| Article number: | BK-HEA-CS |
"One night I put on my coat and boots and sneaked out to the barn when Mom was in her bedroom. When I walked inside, the air was hotter than usual, no doubt as a result of the cows' fever. The cows were lowing, and most of them had strings of long silvery mucous flowing from their nostrils. One cow was down on her fron tknees, and Dad was shoving an enormous white pill down her throat with long tongs that the vet had brought. Even at my young age, I was stunned at the sight. When Dad saw me, he said, "You better not come to the barn for a while, McGee." President Roosevelt at the beginning of World War II said that 31 percent of 35 million dwelling units did not have running water, 32 percent had no indoor toilet, 39 percent lacked a bathtub or shower, and 58 percent had no central heating. (No Ordinary Time) The author grew up in one of those households. Sometimes funny, sometimes tragic, the author describes a childhood on a small farm and in a one-room school in northern Wisconsin, as well as a journey to escape poverty. Her life as a young wife and mother and eventual career as a teacher depict a yearning for education and a better life.
