and repair lace curtains while Ralph builds frames and delivers baking.

Genres: Biography, Nonfiction, Classics, Westerns, Childrens, Memoir, History

272 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1951

About the author

Ralph Moody was an American author who wrote 17 novels and autobiographies about the American West. He was born in East Rochester, New Hampshire, in 1898 but moved to Colorado with his family when he was eight in the hopes that a dry climate would improve his father Charles's tuberculosis. Moody detailed his experiences in Colorado in the first book of the Little Britches series, Father and I Were Ranchers.

After his father died, eleven-year-old Moody assumed the duties of the "man of the house." He and his sister Grace combined ingenuity with hard work in a variety of odd jobs to help their mother provide for their large family. The Moody clan returned to the East Coast some time after Charles's death, but Moody had difficulty readjusting. Following more than one ill-timed run-in with local law enforcement, he left the family home near Boston to live on his grandfather's farm in Maine. His later Little Britches books cover his time in Maine and subsequent travels through Arizona, New Mexico, Nebraska, and Kansas—including stints as a bust sculptor and a horse rider doing "horse falls" for motion pictures—as he worked his way back toward Colorado while continuing to support his family financially.

Moody's formal education was limited, but he had a lifelong interest in learning and self-education. At age 50, he enrolled in a writing class, which eventually led to the publication of Father and I Were Ranchers. In addition to the Little Britches series, Moody wrote a number of books detailing the development of the American West. His books have been described as crude in the language of the times but are highly praised by Moody's readership and have been in continuous publication since 1950.

After a period as livestock business owner in rural Kansas, Moody sent to Massachusetts for his former sweetheart, Edna. They married and moved to Kansas City. They had three children.—Source

Reviews

[Cindy Rollins · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am rereading the Ralph Moody Little Britches series of books on audio right now being that I have no one around to read these aloud to. Truly amazing stories of resilience and familial love.

[Luisa Knight · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ah, I actually liked this one a smidge more than the first; and I didn’t think that was possible! I loved this one for many reasons, especially seeing the mom’s character blossom.

This was a fun listen! My husband and I did it together whenever we had longer car rides. We laughed quite a bit, enjoyed discussing some of the life lessons Ralph learned, and sharing the sentimental moments together.

A great family read-aloud but it’s also a good audio!

Ages: 8+

Content Considerations: “d*mn” and “h*ll” are used a decent amount. “G*dd*mn” might have been used once or twice. Mentions drinking and alcohol. Ralph is given rum when he was cold/sick.

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[Jessica Duff · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, such an amazing family, their devotion in caring for each other is really precious. Also, Ralph's work ethic is next to legendary

[Trace · Rating 5 out of 5]

As my son says - we would rate this 10+ stars if we could. It's so hard to put into words how much this series has come to mean to us and how much of an influence Little Britches has had on my son. He has become a literary hero of sorts, to my son.

We purposely took our time with this book - we just didn't want it to end. But all good things must eventually end... :) And we look forward to reading the next one in the series.

[Abby Burrus · Rating 5 out of 5]

Honestly, this book is just... It's soothing, in a way. It's just good old fashioned story telling of a time when people were honest, meant what they said and did what they did, called things as they were and helped each other out.
I enjoyed reading through it, and I might add it's also a good book for a whole family to read. It's family friendly, except for the occasional cussing. It's not excessive, but it was the way it was back then. If you're reading it aloud, you can easily skip those parts / words and be fine, as well as any other scenes you might not want your children to hear.
I look forward to the next book in the series!

[Sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

August 2016 - perhaps my favorite LB book.


First Reading July 2014:
This is a tremendous second offering in the Little Britches series. This text is full of American perseverance spirit, classic hard work and pioneer ingenuity. By far my favorite so far in the series and something I cannot wait to share with my children. A true classic ripe with critically important life lessons.

[Amy Meyers · Rating 5 out of 5]

The story continues wonderfully, this time with a focus on how awesome his mom is. In the first book, my kids preferred the father and didn’t much appreciate the mother, but they loved her in this one. However they did not like the ending. I was fine with it, because that’s life—there are unexpected twists and turns.

CC: curse words, some horse racing involving betting that Ralph hides from his mom because she doesn’t want him doing that

[Scott Moonen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Outstanding book and series. Disappointed with the narrator's affectations. His attempts at female voices and the New England accent are significant put-offs.

