This is an absolutely wonderful book! Having grown up in a small town in Minnesota and having raised a wonderful daughter and son in a major metropolitan area, I can say that those small town memories and experiences clearly made me a better mother, instilling in my own children the small town values and experiences. Another of Toth's books recalls her experiences leaving the small town for an Ivy League college -- an often tough transition.
Slumber parties, swimming pools, boyfriends, lakeside summers, family holidays-Susan Allen Toth has acpture it all in this delightful account of growing up in Ames, Iowa, in the 1950's. Charming, wise, funny, poignant, and true, Blooming celebrates an innocent and very American way of life.