Description
Book SynopsisWhat was it like growing up in the Great Depression, and how did America's youngest citizens contribute to the history of that fateful decade? In The Greatest Generation Grows Up, Kriste Lindenmeyer shows that the experiences of depression-era children help us understand the course of the 1930s as well as the history of American childhood. For the first time, she notes, federal policy extended childhood dependence through the teen years while cultural changes reinforced this ideal of modern childhood. Grade-based grammar schools and high schools expanded rapidly, strengthening age-based distinctions among children and segregating them further from the world of adults. Radio broadcasters, filmmakers, and manufacturers began to market their products directly to children and teens, powerfully linking consumerism and modern childhood. In all, the thirties experience worked to confer greater identity on American children, and Ms. Lindenmeyer's story provides essential background for understanding the legacy of those men and women whom Tom Brokaw has called "America's greatest generation." While many children suffered terribly during these years—and are remembered vividly in the Farm Security Administration's stunning photographs of the era—Ms. Lindenmeyer argues that an exclusive focus on those who were ill-housed, ill-fed, and ill-clothed neglects the contributions and widely varied experiences of American youngsters. The decade's important changes touched the lives of all children and teenagers. By 1940, the image of an idyllic modern childhood had been strengthened in law and confirmed in culture by the depression years. With 21 black-and-white illustrations.
Trade ReviewA heartening account of a tragic time. -- Tom Starnes * Delaware News Journal *
Clear and concise. * CHOICE *
Vividly told. . . . An eye opener. -- Dennie Hall * Oklahoman *
A remarkably compelling and enlightening account. . . . The children's experience's were distinguished from each other . . . as Lindenmeyer beautifully demonstrates. -- Julia Grant * Journal of American History *
[This book] covers a broad range of experiences. . . . It features highly accessible writing [and] vivid illustrations. -- David Macleod * H-Net: Humanities and Social Science Reviews Online *
Lindenmeyer has written a highly readable, entertaining, and very useful volume. -- Pamela Riney-Kehrberg, Iowa State University * The Annals Of Iowa *
Kriste Lindenmeyer's lucid prose and lively narrative chronicles the history of childhood and children during the Great Depression in this handsomely printed volume with crisp photographic images and an original argument. * Journal of Southern History *
Tightly focused. . . . Lindenmeyer's resourcefulness in this respect makes this book compelling and persuasive. -- Stephen Lassonde * Journal of Social History *
Thought-provoking. -- George Cohen * Booklist *
A splendid little book! An amazing amount of information . . . masterful synthesis . . . no student of children and youth and the 1930s can afford to be without it. -- Joe Hawes, University of Memphis
Combining lucid prose with telling anecdotes and compelling analysis, Kriste Lindenmeyer explains why the 1930s was a crucial watershed in the history of childhood. A fascinating and insightful book. -- Steven Mintz, University of Houston
Kriste Lindenmeyer, one of our most perceptive historians of childhood, acutely dissects the conceptions and misconceptions that have grown up about them. Our picture of them and their times will never be quite the same again. -- Roger Daniels, University of Cincinnati
She revises our understanding . . . and reminds us of the value—and the complications—of generational histories. -- Harvey J. Graff, Ohio State University
Entertaining as well as thought-provoking. This book will be useful not only to scholars, but also to all who wish to understand the grass-roots impact of the Depression and New Deal on American families—an impact that reverberates through the generations to the present day. -- Jeanette Keith, Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania
Anyone studying children’s rights or the concept of American childhood will want to make [Lindenmeyer's book] a part of their reading. * Midwest Book Review *
