On the Shelf book review
Sue Blechl, Special to The Gazette
Saturday, August 16, 2008
“Ducks across the Moon: Life on Eighty Acres in the Flint Hills,” by Ken Ohm, Leathers Publishing, $16.95.
When a book of local interest crosses my desk, I always hope that it is well-written and interesting. I want to be able to recommend a title without any reservations. Today’s book fits the bill perfectly. “Ducks across the Moon” is a charming collection of reminiscences of growing up in Kansas and the Emporia area. Ken Ohm is a professor at Washburn University, where he teaches mathematics, astronomy, and education. He previously wrote “Spatzies and Brass BBs: Life in a One-Room Country School,” published in 2004. For a city slicker like me, rural life is somewhat a mystery. The chores and farming routines are unfamiliar, and farm equipment is a huge unknown. My understanding of living close to the land, with its animal and plant life, uncertain weather and other constraints, is minimal. So I learned a lot from Ohm’s compilation of stories about growing up during the 1930s and 40s. Readers who were raised on a farm will be tickled pink with the lovely vignettes told: stories of mischief and mishaps, tales of daring deeds and poignant moments. Each of the sixty short chapters is begun with a conversation followed by an anecdote from the author’s memory. The “snapshots” of life in Kansas are full of humor and wonder. I enjoyed reading each and every one.
Ohm spent part of his childhood in Lyon County, with Olpe and Emporia figuring into a number of tales. This certainly makes the book more interesting for area readers. Perhaps you were neighbors of Frank and Leona Ohm, Ken’s parents; perhaps you shared some of the book’s events and experiences. In any case, all readers will find common threads in the remembrances of family life, rural living, and growing up. In some stories the author makes a point about how different our lives are today. Growing up without electricity and indoor plumbing, with uncertain water resources, with minimal communication tools, and with relatively limited transportation and entertainment options, the senior citizens of today do have a unique perspective. They have lived in two worlds: one was simple and based on hard work on the land, and the other is based on technology, with a fast pace and less self-reliance. It’s important to appreciate both styles of living, and to respect the past and the present. I’m thankful to have read “Ducks across the Moon” and to relish both the unfamiliar and the shared human experiences described. I heartily recommend this book for just about everyone, but especially for those who want to experience or recall the past. The book would make a lovely read-aloud for families.
On the Shelf is written by staff and volunteers at the Emporia Public Library.