A GOOD HERITAGE by Allen Hern reviewed by Elma Schemenauer

Allen Hern's account of his parents' lives resonates with me. His mother, Mabel Rowan, taught in a one-room school near Tuxford, Saskatchewan during World War I. I grew up near Elbow, Saskatchewan, about 100 kilometers (60 miles) from Tuxford.

 

Allen's father, Lewis Hern, had a finger accidentally amputated while sawing wood. So did my dad.

 

Christian faith was important to the Herns though their experiences and viewpoints were different. She was evangelical and he was United Church. Faith was also important to my parents, who had a Mennonite heritage.

 

The Herns farmed near Thessalon, Ontario, about 90 kilometers (55 miles) from Sault Ste Marie. My family's life on the Saskatchewan prairie was different, but also similar in many ways. I enjoyed the author's description of sausage making, butter churning, haying, and talking on a telephone party line—all familiar to me from my earliest years.

 

Allen Hern writes well. He portrays people in an honest, even-handed, kindly way. He presents historical events, geographical locations, and social interactions in an authentic and interesting manner. A GOOD HERITAGE is a good read. I recommend it.