I finished reading Augusta quite a while ago, but held off writing a review because I didn't know how to express my thoughts. Today I came across an expression in NY Times book review that pointed me in the right direction. You see, I enjoyed this book, but there was something about it that I did not enjoy. The expression I happened upon today is " . . . although narratively clumsy . . ." What I realized is that Augusta is a very interesting story told, not clumsily, but simplistically, which does not do justice to its subject. Regardless of the lack of depth in the telling, it was immensely readable and compelling enough that I wanted to keep going, and am happy that I did. ( )

Augusta is a fictionalized version of the author's grandmother's life, focused on her early teens through probably about her 40's, as she moved from Arkansas to Detroit in the early 1900's. Augusta had a difficult life, with challenges that would break many people, including being forced to marry her friend's father at just 13 years old. Her resilience shines through, and it's obvious her granddaughter respected and admired her, as she tries to imagine what her life was like. As a genealogy buff, I found it interesting, and enjoyed the afterword, though I did wonder if the author made any attempts to research the facts since she admitted many of the family stories are contradictory, and if so, what she found. A quick read. I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review from the Early Reviewers program. ( )

Historical fiction based on the grandmother's life. Poor thing had to marry a much older widower when she was 13, fortunately one of his kids was her best friend. How awkward is that? They were 'happy' for a little while then things got tough, he lost his farm and couldn't find work to support the family. He packed everybody up and moved them to Detroit. Traded one hell for another. The rest as they say is history.

The thing that really bugged me about this, I know it happened frequently is this CHILD was forced to marry a grown man with children, even her parents pushed her into it. No one seemed to find anything wrong with this... ( )

Augusta is a historical fiction novel based on the life of the author's grandmother. Her grandmother was a tenacious women who faced hardships during in her life in the early part of the twentieth century. The author's love of her grandmother and her family in general shines through in every page. It's a short book but leaves the reader with respect for Augusta and the life she lived.

August was born in the Ozarks in the early part of the century. She and her family worked on a farm and she was thrilled that she was able to stay in school long enough to graduate from the 8th grade. Her brothers all had to drop out of school much younger so that they could work on the farm. Not only did Augusta get to graduate but she also got her first store bought dress for the graduation ceremony. Soon after, her best friend's mother died and Augusta's parents decided that she should marry her best friend's father even though she was only 13. She made the best of her life and had several children before their farm went bankrupt and her husband decided that they should move north to Detroit where he knew that he could get a factory job. It didn't take long before he left Augusta with 2 small children to marry another woman. She went to work as a waitress and met another man who loved her and her children. They got married and had 2 more children. When he started drinking and then just disappeared she had to make some heart wrenching decisions to take care of her family and keep them fed and protected. No matter how difficult the decisions she had to make were, they were always done to help her family.

Take a bit of time and read this story. It will leave you with admiration for this woman who had such hardship in her life and how hard she worked to provide a better life for her family. ( )

Celia Ryker has written a historical fiction account of the hardscrabble life of her grandmother Augusta, which is also the title of the novel. Augusta Young grew up in Arkansas and was married at about age 13 to a widowed neighbor over twice her age, giving birth to her first child at age 15. Ultimately they wind up in Detroit, Michigan, and Augusta's first husband abandons her. She remarries and is abandoned once again. Augusta deals with a lot of tough challenges and choices to survive as a single mother of four.

Augusta died when Celia was six, so some of the story is based on "second- and third-hand information," according to the author's note at the end of the book. Indeed, a quick search at Ancestry dot com brought up some contradictions to the story. However, the strength of the book lies in its portrayal of everyday life, in the Ozarks around 1910 and in Detroit in the 1920s and 1930s. For example, in chapter 18, Augusta learns how to use the "Easy Washer" washing machine in the basement of the home her second husband has rented, and the description is detailed and fascinating. ( )