Started: March 18
Finished: March 19
Notes: I've mentioned before I have a fondness for unusual, forgotten books, publications that either were never popular in the first place, maybe weren't meant for a broader audience, or simply have vanished from the public's mind over the years. Usually I find such publications in e-book form, as Amazon and plenty of other places online have tons of them, but in this case, I have the actual hardback book. A friend of mine who works for a childrens' home showed me this book a while back, informing me a number of them had been discovered in the home's attic. This is the early history of that home, back then called an orphanage (though that term seems to be out of favor in most places today). I asked to borrow one of the books, and now that I have it I can delve into a little piece of history in one small corner of North Carolina. I'd like to add that the author was superintendent of the home when he wrote this book and had it published by the home's Board of Managers.
Mini review: Some of this was boring, like the long lists of donors and children and staff, etc. But some of it was quite interesting, mainly the parts about the early days of the orphans' home, how certain individuals worked to gather funds, construct buildings, purchase property, and of course, help the children. Some of it was even a little humorous. My favorite line in the whole book was, "Our children are happy whether they realize it or not." Oh, how child rearing has changed over the decades.
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