Backwoods Feudin' in Lois Lenski's Strawberry Girl

Lenski, Lois. Strawberry Girl. Illustrated by the author. Harpercollins, 2005 (c 1945). Paperback $5.99, ISBN 978-0064405850.

What’s it about?

Ten-year-old Birdie Boyd and her family have moved to the Florida backwoods to grow strawberry crops on their new land, but their neighbors, the Slaters, led by the mean, hard-drinking Sam Slater, dislike them on sight and are set on a feud. Will these neighbors be forever enemies?

Find out more:

Birdie Boyd is excited about her new home, a small farm in backwoods Florida. She and her family will be planting strawberries and other cash crops.  What the Boyds didn’t count on were feuding neighbors. Bitter because of the Boyds’ nice belongings, the Slaters make life difficult for them by refusing to keep their animals from destroying Boyd crops, cutting their fences, poisoning their mule, stealing one of their calves, and ultimately trying to burn their house down. The saving grace for the Boyd family is two-fold: when Mrs. Slater and her three youngest children become seriously ill, Shoestring asks Mrs. Boyd for help. Mrs. Boyd nurses the Slaters back to health, even though her family has been hurt by the recent despicable actions of Sam Slater.  Mr. Slater is luckily out of town, presumably on a bender.  While Mrs. Boyd and Birdie are helping out at the Slaters, a preacher stops by, and Mrs. Slater tells him about her husband’s drinking problem. The preacher prays for Mr. Slater and later counsels Mr. Slater, who does a 180 and finds God.

Lenski’s forward describes the basis for this story—firsthand accounts by Florida “crackers,” toned down somewhat for her intended audience. Despite this toning down, the impact of the story is incredible and almost unbelievable. Slater’s actions seem to escalate toward possibly murdering Birdie’s father. Only Mrs. Boyd’s selflessness saves these two families. After this happens, Mr. Slater examines his conscience and is rather suddenly converted. His conversion wraps the story up with a tidy bow, something that doesn’t jive with the rest of the story, which beautifully portrays the complexity of the back-and-forth struggles between these two families.  I’m not saying dramatic conversions don’t happen, or even that this aspect of the plot was wrong for the story. The pacing just seemed a little too abrupt toward the very end of the story. This is the only small flaw in this otherwise amazing book, which seamlessly and authentically incorporates the regional dialect and customs into the speech and action of its characters. Lenski’s illustrations are a delightful treat as well. They accompany, never overpower her stellar show-don’t-tell style of writing.  

Genre: Historical fiction

Subjects: Farmers, Neighbors, Florida backwoods, Strawberry crops, Agricultural workers, Alcoholism, Revenge, Feuds, Poverty, Religious conversion, Selflessness

Reading level: 5^th grade

Interest level: Grades 4-7

Awards: Newbery Award Winner (1946)

Read-alikes:

Ryan’s Esperanza Rising

Wilder’s Little House on the Prairie series

Caddie Woodlawn

Characters:

Birdie Boyd—Ten-year-old protagonist, a strong, hard-working girl who sympathizes with the younger Slater children’s plight.

Jeff “Shoestring” Slater—Twelve-year-old sometimes friend of Birdie, ashamed of his father’s drunkenness yet resentful of the Boyd’s success.

Mr. Boyd—Strong-willed head of the Boyd family, tries to keep peace with the Slaters initially, but when this fails, stoops to their level.

Mrs. Boyd—Good-natured woman who turns the other cheek when it comes to the Slaters, nursing the children and their mother back to health even after their father killed the Boyd’s mule and tried to burn their house down.

Mr. Slater—drunken, irascible neighbor who dislikes the Boyds and refuses to keep his animals off their farmland.

Mrs. Slater—Initially seems very bitter toward the Boyds, calling them “uppity” because they are better off than her family, later warms up to them largely because of Mrs. Boyd’s and Birdie’s unrelenting kindness.