Following her well-received Stories from the Round Barn
(1997), Jackson has compiled dozens more tales about her family's dairy farm in Beloit, Wis., and, she says, "the stories here do not exhaust the supply." These earnest sketches capture the sounds and rhythms of early and mid-20th-century rural life, with chapters on judging cows, cornhusking contests, taming horses and various other chores and pleasures to be found around the Dougan family farm. It's not strictly organized either chronologically or thematically, so readers can dip in and out with ease. "The Split in the Silo" describes the family's efforts to repair a dangerous crack in the just-filled silo that rises from the center of the eponymous barn. This chapter sits alongside the story of a wayward and destructive goat named Butter who refuses to stay in her pen. The next chapter, "Dan Goldsmith," recalls an exceptional herdsman who always played classical music, whistled Bach cantatas and listened to educational radio while milking the cows. Jackson is a children's author and it shows throughout the narrative: she offers very short chapters, simple sentence construction, present-tense narration and plenty of simple dialogue. Nearly every story reflects a child's point of view—the author's own—and though the book is not marketed for young adults, it certainly has their interests at heart. Quaint, warm and sincere, this collection of sketches and anecdotes offers a nostalgic record of a dying institution—the family-run farm. b&w photos. (July)
Forecast:According to the publisher,
Stories from the Round Barn sold more than 4,000 copies—this should do as well.
