When I Was A Child: Based on a true story of love, death, and survival on the Kansas prairie.

by T.L. Needham

A Stunning Story of Love, Death, and Survival on the Kansas Prairie
On Ash Wednesday, 1926, a young couple, Alex and Theresa, left their six children home on the farm. They drove through heavy rains to attend Mass in town. That's when the temperature dropped fast, and the heavy rain became a snowy windswept blizzard.
Only one of them would survive that night.
The terrible loss upended the lives of this working-class family in ways no one could have expected. Through it all, the ironclad bonds of love held them together as they endured the Great Depression and an unceasing string of trials, losses, and hardships.
Based on actual events, "When I Was a Child" documents the inner strength, courage, and sheer grit that steadied the couple's children through loss, economic crises, tornados, dust storms and war. Focusing on the extraordinary life of Louis Pfeifer, this vividly rendered book juxtaposes vignettes of a tragic past-the loss of a mother, father, and grandmother-against Louis's harrowing experiences as an 82nd Airborne paratrooper and prisoner of war during World War II. What emerges is an inspirational story of love and family bonds as Louis and his siblings grow up to become devoted, successful parents-despite all odds.
Powerful, honest, and unflinching, "When I Was a Child" is about the suffering that life inflicts-and the bravery that gets us to the other side, becoming much wiser and stronger along the way.

Genres: Nonfiction

254 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 21, 2011

Reviews

[Lois · Rating 5 out of 5]

In When I Was a Child: Based on a True Story of Love, Death and Survival on the Kansas Prairie, the semi-fictionalized account of how the members of one family survive a range of misfortunes that beset them and of how they manage to struggle through the dark dust bowl days prior to and during the Great Depression, is counterpoised against the experiences of the main protagonist, Louis Pfeifer, during World War II. The juxtaposition of childhood days spent on the Kansas prairie with Pfeifer’s experiences as an 82nd Airborne paratrooper, his involvement in the air drop into France on the eve of D-Day, and his incarceration as a prisoner of war in Germany until the end of the war successfully maintains a taut air of suspense throughout the book. One wish that I had, though, was that T.L. Needham had used the services of a professional editor, as, especially towards the end of When I Was a Child, the occasional sentence fragments and typographical errors disturbed the free flow of the text to a certain degree.

However, in addition to the riveting storyline, to which many growing up in this region of the States should be able to relate, the characterization is very well done. So vivid a portrait does Needham paint of the central characters that you are clearly able to empathize with them as they endure the sundry miseries that life inflicts on them. Even when Louis’ father is imprisoned for sexually abusing his oldest daughter, he seems more of an everyday hero for managing to keep his large family together through the toughest of times than he does a villain. Needham clearly shows how it was only the loss of his wife in a blizzard of which he was the sole survivor that drove him to such exigencies. The importance of the Catholic faith to all members of the family is revealed in the strong ethical principles that sustain them through thick and thin, making this a story that should appeal to all who share the same faith.

Needham, a native of Kansas City, was raised on the stories of survival and agrarian hardships described in this book. His mother, Geraldine, was the dearly beloved sister of Louis Pfeifer, whose wartime exploits are dealt with at length in When I Was a Child
When I Was a Child: Based on a True Story of Love, Death and Survival on the Kansas Prairie, despite its somewhat disjointed style, is a worthwhile and motivational read for all ages. The POW scenes, though unsettling, are not of such a graphic nature that they are likely to upset any readers, whatever their age. For the older generation, the wartime scenes should bring back memories of stories that their parents might have told them.
 

[Soleil · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very interesting story of life and all that comes with it for one family. The bond between Louis and Jerry is extremely touching. The tragedies they had to overcome at such a young age were heartbreaking. There was a couple things that kept me from giving When I was a Child a 5 star rating, that was the repeating of certain details which was needed due to the fact that, at times, the writing was all over the place, making it a little hard to follow occasionally. Overall, When I was a Child was a great read and I would recommend to all of my friends.

[Dana Stanton · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a resident of Hays, Kansas I enjoyed this book. I liked hearing about the old Volga German families that still flourish here. This book reads as an excerpt from a family diary.

[Michelle Akers-dicken · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was hard for me to only give this book 3 stars. Why? I was absolutely enthralled with the story! Louis and Jerry made my heart smile with their strong sibling bond and intense love. Many times I felt like they were actually "soul mates". It didn't seem like they had the same kind of bond with their spouses later on. Well maybe Louis did? But I digress.... I couldn't give this the 5 stars that I felt the story deserved because of the WRITING! I understand this was more of a family type journal. The kind of treasure a family only HOPES to find when looking in to their genealogy (but rarely does)! This story deserved a published author and an editor! I wish T.L. Needham had consulted a professional who might have steered him into the right direction. He repeated himself TOO many times and at times it really was confusing and hard to read. It's the kind of story that would have usually only taken me a few hours to read but I found myself walking away to take more breaks than necessary. I don't want to steer anyone away from this book with my review because it's a definite MUST read if you're at all interested in the Dust Bowl and the history of middle America and it's hardworking people! There's so much description and history of WWII also and insight into the life of a POW. Most of all it's a story of how a family's love and strength and hard work and determination can overcome ANY nightmare.

I fell in love with Louis and Jerry! I can relate to this kind of sibling bond in my own life! I feel like it's a special kind of gift in which many people AREN'T able to relate. No matter how nightmarish this Pfiefer family's life became, there's always this love to fall back on... giving them hope and making them want to live. I hate to keep using the term "nightmare" but I'm at a loss as to what else I can call their life! Just when I thought Louis's life really couldn't get any worse... it did. AND it got worse in such a miserable, inconceivable way! Yet, I was able to feel that Louis didn't think it was so miserable that his life warranted suicide (many a weaker person would have at LEAST contemplated suicide as an end to the misery). Louis had a responsibility to come home to his beloved sister Jerry. This was a responsibility he took VERY seriously. I loved reading that during his time in the German POW camp, while Louis was fighting for his life, Jerry was at home doing everything she could to locate him. She prayed and wrote her prayers out on paper (I think it was a journal), BEGGING and making deals with God that if He brought her precious brother home, Jerry wouldn't ask for a single other thing in her life. She wrote that Louis was the better half of her. Meanwhile Louis felt that he could never be the saint that his sister was. It REALLY touched me! But again, this isn't JUST the story of Louis and Jerry. It was the Pfiefer family's history as well. Some of the "story" had to be embellished, I'm sure (and the author eludes to the need for "creative" embellishing) . However, I feel like the author interviewed enough of the family during his life time and their's.
Again, YES, I can very much recommend "When I was a Child" , by T.L. Needham. The writing wasn't up to par but I kept in mind that this is a self published book. During a road trip through Hays Kansas, I found several books written about this history rich part of the country. I feel like Kansas gets a bad rap for being the most boring and uneventful states in America. If you read this book (and so many others), or talk to some of the locals who are happy to share the history... or maybe even delve in to America's history yourself... you'll find that Kansas is ANYTHING BUT boring! There's a lot of beauty in the tears that went into the settling of Mid-America.

[Dianne McMahan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyable true life story.of another hardship life,starting in the twenties for one young family & lasting till WWII was over.
The story starts with
a raging blizzard, where a mother & her unborn child die,due to the extreme weather, while less than a half mile from their home.
The father makes it home
to his six children,but is in terrible condition,both physically & mentally. He is blamed throughout his life for saving himself,but not her.The townspeople hate him.

The story is mainly about Louis,who was two when his mother passed & the love he & his sister Jerry have for one another.
Tragedy seems to follow this young man,even as he joins the 82nd.Airborne & becomes a POW.
This true story is a good one & shows that if you just keep doing your best & believing,good things do happen to those that deserve them.

[Mary Schmidt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great history

This is a wonderful book of life in the 1920s onward. Kansas was in the dustbowl and tornado alley, too. Times were hard and blizzards happened often. War was hell, being a POW, and being liberated before death of starvation from the Stalag, to be liberated and receive true food and nutrition would be a shock to the taste buds and system. Volga Germans - immigrating from the Volga area of what was Prussia at the time, says much to me. My ancestors also came from Volga area and they, too, settled in Ellis County. I've got a huge sense of connection as I knew each town and city, I understood, and I must check my family tree to see if I'm related to the author.

