My sister chose this book for me to read, and boy am I glad she did! The Diary of an Early American Boy, written by Eric Sloane, is so unique, and makes a delightful, easy read for both children and adults. With numerous illustrations, it’s not a huge commitment for busy people 😉
The book is based on the real diary of Noah Blake, who turned 15 years old in 1805. Need perspective? Blake mentions a day of remembrance for General George Washington, who died only 6 years prior.
Throughout the book, Sloane quotes directly from the diary. In-between those excerpts, he fills in the story with conversations and elaborations. He explains all the terms and activities Noah writes about that we might not understand as 21st century readers.
A talented artist, Sloane illustrated the entire diary. The pictures make unfamiliar tools and processes understandable, and I was able to really appreciate the work that was described because of it.
I loved finding out the origins of terms and customs. For example, Sloane notes that in the word “plumb” meant “lead,” and so men who worked with lead were called “plumbers.” At first, water pipes were made from lead, so plumbers worked on them, and the name stuck (pg. 74).
I also enjoyed noticing things in my life similar to what I was reading about. At one point, Noah writes that he helped with stump-pulling. Sloane explains that oftentimes the stump’s root balls were pulled into a line to serve as a fence (pg. 29). Just down the street from me, there is a house sporting a rough fence made up of logs and root balls propped up on their sides.
Seeing the author’s commentary on the present day (already from over 50 years ago!) was thought-provoking. Sloane interjects that we’ve lost knowledge of the moon and weather because it’s no longer necessary. He encourages every child in America to plant an apple tree. And he says that being disconnected from making the things in our life easily leads to unawareness of the wonders of life, (pg. 40). This made me immediately think of my post on Cræft, which is a whole book devoted to practically the same subject!
Book Review: Cræft
What if society is losing something? Irrevocably discarding innately satisfying skills that have sustained us for millennia? What are we missing in our commercialized culture? Lately I have been craving a way to make “creating” a regular part of my life.
I only have a couple criticisms. 1. Sloane never gave the name of the town Noah Blake lived in! (just my own curiosity), and 2. He simplified Noah and Rachel a bit much in my opinion. It was probably in order to give answers to their questions, but Noah seemed to be portrayed as too childish for a 15 year old with a love interest.
However, those hardly detract from the whole of this wonderful book. The Diary gives a great picture of what tools, projects and relationships were like in 1805 farm life. It’s a very personal account that shows how people – just like us – lived in totally different circumstances over 200 years ago. And it gives us pause that not everything is better now – we could still stand to learn things from those in the past.
Home – Friends of the Eric Sloane Museum
The Eric Sloane Museum was created through a partnership between the Stanley Tool Works, the State of Connecticut, and author and artist Eric Sloane (1905-1985). The museum was completed in 1969 and houses Eric’s extensive collection of early American hand tools and a re-creation of his studio.
This interesting video about Eric Sloane is featured on the Friends of the Eric Sloane Museum’s website. (Skip to :30)
Eric Sloane Museum // Connecticut’s Cultural Treasures
Connecticut’s Cultural Treasures is a new series of 50 five-minute vignettes that profiles a variety of the state’s most notable cultural resources. Connecti…
Hi I was given this book 33 years ago and read it to my daughter every night until she was 7 , and my son until he was 8, they are both 36, 25, and they still remember the Connecticut boy on the farm , even now . As a carpenter and restorer I also have used it in my work over the years ,thank you Eric . (From Wales)