Title: The Youth of My Years
Author: Alice Tipton
Publisher: Kravitz and Sons
ISBN: 979-8-89639-261-3
Genre: Memoir / Non-fiction / History
Reviewer: Margie Przybylski
Hollywood Book Reviews
Author Alice Tipton’s lovely memoir The Youth of My Years tells the history of her family’s journey to the United States from Sweden. Tipton grew up on a farm in a small settler’s town in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan called Foster City. What stands out the most in her book is her and her family’s commitment to their Christian faith, and living a life intended to be pleasing to the Lord.
Rich in historical context, Tipton’s work serves as an accurate first-person account of the early history of settlers in the Upper Peninsula. She describes various changes faced by the small town as the technology of the Industrial Revolution emerged. She tells of the town’s heroes – the teachers, the nurses and the other hard-working farmers and lumber jacks. In these small-town families relied on one another to be successful, and they all worked hard to grow and make it through winter each and every year. They faced their share of hardship but with prayer, faith and hard work, things seemed to turn out all right.
Tipton’s writing style has a beautiful innocent tone – as if you are listening to grandma tell tales of her childhood. Tipton’s stories are full of lessons, history and even Biblical truth that so many people are unaware of today. The book is a refreshing glance into a simpler time which can be enjoyed by adventurous early readers and history buffs alike. Anyone fond of Kirsten the American Girl Doll will thoroughly enjoy Tipton’s work, since she dives deep into her own Swedish roots and history. Tipton’s family adventure closely mirrors that of the pop culture icon, and she is able to provide an in-depth personal account of what it was like to be the daughter of a Swedish immigrant.
This light yet entertaining read is difficult to put down, and it’s possible to finish in a matter of days. I felt like a young girl reading with my doll again with Tipton adding a personal Christian lens to Swedish-American history. The Youth of My Years gives a true historical account and serves to educate others on the hardships faced by immigrants, farmers and settlers. Their hard work made this country what it is today – something many of us unfortunately take for granted. While Tipton grew up in a simpler time her family and community worked hard to make Foster City a place of industry and prosperity. They were able to do so with a strong commitment to each other, as well as to their faith. Tipton achieved an admirable feat of writing down her family’s personal history in a way that many can enjoy and learn from.