How it Was: A Humorous Look at Catholic Parenting in the 1950s

by Mary Wilson, Elsie Jennings (Contributor), George Smith (Contributor)

Before 9/11... Before President's sex lives were talked about on the 6 pm news...

Before the sexual and feminist revolutions...

Way, way before Political Correctness...

There was a simpler time...a time when large families were not unusual...a time when everyone read "The Smith Family" cartoon in the Boston Globe (and other newspapers across the country).

In the mid 1950s, Elsie Jennings, writer, and George Smith, cartoonist, were collaborating on a book with her stories and his drawings. Elsie's stories, like George's cartoons, found humor in the everyday occurrences of large-family life. Elsie became quite ill and died before finishing the project, but her daughter, Mary, has kept the material for over 50 years. If you remember "Duck and Cover" Nuns with yardsticks used as weapons on knuckles and knees If you grew up Catholic in the 1950s or early 1960s, or if you know someone who did If you've seen the play "Late Nite Catechism" and it brought you back to your own parochial school days, and you laughed so hard you had a stomachache for days... If you remember "How It Was."..

84 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 2009

About the author

Mary Wilson was best known as a founding member and longest member of the Supremes. Wilson remained with the group following the departures of other original members, Florence Ballard and Diana Ross. Following Wilson's own departure in 1977, the group disbanded. Wilson has since released three solo albums, five singles and two best-selling autobiographies, Dreamgirl: My Life As a Supreme, a record setter for sales in its genre, and Supreme Faith: Someday We'll Be Together; both books later were released as an updated combination

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