The
BookLife
review of my memoir,
SETTLEMENT HOUSE GIRL: Growing Up in the
1950s at North East Neighborhood House, Minneapolis, Minnesota, has
just come in and is everything I hoped for—selected details illustrating the
scope and focus of the book, an overview of its place in history, and the
recognition that the book is more than just a family document, that it has a wider
audience. The reviewer writes:
Settlement House Girl is engaging, tracing Arnold’s growth from a young girl to
an adult journeying into being a writer in her later life, but it’s also a
valuable contribution to the social history of 20th-century America, offering
urban history enthusiasts a wealth of information about the daily lives of
families living in mid-century cities.
The
full review is below. BookLife is the
review service of Publishers Weekly. The review of SETTLEMENT HOUSE GIRL is now available online. It will also be
included in the print copy of the July 8, 2024 issue of Publishers Weekly. If you subscribe, be sure to look for it.
Many
thanks to the BookLife reviewer for the
perceptive comments about my book. I hope that they will help SETTLEMENT HOUSE GIRL reach a wider
audience.
Arnold tells the compelling story of a 1950s
childhood spent in the North East Neighborhood House (NENH) in Minneapolis,
Minnesota. Offering vital services like “child care, job training, medical and
dental care,” and classes in English and citizenship, settlement houses, Arnold
notes, emerged during the late 19th and early 20th centuries to help recent
immigrants transition to American life. Arnold’s social-worker family moved to
the NENH in 1948 when her father became its director. Through vivid
recollections and much clarifying historical context, the author paints a
picture of life among a diverse community. Her memories range from being a
flower girl at a neighbor’s wedding, taking her first train ride, making prank
phone calls with friends, to first trying that “exotic foreign food,” pizza.
Arnold’s detailed descriptions of NENH life include charming anecdotes, such as
going skating with friends in winter, only to later realize that the sweet
liquid given to them by a friend’s grandmother to keep them warm was actually
brandy. Arnold also pens a touching paean to her stamp collection, and she
fondly recalls her summers at Camp Bovey—a northern Wisconsin escape for NENH
children—where she progressed from camper to kitchen aide, crafts counselor,
and finally cabin counselor. Moreover, her transition from living in a
settlement house to moving to her family’s own house offers insight into how
challenging it is for children to uproot themselves from a community and start
again.
Settlement House Girl is
engaging, tracing Arnold’s growth from a young girl to an adult journeying into
being a writer in her later life, but it’s also a valuable contribution to the
social history of 20th-century America, offering urban history enthusiasts a
wealth of information about the daily lives of families living in mid-century
cities. The detailed accounts of Arnold's experiences provide a unique glimpse
into the fabric of community life during this era, highlighting the
interactions and shared experiences that defined the settlement house
environment.
Takeaway: Touching, informative account of life in
a Minneapolis settlement house in the 1950s.
Comparable Titles: Ellen
Snyder-Grenier's The House on Henry Street, Jane Addams’s Twenty Years at Hull House.
Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: A-
Illustrations: A
Editing: A-
Marketing copy: A-
[Note: North East Neighborhood House (NENH) became East Side Neighborhood Services (ESNS) in 1963.]