[Summer · Rating 5 out of 5]

The second book in the Little Britches series did not disappoint! It’s so fun to get to know all the places so familiar to me: Littleton, Castle Rock, Larkspur, Englewood all mentioned in a time before I knew them. Not only was this a great gripping read, what an ending, but what a time for fortitude and resilience. Our generation is a bit wimpy. I loved how Mrs. Moody closed her eyes and opened the pages of scripture written on her mind. And what an example of loving your neighbor! 😅

I can’t wait to read the next one! Not to find a copy of it! 🧐

[Judy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Littleton, Colorado (a few miles south and west of Denver)

Engaging, wholesome, informative, familiar characters (assuming that the books are being read in order)

Each of the 29 chapters elaborates on an event (maybe that was true of the first book, too, but if so, I didn't notice), and the events are not the usual subjects. Here are some example chapter titles:

4. We Start a Cookery Route
8. Picking Cherries on Stilts
12. Mother's Little Secret
18. The Red Spots Come Out
20. Mother's Inspiration (curtains at the Brown Palace hotel)
26. Mrs. Callahan (a cow)
28. The Sheriff Serves A Soupeeny

Chapter 26 is about herding cows, but it's got to be the most interesting chapter I've read on the subject. I even chuckled a few times.

The kids in the story stay plenty busy w/o much in the way of 'technology.' They were all involved in the reality of making a living and doing daily chores. It's only in the evening when the family has time to sit down and read, recite parts from favorite plays (both of which can be done while the hands are busy with another chore), or on rare occasions, play a game.

p 118: I was just about as busy as I could be for the next week. I had to get up by four o'clock to have my chores done in time to get down to the fairgrounds at dawn. Then Dutch and I worked on the hay as late as we could see.
Dawn to dusk. Always busy.

[Heidi · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. I enjoy these stories for the most part and the youngest gent really likes them but it bugs me that there is profanity in them (not a lot but, as they are kids books, there should be zero). The way this one ends was also very disappointing to me, especially since Mother makes some very poor decisions.

[Cindi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! Wow, wow, wow. Loved it.

We all felt sad as Ralph's father died at the end of Little Britches. This story picks up as the family moves into Littleton, knowing they can't survive without a man on the ranch. Ralph's mother pulls the family together and with will and determination and family pride keeps them afloat. The children help, of course.

There are funny moments, teaching moments, serious moments, tense, sad, and on and on. There's a fun surprise that I didn't expect at all in the middle of the book. We all felt emotional at the end of the book with a strange turn of events. I had just been talking to my daughter about feeling emotions while reading books. She said that when she can put herself inside the story, she can feel what the characters feel. Ralph Moody definitely draws us into his story.

Now we have to decide whether or not to read or skip the next book, which actually covers a summer previous to the end of Man of the Family. Mary Emma and Company picks up where Man of the Family leaves off.

[Christy Peterson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love love love Little Britches and the lessons in it.

This book gave prompt to talk about how Ralph hid his racing earnings from his mom. I also wished that Mom would be more welcome to people helping her. It is one thing to be self-sufficient, and on other to be prideful.

I LOVED the example of entrepreneurship throughout the book. A stark contrast to today when a fatherless family lives off the govt.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this aloud to my kids, two of whom (ages 11 & 13) are doing field work unsupervised for pay this summer. It's their first real work and while I had lots of speeches about work ethic and honesty I felt needed to be said, no amount of my preaching would have had near the impact that Ralph Moody had on them! Full of wisdom and humour and the values I want my kids to uphold, and written in a timeless and very relevant way. Love this book and his ability to tell his story.

[Jacqueline]

I wish I had read this to my boys when they were young. I’m still hoping my youngest will read it. Boys should know the sort of work even young boys did to help their family survive. Little Britches is a brave young man. 😍

[natalie mae · Rating 5 out of 5]

how is this kid only 12😭😭😭

[Hanna Hickman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this. I'm going to read the whole series.

[Amelia Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perhaps even better than the first.

[Bambi Moore · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a beautiful story of resilience and love. I felt like the undercurrent of book one was a father and son bond, and this one more of mother and son. Both are excellent. Got choked up multiple times.

[Shiloah · Rating 3 out of 5]

We have loved the Little Britches series....however, I gave this book 3 stars because I'm disappointed in the choices this family makes. Throughout the first two books I noticed they have honesty issues. Keeping little things from each other it all adds up, but is with little consequence. The choices the mother makes I don't agree with. I feel she isn't an example of honesty or integrity. I understand the culture of the times allowed for some tight-lippedness but she didn't even tell them about her having a baby. That is relatively small compared to the main event at the end, but all in all, she isn't that excellent example I thought her to be... Like Marmee in Little Women or Sarah Prine in These is My Words. Marmee would have faced adversity in the face instead of sneaking away.

That said, it won't stop us from reading the rest of the series. All the other stories in the book are just delightful. I especially loved the story of Mrs. Callahan. Cows have a special place in my heart, but this one, she was a darling, hilarious character.

