Growing Up in the Great Depression

Author Delores Mixer was ten years old when her father came home one day and announced he’d lost his job. It had taken a few years since the stock market crash of October 29, 1929, before the Great Depression came to Saint Paul, Minnesota. In this collection of uplifting short stories, Delores describes the period when her family lived in a house on Glendale Street, in the Midway District, as the “We Can Make It” time, as they go on to face the challenges of trying times together. A testament to the all-American optimism and “can-do” spirit our country was built upon, Growing Up in the Great Depression shows what is possible when a family pulls together, engages their resourcefulness to support themselves—even having some fun along the way. Original poems, both haiku and free verse, as well as lyrics to several popular songs from the era are included to help convey the sentiments of the day. While providing intriguing historical context, this book is all about ingenuity and enjoying life’s simple pleasures, such as a little red wagon—which, as the lapel pin worn by Colin Powell symbolizes, can carry a child’s dreams.