My Great Grandmothers

Drawn from genealogical records, newspapers, and diaries, My Great-Grandmothers describes the human, political, and cultural history of four ordinary women, not the sort of women to have a book written about them - until now. Cora married her first cousin in Gravel Hill, Tennessee; Texanna spent her brief life in Texas; Kate, of Alsace-Lorraine descent, married a dreamer; and Minnie Wohlfeil Hemsworth Olds, arrested for bootlegging in Oregon. Although poor, overworked, and undereducated, these sensible, conventional women lived lives shaped by grit, determination, and quiet strength. They worked hard, attended church, lived frugally, and were wary of public displays of emotion. They cared for their families and never betrayed them to outsiders. Their stories are nuanced tales of resilience, hope, and adaptability.