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Jane Ellison #1
County Fair
The gay and exciting story of a girl's adventures in a 4-H club!
- GenresYoung Adult
Paperback
First published January 1, 1953
1 person is currently reading
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About the author
Anne Emery
80 books33 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
Anne Emery was born Anne Eleanor McGuigan, in Fargo, North Dakota, and moved to Evanston, Illinois, when she was nine years old. Miss McGuigan attended Evanston Township High School and Northwestern University. Following her graduation from college, her father, a university professor, took the family of five children abroad for a year, where they visited his birthplace in Northern Ireland, as well as the British Isles, France, Switzerland, and Italy. Miss McGuigan spent nine months studying at the University of Grenoble in France. She taught seventh and eighth grades for four years in the Evanston Schools, and fourth and fifth grades for six more years after her marriage to John Emery. She retired from teaching to care for her husband and five children, Mary, Kate, Joan, Robert, and Martha.
Anne Emery wrote books and short stories for teen girls throughout the 1950s and 1960s. Her understanding of the lives of teenaged girls creates believable stories and characters that are readable and re-readable!
Anne Emery was born Anne Eleanor McGuigan, in Fargo, North Dakota, and moved to Evanston, Illinois, when she was nine years old. Miss McGuigan attended Evanston Township High School and Northwestern University. Following her graduation from college, her father, a university professor, took the family of five children abroad for a year, where they visited his birthplace in Northern Ireland, as well as the British Isles, France, Switzerland, and Italy. Miss McGuigan spent nine months studying at the University of Grenoble in France. She taught seventh and eighth grades for four years in the Evanston Schools, and fourth and fifth grades for six more years after her marriage to John Emery. She retired from teaching to care for her husband and five children, Mary, Kate, Joan, Robert, and Martha.
Anne Emery wrote books and short stories for teen girls throughout the 1950s and 1960s. Her understanding of the lives of teenaged girls creates believable stories and characters that are readable and re-readable!
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
November 14, 2015
You can tell me about raising cows and baking cakes and sewing dresses all the live long day.
March 14, 2016
"Good, clean fun!" I enjoyed this story and, while I'm not sure Jane became a "kindred spirit" the way some protagonists do, I could definitely relate to her love of the countryside and interest in animals. It was also nice to read about the 4-H experience 1950s style. Anne Emery's books probably seem "old-fashioned" to readers today but I enjoy them precisely for that reason--and because the characters' hopes, trials and triumphs and all the related emotions are timeless.
December 9, 2020
I'm surprised this isn't already on my Goodreads, but it has been a few years since my sister claimed our Mom's copy and then promptly lost it in a container somewhere. No, I'm not bitter.
ANYWAY, my lovely mother got me a reissue for Christmas and I promptly read it again. A gay and exciting story indeed! Jane's fascination with 4-H always tickled me because I was in 4-H for a good many years since the age of six (I think) and it was often a source of frustration in my life, especially the record books and brouhaha of getting everything ready for the fair. At least there were snacks.
One thing I appreciate about this book is this authenticity of the characters--and that includes their shortcomings. Jane is a typical freshman, trying to think of herself as sophisticated but often selfish instead. Chuck has little experience with girls and thus often projects his own shortcomings onto Jane, expecting her to think little of him. Jane's mother is perhaps a bit dramatic at times, but as someone who has farming in her family, I can 100% attest that they're not all fun and games as Jane seems to think, so it follows that her mother hesitates toward Jane's fascination after living on a farm herself.
I'm not a fan of the ending in which the Ellisons do actually buy a farm--it seems wholly unrealistic, and I think Jane selling Daisy to Chuck and realizing that she doesn't have to live on a farm in order to be a full-fledged 4-H member would have been a stronger conclusion.
The "This Was Written in the '50s" Checklist:
- taking Latin at a public high school
- manning the record player at a party
- worrying about whether cakes will fall or not
- Kewpie dolls
- a soda shop as the cool kids hangout
- honest to goodness sleighs
ANYWAY, my lovely mother got me a reissue for Christmas and I promptly read it again. A gay and exciting story indeed! Jane's fascination with 4-H always tickled me because I was in 4-H for a good many years since the age of six (I think) and it was often a source of frustration in my life, especially the record books and brouhaha of getting everything ready for the fair. At least there were snacks.
One thing I appreciate about this book is this authenticity of the characters--and that includes their shortcomings. Jane is a typical freshman, trying to think of herself as sophisticated but often selfish instead. Chuck has little experience with girls and thus often projects his own shortcomings onto Jane, expecting her to think little of him. Jane's mother is perhaps a bit dramatic at times, but as someone who has farming in her family, I can 100% attest that they're not all fun and games as Jane seems to think, so it follows that her mother hesitates toward Jane's fascination after living on a farm herself.
I'm not a fan of the ending in which the Ellisons do actually buy a farm--it seems wholly unrealistic, and I think Jane selling Daisy to Chuck and realizing that she doesn't have to live on a farm in order to be a full-fledged 4-H member would have been a stronger conclusion.
The "This Was Written in the '50s" Checklist:
- taking Latin at a public high school
- manning the record player at a party
- worrying about whether cakes will fall or not
- Kewpie dolls
- a soda shop as the cool kids hangout
- honest to goodness sleighs
July 25, 2016
I loved this book! I always enjoy Anne Emery's writing style and the 4-H parts definitely added to my enjoyment of this one. As a former 4-H member I loved reading about the activities of Jane's club, and noting the similarities and differences. The writing was descriptive and I felt like I knew the characters. The romance was sweet and enjoyable, and I think this is one of my favorite books so far this year.
March 7, 2016
3.5 stars
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews