Buy the Little Ones a Dolly

by Rose E. Bingham

In a small, close-knit Wisconsin community, a mother goes into town and never returns. It's 1952 and Rose, at 15, is the oldest of seven children, the youngest of whom is only 3. As hard as Rose and her father tried to keep things together on the home front, with the help of kind relatives and sympathetic neighbors, in 1954, the children were ultimately placed in an orphanage, and later split up into five different foster families."Buy the little ones a dolly" were some of the last words Rose received from her mother in a Christmas letter, sent without a return address. Rose made it her lifelong mission to maintain contact among the siblings. Rose intimately escorts the reader on her journey through trials, tribulations, joy, and love. The mystery surrounding her mother's disappearance comes to light 59 years later.

Genres: Memoir

260 pages, Paperback

Published November 29, 2017

Reviews

[Laurie Buchanan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Difficult to put down, I started reading BUY THE LITTLE ONES A DOLLY by Rose E. Bingham yesterday, and finished it today. In this achingly beautiful memoir, Bingham reveals the most devastating event in her life—the disappearance of her mother—when she was fifteen years old, the eldest sibling of seven. The values that pervade this captivating story are the power of grace, love, and forgiveness. I highly recommend this book. Its pages shine a powerful light on family, never giving up, and hope.

[Valerie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful memoir that teaches we can all overcome and move forward as we pursue our dreams.

[Sherrey · Rating 5 out of 5]

The first sentence in the synopsis above is almost unfathomable to most parents, especially mothers. However, it is something that happens more often than we probably know. Given the time frame, it likely happened frequently in a family the size of Rose Bingham's. It was this sentence that caught my attention because of its similarity to an incident in my mother's family history.

When I picked up Buy the Little Ones a Dolly, I had no intention of giving up everything else I had on my to-do list. If I remember correctly, I carried it to the kitchen while I prepared our evening meal that day. Yes, it's that compelling.

Not only is Rose Bingham an exceptional writer, she tells a story of rising up at the age of 15 to the role of mother of six younger siblings, a role which takes courage, strength, faith, and a positive outlook. Rose tells her story with sincerity and authenticity. I continually found myself wanting to sit down and visit with Rose, and since I couldn't, the book was an excellent substitute for real-time conversation.

In addition to caring for her siblings, often in the absence of their father as well, Rose dreams of solving the mystery of her mother's disappearance and where she is. Occasional letters bear no return address. Rose is blessed with pluck and hope and eventually, the mystery is unraveled and revealed to her readers.

Be sure to keep tissues handy. They'll be useful.

[Ellen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This Wisconsin author writes of her family's struggle after her mother leaves the family, never to return, in the early 1950s. It's a heartbreaking story and demonstrates the impact some events have on us - forever. I do wish small presses had better editorial services - but the story is so compelling that I could not put it down. The author and her six siblings thrive in spite of the many challenges dealt to them and there is very little self pity in this story. The author states that she feels she was lucky that she was inherently non-judgemental towards her mother and that this allowed her to keep moving on. Healing is another matter though. There is some closure and the story packs a punch.

[Deborah W. Farris · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a redemptive story of the power of faith and love to overcome and is so needed at a time when domestic violence and abuse are at an all time high. I was both heartbroken and inspired by this powerful page-turner. Bingham is an author who takes her reader into the sights, sounds, and scents of her scenes and into depth of emotion and character. It is both heart-warming and tender as she reveals the strength of the human spirit, her own, to overcome life’s greatest griefs with compassion and grace. In this story, love wins (with the help of angels along the way.)

[Merl Banks · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was recommended to me by someone who is a friend of the author. It is a fascinating story, how could a mother leave her 7 children and how could they ever forgive her? The story just kind of sucks you in. It's a quick read and I really enjoyed it. I also attended a book signing with the author and found it so interesting to hear her talk about her childhood and how they all made it through.

[Margaret Ghielmetti · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rose Bingham brings us along through her life . . . and the heart-breaking mystery surrounding her mother's leaving. The narrator is an inspiration for her faith, determination, and devotion to family. The reader can't help but admire her for how she has persevered and brought so much positivity to those close to her, and farther afield. And how she embraces all that life has offered her!

[Jim Landwehr · Rating 4 out of 5]

A heart-wrenching memoir that leans into the many questions that come with sudden, tragic parental loss. Bingham takes readers into the mind of a young firstborn daughter who navigates her life from an orphanage to a proud mother of a large family. She is the glue that keeps her siblings together after being spread among foster families. Along the way she stumbles and sometimes falls but always gets back up, seemingly guided by human angels.

[Marguerite Czajka · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book! I have to admit that I have a personal interest in the story as Rose is my Dad's cousin. But apart from that, it's a interesting story of how a mother's disappearance affected her children, and the path to learning what happened.

[Carol · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating memoir about a young teenager, whose mother suddenly disappears in 1952, leaving 15-year-old Rose to care for her 6 younger siblings. Her fortitude and love kept her large family connected, even after they were forced to enter an orphanage and foster care.

[Shirley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good story but i was troubled by the author’s lack of anger at her mother....

[Michael Kofford · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful family tale following Rose and her siblings through the 1950's after a severe blow rocked their home unexpectedly. So much of this book was familiar as my parents were raised in the same stretch of history. The joy of receiving a letter, closeness with neighbors, or the importance of a small gift, all resonated with my experiences as a child. Since I grew up with one foot in the age of the typewriter, and the other in shadow of modern technology, I think younger readers might gain a broader perspective on what society and family were like in simpler times before the cultural challenges we face today were so prevalent. I enjoyed following the family through their life journey, increasing their closeness with each passing decade, until solving a long-held mystery that haunted Rose through each phase of her life. Not surprisingly, life experiences become remarkably potent when shared in the presence of family. A good read, and a great piece of history.

[Valerie Biel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rose Bingham pens this heart wrenching memoir of her life after her mother abandons their family in 1952. Rose is the 15-year-old big sister to six younger siblings. The youngest is only three. As you can imagine, much of the child-rearing duties and housework fall to her. We follow Rose and her family through their struggles and into adulthood.

What is so striking about this story is that it is true! This well-written account of her life is more engaging, intriguing, and heart-tugging than any fictional novel for the simple reason that Bingham persevered against odds that were certainly stacked against her. Bingham is clearly an excellent storyteller. Her writing precisely describes moments that must have been painful to relive, and yet she brings us into these private moments with grace and skill.

[Meg · Rating 5 out of 5]

The writing was, at times, uneven but this was a moving, captivating and vulnerable story that captured my heart.