Ralph Moody is a very good writer. He makes the old west come alive. I'm astounded at all he has done in his short twelve years in this book. It makes me want have a home on the range. Definitely, with a Target and a Barnes and Noble nearby, though, and an easy path for the UPS guy to deliver. Then it would be perfect.

Now to see what happens in Boston.

[Sondra · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a wonderful treasure of a book. This is the 2nd book in the Little Britches series. Please don't let the name "Little Britches" scare you away from these books. They aren't just for kids. My husband and I love them just as much, if not more than our kids do. These books are the true story of the life of Ralph Moody. And what a life he lives! His books are full of excitement, love, hard work, family, all of the good stuff.

You know, sometimes we don't have all of the things in our lives we'd like to have. And we may get to feeling sorry for ourselves, and wishing we had more. But then along comes a book, such as Little Britches, or Man of the Family, and that book reminds us what is really important.

This book gives us all a lesson in integrity, hard work, and old fashioned ingenuity. I can't think of a book with a more beautiful example of children honoring their parents then in these books. Nor can I think of parents who are more deserving of being honored.

I've read these books myself, and I've read them to my family. If you are a parent, Please! Read these books! And then when your kids are old enough, read them to your kids! I promise, you won't consider it time wasted. Reading books such as these in your home will help build a strong family and bring goodness into your home.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

Being biographical this book is foremost the natural continuation of the story of Ralph Moody's life after his father's death. However, if the first Little Britches book was the story of how Ralph's father shaped his character,this one tells of his mother's influence on him.

We see here a greater respect from Ralph for his mother--partially learned from his father's teaching, partially from seeing her determination to keep the family provided for after Father's death. Indeed, Mother is an awesome example of fortitude, ingenuity, and patience in the face of difficulty. This book provides an even more intense example than the first volume of the pride taken in hard work, by the children as much as their mother.

As a story, the ending does not fit quite so well with the first ninety percent of the book. It is, of course, dictated by the actual events, but might have been stronger had the author chosen to end at a different point. Nevertheless, the ending as it stands does focus on Mother's integrity, and reinforces the strong bonds of family that can endure all circumstances.

[ladydusk · Rating 5 out of 5]

Own.

I'm so thankful that we have been reading this books with our young children. There is sadness and struggle, yes. The children have to process through that. As the Moodys struggle, the children see how to struggle with dignity, ingenuity, and hard-work. They rejoice in their successes. They pay their debts. They build what they need. They rely on their neighbors ... but for their expertise and problem solving. Ralph works hard. There is no complaint, it is what it is.

These will be books that we, and the children, will revist over the years. I'm thrilled that they've been introduced at a young age.

[Adayla · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn't know these books would affect my boys so much when we started reading them. This is the 2nd one and, yet again, there were moist eyes in the room when we finished. It's like whenever Ralph describes his own reactions, my boys feel it themselves (especially the 9yo). Each tightening throat described gave one of the boys a physical reaction.

This book brought so much discussion between us, every chapter. It is not a quick, pleasure read. It is a slower, contemplative read that, for boys especially, makes it impossible not to think, "what if that was me?"

We were pleased with the growth and maturity we witnessed.

Lots of thoughts.

(Read aloud with the boys, ages 7 and 9.)

[Sarah Montgomery · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my! I loved this one just as much as the first book. The Moody family story is inspiring, funny, and heartbreaking all rolled together. I can’t wait to read the next one.

[ValeReads Kyriosity · Rating 5 out of 5]

If anybody needs me, I'll just be over here sobbing my heart out...

[Lisa Ferris · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love this book. I'm sentimental about it because my mom loves it.

[Lorena · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read Father and I Were Ranchers years ago, and I loved it! I think about that book all of the time. I can't believe how long it has taken me to pick up Man of the Family. I love Ralph and Mrs. Moody and all of the ways that they work together to provide for the family. They were surrounded by such kind people. I love how they lived in a time where people knew their neighbors (and townsfolk) and tried to watch out for those around them.

This is a book that I will definitely read again! Highly recommend. Cameron Beierle was a fantastic narrator.

[Sandra Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. It is a testament to how hard it was raising a family and making a living in the early 1900's. I love that it was from the perspective of young Ralph Moody and how he spoke of his family and the people in his small town. He had a lot of respect for his mother and his late father, and was very resourceful. The ending of this book was quite interesting and unexpected, but very fitting for a family who had character and values.

[Audrey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ralph was eleven years old when his father died. This book tells the adventures of his life after that fateful day. He and the rest of the family work extremely hard to keep bread on the table and clothes on their backs. The love of family, integrity of heart, and a strong work ethic shines through in this incredible book.