Title: Stevens Farm
Author: Cindy Stevens
Publisher: LeapWrite Literary
ISBN: 979-8893760637
Pages: 192
Genre: Memoir / Short Story Collection
Reviewer: Gabriella Harrison
Hollywood Book Reviews
Author Cindy Stevens shares stories from her colorful formative years in the relatable Stevens Farm, a memoir, which is a collection of short stories.
Cindy Stevens, grew up on a farm in New England with her parents and grandparents. Through a short collection of stories from her childhood, she takes readers on an adventurous journey. Stevens Farm is easily one of those books that’s easy to enjoy and fall in love with. The author narrates with a warm, welcoming voice that adequately captures nostalgic feelings. Readers unfamiliar with what it is like to grow up on a farm or who are generally unaware of what being a child in the late 1940s and 50s was like will find this book insightful. The author writes coherently, carrying readers along from start to finish.
The book is divided into twelve sections. Each section is titled after a month of the year. Each chapter is short and to the point. The engaging prose evidences the smooth writing style of the author, which also makes it easy to get absorbed in the stories which the author shares with a heartwarming fondness for the past. In this book of under two hundred pages, the author introduces various characters who played an important role in her life, crafting words that humanize them. Although sparse, there are also a few black-and-white sketches with detailed shading and tinting.
It is impossible to read this book and not be reminded of how life was during childhood. The author does a great job of recalling information, even the names of shows and some events which occurred while she was a child. Anyone who enjoys reading memoirs and books that promote nostalgic feelings will enjoy this book. During the stories, the author frequently compares when she was born and raised with the present times. While doing this, she also captures how various authority figures in her life would react to the stark changes in the present society. For instance, she talks about how, in those days, doctors paid home visits to people, and these sick people didn’t have to travel while burdened by their illnesses. Including possible reactions that her grandmother would express if she were still alive adds a humorous quality to the narration. It is a wholesome novel which captures the warmth of growing up surrounded by family.
Stevens Farm by Cindy Stevens is a nostalgic memoir which shares heartwarming memories that the author created while growing up on a farm, and encourages readers to also take a walk down memory lane.