Most of you are familiar with our friend, Sharon, who comments here regularly. You have probably read her posts (lovingly referred to as MBOB) at Conservative Treehouse on Sunday mornings in past years.
You may even know that Sharon wrote a book (see cover above), and thought to yourself that it might be something you would like to read, but never got around to purchasing a copy.
If you are such a person, now is your time! Mailboxes and Old Barns is now available in the Kindle edition for just $3.99. Full disclosure: This may not be a new development – just new to me. MBOB is now available in hard cover, paperback, AND Kindle!
If you aren’t familiar with Sharon’s writings, here is my review of the book, written at Amazon at the time it was published:
If I had the talent, I would write a book just like this one – to pass on the experience of what is was like when I was growing up, what my parents and grandparents, neighbors, and friends were like, and how it felt and looked and smelled, too.
Sharon Torgerson has that talent. You will be enchanted by the stories about a child growing up on a farm in rural Montana; what it was like to haul water from the only well in their area to the cisterns on the farm, searching for a lost cow, playing a march on the piano at 5:00 am (just because!), what those printed flour sacks were really used for, traveling the country by car with her family on summer vacation.
There is the poignancy of the letters written by her father to her mother (his Rosebud) prior to their marriage in 1926, and the story of the Danish immigrants who came to Montana at the turn of the 20th century to farm, form communities, build churches, and become Americans.
Foremost, you will understand, a bit, what it is like to be a child and young woman growing up in the rural West, her place in the continuum of family and community. As we understand our past, we can better understand the present, and the future.
You won’t regret buying this book. Although it is her first published work, it is a gem!
If you are interested, here is the link:
ADD: Just found out that MBOB is also available on Nook for $2.99.
Barnes & Noble NOOK; Mailboxes and Old Barns
Also available on iBooks.
Stella's Place 
I have the book–it’s a good one!
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Me too!
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I remember “Mailpouch” ads on the old barns. That artwork would stand out today. How about those rectangular wooden sign posts that were about 50 yards apart with catchy phrases or riddles (?)every 100 miles or so! The Burma Shave ones. On trips of a few hundred miles or so, us kids would always ask “are we there yet” and dad would always comeback with something like count the cows on your side of the road, LOL! Those days are long gone, but oh the memories.
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There is only one Mailpouch barn side ad left (out of a dozen or so) on my ride to Indy every May.
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Get pictures for posterity!!! In ten years—— you’re welcome,LOL
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Time to re-read it. And order it as gifts for friends and family.
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Stella! Thank you for this kind post and your comments!
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You’re welcome! Maybe we can drum up some more business for you.
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My sons and I have had more than one chuckle together when I report to them that “one more royalty deposit” has been made into my checking account. I think the last one was for $1.79 or something like that!!! I keep telling them that the book is a very particular niche’ type….and any day now, it’s gonna break out!
I still enjoy thinking about the fact that, very often, those who read the MBOB stories at the Treehouse enjoyed sharing their own stories.
I have received a few personal notes from readers over the years–notes sent to the publisher which are then forwarded to me. The most touching one was from a woman who quietly explained (without going into much detail) what her growing up years had been like. She concluded by saying something along these lines: “My home and my childhood was not very nice. Nothing like the stories you tell at all. I would love to have those stories be my life, so I hope you don’t mind if, in some way, I adopt your stories as being my story.” That one about broke my heart……
In the last 10 (almost 11) years here at this 55+ 1500 home Seniors development, I have learned in getting acquainted with neighbors that many of them (now in their 70s and up) had really shattering experiences and lacks in their home life. “Life in the 50s” was sure a blessing for me, but I am more aware than I was that that “the 50s” were not good for everyone. Lots of hard things that many have lived through.
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Sure do miss your stories, old friend.
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