Books from Wild Goose Press
Edna
by James A. Franks
206 pp. Paper. ISBN 0-9657173-5-6.
$14.95 (Canada: $18.95)
This book is partly the story that Edna Gump might have written about herself. It is also the story she was too self-conscious to tell—that of a woman who began her life at the beginning of the 20th century in the American South and who pushed aside the expectations around her in a way that led her far from where she began. Edna was a rebel in the way that many women are; her seditious acts were personal, indistinguishable perhaps from personality quirks, telling only of her unwillingness to lead a predetermined life. Though she met with tragedy as a Prisoner of War in the Philippines, her fate was by no means entirely accidental.
How Edna, a bundle of 20th century ideals and contradictions, ended up in a prison camp and survived is the ultimate subject of this book. She was neither a feminist nor a social anarchist in any way, yet she was one of a small handful of women who, without money or family connections, pulled herself out of the South where there were few opportunities for independent women. In almost every decision she made, she moved farther from her insular family—and closer to some small beacon of her own, known at last, as her destiny.
This is the kind of momentum that takes great
courage in a woman's life and usually leaves her with a mixed taste of pride
and regret. At times, in her later years, Edna would say, "I never did
understand why all this happened to me."
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About the Author Montana History Links
James Wells of Montana
The Years 1840-1885
by James A. Franks
261 pp. Paper. ISBN 0-9657173-0-5.
$14.95 (Canada: $18.95)
The history of the West is revealed in the accomplishments
of James Wells (1840-1885). James A. Franks describes the life of this Pony
Express rider, stagecoach driver and fur trapper who married a Gros Ventre Indian
woman and who became immersed in the customs of her tribe. Running trading posts,
making a cattle drive from Texas, founding an important ranch on the Judith
River, Wells had great insight into the future of Montana, though he could not
have predicted the unjust treatment his Indian wife and children would receive
after his death.
"An immensely readable and fascinating
book, written with rare humor and warmth... James Wells of Montana is
a serious moral vision of the American West and the passing of the Indian way
of life."
---
Donald J. Young, author of The Reunion and The Lion's Share
"Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee was the big picture... James Wells
of Montana is the personal story that says it all."
--- James R. Cox, author of Classics in the Literature of Mountaineering
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About the Author Montana History Links
Mary Fields:
The Story of Black Mary
by James A. Franks
162 pp. Paper. ISBN 0-9657173-4-8.
$14.95.
Mary Fields is the latest in a series
of historical biographies by James A. Franks. Born a slave in Hickman County,
Tennessee in 1832, Mary Fields (Black Mary) was a strong black woman with dreams
of freedom. After winning her independence at the end of the Civil War, Mary
Fields left Tennessee for St. Peter's Mission in Montana, where she met the
author's grandmother. In 1892, at the age of 60, "Black Mary" became
the first African American woman ever to carry the U.S. mail, working a dangerous
17-mile route between Cascade, Montana and St. Peter's Mission. This is the
inspiring story of a woman who loved life and lived it to the fullest during
a challenging period in U.S. history.
"Franks brings history to life in Mary
Fields as he did in his first two books... We can understand the history
of our American West by seeing through Franks' eyes how the Indians and Blacks
related to the white settlers, to a world of stage drivers, traders and missionaries.
James Franks, in Mary Fields, give us a remarkably vivid picture of this
period in the American West."
---
Donald J. Young, author of The Reunion and The Lion's Share
Mary Wells
by James A. Franks
213 pp. Paper. ISBN 0-9657173-3-X. $12.95.
In Mary
Wells, James A. Franks tells the story of his grandmother, the
intriguing matriarch of a pioneer family torn apart by a cultural clash between
the Plains Indians and the white civilization to which the Wells' belonged.
The author became interested in his grandmother's story after doing research
on his great grandfather, James Wells of Montana,
the subject of Mr. Franks' previous book and the father of Mary Wells. As stated
by Diana Wyatt, Montana State Representative, "James A. Franks writes from
the heart, with historical acumen..." about this family's struggles in
Montana through the late 1800s . Through research, the author has reconstructed
the story of his grandmother from her letters and the letters of her brothers
and sisters in correspondence with Senator T.C. Power and his brother. This
is a story guaranteed to draw you in .
Grandma
Franks' Cookbook
Compiled by James
A. Franks
332 pp. Paper. ISBN 0-9657173-1-3.
$24.95.
A delicious, historical treasure
full of authentic recipes from the turn of the century. Ida Franks'
love of cooking shines thorugh this book with over 1500 recipes,
including the collection of the Jolly Thimble Club circa 1907.
Pages of cakes, whole chapters of pies, putting food by, helpful
hints, hot toddies, and how to not only serve tea but divine with
tea leaves. Breads, muffins, meats and vegetables all taste good
from this collection of recipes. This fine treasure is lovingly
compiled by grandson and historian James A. Franks.
"I discovered how much
these dishes reminded me of old times and how much a good taste
can't be forgotten."
-- James A. Franks
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this Book
Miss Leslie's Secrets
What Every Bride Should Know
by Eliza Leslie
520 pp. Hardcover. ISBN 0-96571732-1.
$18.95 (Canada: $24.95)
Was it really so different in
1854? Rediscover the adventures of domestic life in Miss Leslie's
classic guide to cooking and housekeeping. Originally published
in 1854 by Eliza Leslie, this reproduced book contains 1,011 recipes
that will happily feed families for generations; a treasure for
any bride. A fascinating journal filled with seasonal menus, oils,
home remedies and perfumery. Recipes range from rhubarb cups,
onion custard and fried cabbage to venison, fresh trout and dressing
terrapins.
"All the recipies in
this book are new, and have been fully tried and tested by the
author, and none of them whatever are contained in any other work
but this. In it there will be found one thousand and eleven
new recipies, all useful, some ornamental, and all invaluable
to every miss or family in the world. In it will also be found
popular and useful suggestions of immense value in every household,
adding greatly to its convenience, its comfort and economy. No
woman ought to be without this book."
--
Ladies National Magazine, 1854
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this Book
Children's Books Published by Wild Goose Press:
I Don't
Want to Grow Up
Written and illustrated by Tracy Reilly
Paper.
ISBN 0-96571736-4
"I Don't Want to Grow Up" is a wonderfully illustrated children's book with a message for both kids and their parents. Written and illustrated by first-time author Tracy Reilly, a 22-year old student of Elementary Education at Humboldt State University, this little book is a must for your kid's bookshelf -- and yours!
Wild Goose Press
719 Fairmount Avenue
Santa Cruz, CA 95062
Email: Wldgoose2@aol.com
Phone: 831-426-6850
Fax: 831-426-6850
