In June of 1943, due to an acute labor shortage caused by the evacuation of all Japanese from the area, as well as many domestic workers preferring war work to house work, Mrs. Mumson is forced to hire a young schoolgirl named Eileen as a maid and cook for the summer. Through one crisis after another--some more comic than tragic--the people who live in the house manage to pull together and become a kind of family. In the center of it all is Eileen, narrating their stories which she is able to observe from her unique vantage point behind the swinging kitchen door that never quite closes on its rusty hinges.
About the Author
Evelyn Eileen Smith resides in the San Francisco Bay area and is an award-winning playwright of more than a dozen plays. The debut novel, Boardinghouse Stew was inspired by her own real-life experiences working in a boardinghouse during World War II. Times Like These is based on more real-life adventures through the end of WW II, six years of peace, and the beginning of the Korean War.
My Take on the Book
This was a poignant true story that will take you as a reader back in time to get a glimpse of the past. The author does a tremendous job at developing the story and creating a vivid world in which you as a ready can see yourself. The book uses rich description and dialogue to move the story along and you can seemingly hear the sounds, see the sights and back in the olfactory smells of the day. Beyond this though, this book also gets into deeper topics of fear, hatred and ignorance to mention only a few and the reader will gain a much better understanding of the intolerance that existed in the time of this book. Well written and engaging, you will not want to put this book down!
All opinions expressed in this review are my own and not influenced in any way by the company. Any product claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer or provider. Please refer to this site's Disclaimer for more information. I have been compensated or given a product free of charge, but that does not impact my views or opinions.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
New to the Divadom or to Dad of Divas Reviews?
Please Subscribe to my RSS Feed! Subscribe in a reader
Questions?Drop me a line at dadofdivas@gmail.com
No comments:
Post a Comment