[Gloria Windholz Robbins · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the book which is about one families life on the plains with the hardships. It felt like it needed more on the ending but that is life.

[Maureen Timerman · Rating 5 out of 5]

From the back cover: A Stunning Story of Love, Death, and Survival on the Kansas Prairie

On Ash Wednesday, 1926, a young couple, Alex and Theresa, left their six children home on the farm. They drove through heavy rains to attend Mass in town. That's when the temperature dropped fast, and the heavy rain became a snowy windswept blizzard.

Only one of them would survive that night.

The terrible loss upended the lives of this working-class family in ways no one could have expected. Through it all, the ironclad bonds of love held them together as they endured the Great Depression and an unceasing string of trials, losses, and hardships.

Based on actual events, When I Was a Child documents the inner strength, courage, and sheer grit that steadied the couple's children through loss, economic crises, tornados, dust storms and war. Focusing on the extraordinary life of Louis Pfeifer, this vividly rendered book juxtaposes vignettes of a tragic past-the loss of a mother, father, and grandmother-against Louis's harrowing experiences as an 82nd Airborne paratrooper and prisoner of war during World War II. What emerges is an inspirational story of love and family bonds as Louis and his siblings grow up to become devoted, successful parents-despite all odds.

Powerful, honest, and unflinching, When I Was a Child is about the suffering that life inflicts-and the bravery that gets us to the other side, becoming much wiser and stronger along the way.

My Opinion: Wow! The author did a wonderful job of writing about his family. What a horrible life these poor children ended up having!

The story is very powerful and feature the Author's Uncle Louis and his Mom Jerry. Jerry has been a friend and and a Mother figure to Louis from the day their Mother tragically dies. Jerry is 4 years and Louis is 2. These two little children are then sent to live with their Grandmother CC, and she is a wonderful blessing in their young lives.

After Grandma CC is unable to take care of them and passes away, they are sent back to the farm to live with their other siblings, there are 6 children. There their oldest sister Martina takes over Mothering them. Growing up during the depression years, these children are provided for by their father's gambling and bootlegging.

After it is brought to the attention of the Authorities that Alex, their Dad has been abusing Martina, the Children are taken away and sent to an Orphanage. Back in the thirties this wasn't an ideal place to be, but the Author does provide a few funny happenings. Jerry is able to leave first when she is 12 and goes to live with her Aunt...again not an easy life for her.

After his brother Gene marries he bring Louis home...again not a good set up for him. Don't know why Irene treats him so shabbily, but he was a nonperson in her home! Again your heart will break for what these poor Children go through in their lives. Finally he is sent to live with his beloved sister Jerry.
His life does change some and he gets a job, and is able to give back to his sister.

Louis enlists at 17 in WWII...and is a paratrooper! D-Day approaches and his flight and jump is way off course! He ends up in the German hands, from here we are told the story of his again horrible life as a prisoner of war. Through all of this they keep their faith in God and family.

This book is a page turner and I highly recommend reading it, the only problem I had with it is the repeating of the same thoughts, sometimes in the next paragraph or chapter.

I was provided with a copy of this book by Readers Favorite, and was not required to give a positive review.

[Renee · Rating 3 out of 5]

When I Was a Child is described on the back cover as History/United States/20th Century but I have to disagree. It's not history but rather the story of one family and their determination to make it through difficult times. Needham himself describes it as a work of creative nonfiction.
Needham set out to tell the story of his mother's family in a work that almost reads as a memoir (except it's from his uncle's perspective). It combines scenes from World War II where Louis (his uncle) recounts his time in Europe juxtaposed with scenes from his childhood in Kansas. We learn not only about his Uncle Louis but also his grandparents, mother and other family members.
The part I don't get is the title - it just doesn't seem to fit for me since it's not about times when the author is a child and much of the story line is not about Uncle Louis' childhood


This book was provided to me through Bostick Communications; I received no monetary compensation for my review.

[Rosanne Bartlett · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kept your attention