Village Life in America (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9780788409790)

This is the diary of a young school-girl from Canandaigua, New York, beginning in 1852 and continuing until 1872. According to Margaret Sangster, who wrote the introduction in 1912, "Her Diary is a faithful record of impressions of that stormy time in which the nation underwent a baptism of fire. The realism of her paragraphs is unsurpassed." This is an exquisite look into the past. The author was ten years old when she began the diary; thus one gets a unique picture, both innocent and honest, of Northern life during the Civil War. The characters, though actual people, are like any found in classic literature. This is a rare opportunity and a wonderful observation of nineteenth century life; altogether a pleasant little book. An every-name index adds to the value of this work.