Book Review: The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio

January 1, 2007


Subtitled "How My Mother Raised 10 Kids on 25 Words or Less," this book by Terry Ryan tells the story of how Evelyn Ryan kept her family from pure poverty by submitting advertising jingles and winning contests back in the 40s and 50s. The father of the family spent the majority of their small income on drinking, while the Mom cheerfully and determinedly kept the family afloat, winning everything from ice crushers to thousand-dollar grand prizes. This was a fascinating look into the bygone world of contests and a family that survived by one woman's great creativity.