Amish Moving Day.
New York: Thomas Y. Crowell, 1943, 1st, nap; grey cloth boards with large stamped drawing in dark red of Martha and her mother riding in the buggy, endpapers with a landscape picture of the family driving to their new land; many illustrations, full page and in text, some in dark red, yellow and pale blue; all around illustrated jacket in the same colours, with the family packing to move; 8.75x9.5. Juvenile hardback.
An engaging book about a little Amish girl living in the late 30's who is happy in her family and community. Descriptions of the life of the Plain People: farming and preserving methods, community barnraising, and cooking, decision making, beliefs, and language are all worked into this simple story very naturally, most of the book describing Martha's life before the move from Lancaster, Pennsylvania to a new colony in Maryland. The author grew up in Lancaster County, taught in Amish schools, and later studied the Amish in Ontario where her father was the American consul. Her other expertise, the history of fine lacemaking, also shows "a respect for people who do things slowly and thoroughly." Charming, detailed Lenski-like but rounder illustrations by an artist who has read the book carefully.
CONDITION: Very Good Plus in Very Good Plus jacket; no names or other marks, book is straight, clean, very tight, rarely opened; with foxing in the spine gutter, along top and on endpaper gutters, jacket bright and crisp with 1/16" wear at spine ends; unclipped 2.00. Item #22117
$220