Synopses & Reviews
The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio introduces Evelyn Ryan, an enterprising woman who kept poverty at bay with wit, poetry, and perfect prose during the "contest era" of the 1950s and 1960s. Standing up to the church, her alcoholic husband, and antiquated ideas about women, Evelyn turned every financial challenge into an opportunity for innovation, all the while raising her six sons and four daughters with the belief that miracles are an everyday occurrence. The inspiration for a major motion picture, Evelyn Ryan's story is told by her daughter Terry with an infectious joy that shows how a winning spirit and sense of humor can triumph over adversity every time.
Review
"Nabs first prize in the memoir genre."
-- People (Book of the Week)
Review
"Nabs first prize in the memoir genre."
-- People (Book of the Week)
Review
"A good-natured memoir as compelling as a commercial jingle."
-- O, The Oprah Magazine
About the Author
Terry Ryan, the sixth of Evelyn Ryan's ten children, is the writing half of T. O. Sylvester, a long-running cartoon in the
San Francisco Chronicle. The author of two books of poetry, she lives in San Francisco and can be reached at www.theprizewinner.com.
Table of Contents
Contents Foreword by Suze Orman
Part One
1. The Contester
2. Rhyme Does Pay
3. Supermarket Spree
Part Two
4. The Sleeping Giant
5. Father of the Year
6. Too Damned Happy
7. Defiance
8. Tickle Hills
Part Three
9. Poet Laureate
10. Giant Steps
11. Name That Sandwich
Part Four
12. The Affadaisies
13. Round Robin
14. Going, Going, Gone
Part Five
15. Hell and High Water
16. Mrs. Etchie
17. Such a Thing as Destiny
Part Six
18. Rock Bottom
19. Her Weight in Gold
Epilogue: A Truckload of Birds
Afterword by Betsy Ryan