None to Give Away

by Elsie Doig Townsend

Jim and Elsie Doig had confidently invested in a future together on a Montana ranch. Then in 1940 Jim was fatally injured, leaving Elsie a young widow without much experience of the world. Overnight she had to learn how to fend for herself and her five small children, including two sets of twins. Well-meaning relatives and friends advised her to put some of them up for adoption, but Elsie was determined not to separate the family. None to Give Away is the story of her struggle to support her brood while running a gas station and teaching school, to maintain a long home on Dry Creek, and turn rented quarters into a home, to cope alone with all the minor catastrophes incidental to raising children. And to do it all without neglecting her own needs. The narrator's humor cuts to the heart of things and her honesty permits her to realize at moments that it is harder to live than to die.

Genres: Nonfiction

222 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1970

Reviews

[Bess Bergey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this gem of a book tucked away on our basement bookshelves. I don't know what led me to pull it off the shelf, but I found it well worth my time! The depth of God's grace is strongly evidenced throughout the book despite extremely hard circumstances. Elsie's perspective on life and heart for her children and those around her inspired me. I was also reminded through this story of how powerful a seemingly insignificant act of kindness can be.

[MaryJo Dawson · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a heart-warming true story. As the old adage goes, 'they just don't make 'em like this anymore', in this case fitting the definition of a pioneer woman. And Elsie was just that, although this story begins in 1940, not 1874. Elsie had an education and experience in teaching, good health, a supportive family and friends, and a lot of common sene coupled with practical skills. And that is how she not only survived but provided a life worth living for herself and her five very young children when her husband dies in a tragic accident after only five years of marriage. In the days before fertility treatments Elsie has two sets of twins, the youngest infants when she is left a widow. She has the opportunity to allow other loving people to raise some of her children, but simply cannot part with them.
Elsie also has her faith, and when the lonely nights and huge obstacles come her way in the harsh Montana climate, she uses every tool at her disposal to make ends meet and make her five precious little ones feel safe and loved.
The reader walks with Elsie through six years of widowhood, feeling her confusion and pain, but also her resilience and her sense of humor. I finished this book feeling inspired.

*** This is a re-read for me, over 6 years after I read it before. And I loved it just as much this time around.

[Kellie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Little story here - We were at our local Burger King and had a conversation with a veteran eating his lunch. He told me a little about the war and different things then said, "Maybe you've read my wife's book?" and told me about this book. He told me, "I come in at the last chapter :)" I reserved it through our library and had forgotten about it for weeks until they called and said I had a hold - so here it was. I LOVED this book - Mrs. Doig's husband was thrown off a horse and killed on their cattle ranch. She had 1 daughter and 2 sets of twins (the youngest set 3 months old) at the time of the accident. Her story is remarkable, amazing and at times heart wrenching as you see what she went through to support her little family and cope with the crises that continued coming her way. It was very uplifting to me and gave me a shot in the arm to keep going and that the Lord is always with us in life's inevitable up's and down's.

[Mary Etta · Rating 3 out of 5]

I took a writing class from this author in Bozeman. She helped me get started writing my life history. I wrote the intro in her class. She was the aunt of Ivan Doig. This is her bio. She was inspiring.

[Meg Robertson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well this is an interesting book as the title talks about her dilemma of having to give away her children after the sudden death of her husband. Ultimately she never really had to make that choice as she had a career, she could fall back on to earn a living and care for her 5 small children. With help from family and friends she, was able to manage the farm until she began her teaching career again. She was a remarkable woman, being organized enough to juggle many balls in the air. I didn’t like the vibe at hat came across about adoption later in the book. This book highlights the need for women to be able to have an education and independently support themselves and their children.

[Trish Boese · Rating 4 out of 5]

4* Elsie is one amazing mother! Married to a Montana cattle rancher, she had 5 babies in less than 4 years (two sets of twins!). Then when her husband died, she struggled alone to provide for them all. Part pioneer story, part memoir, part parenting-survival-tale, Elsie's story was inspirational. She is a strong woman whom I found easy to admire.

[Sharon Zink · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not exciting, but engaging. The story of a single mom who teaches school for a living in the '40's.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

this book is by my aunt and I learned a lot about her and my cousins from this book. My mother is in it too. When my aunt’s husband Jim Doig died because his horse stumbled and he couldn't get his feet out of the stirrups in time because his boots were being repaired Jim suffered a fatal skull fracture. My Aunt Elsie was left with 5 children, the oldest barely 5 (two sets of twins- 2 years and 6 months). This story is how she kept the family together in spite of the struggle to support herself and her family. One of her brothers offered to adopt the youngest girl- this is where the title comes from as she decided not to do that.

[Greg Western · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very good memoir of life in Montana before and during WW2. The author is an amazing person who lost her husband to an accident soon after their 5th child was born. She is an example of overcoming adversity, and making things work. She is a normal person made heroic by circumstance. It is a really good book.

[Danielle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Someone gave me this book to read after my husband passed away. It took a few weeks until I even opened it. It was interesting, though, to read how another woman with small children handled different situations as a single mom. Granted times were different and so were circumstances but the feelings were much the same.

[Guna · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book chronicles Elsie's first marriage, her husband's death, then her struggles to care for her five small children. Townsend is an extremely engaging writer, and injects a lot of humor into this memoir. It is one of the best I've read in the genre.

[Cws]

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