I am always keen to read about the lives of others so immediately bought this book when it came out, mainly because I am deeply envious of where Foster came from. For me a childhood spent on a farm on the Canadian prairie sounds idyllic. However, it is interesting to note that Foster says she had an amazing childhood, but didn’t appreciate it at the time, wanting to escape to the city. I imagine many of us felt that way as we grew up, with the grass always appearing greener somewhere else.
Anyway, Foster’s love for her large family is very apparent in these stories. Her mother was hard-working and passed on her wisdom while her father was a cowboy, and very much Foster’s hero. There is a wonderful chapter all about him and her love and pride in this man shines out with every word.
It is difficult for me, living in the rather tame (by comparison) UK, to imagine blizzards that would require the need to use a horse drawn sleigh but there is a rather fabulous story that includes both these things, which I loved.
This series of stories are wonderful and wide-ranging from humorous and heart-warming to terribly sad when tragedy strikes. I can heartily recommend them to anyone interested in rural life on the Canadian prairie at a time before indoor toilets and when the temperature could get to 40 below – yikes!
