In the first book, "Little Britches", we met Ralph and his family who had come to live on a ranch in Littleton, Colorado, beginning in 1906 when Ralph has just turned 8. The west is "settled" to the extent that they arrive by train and are surrounded by other white settlers, but when Ralph and his sister Grace report to the local school, they become the 9th and 10th students. In Man of the Family, the second of eight autobiographical books, the saga of the family continues, and I'd rather not divulge the plot because it is such a great read. The whole series is a great read; I can't overstate how much value I see in the whole set. The first and second volumes, especially, are about a headstrong, smart, developing boy and his very loving and intelligent and hard-working parents, and their large family. They are living in a time and place without electricity, when cars are very new and extremely rare, when everyone grows at least some of their own food. I will reveal that Ralph becomes "the man of the family" at the age of twelve, when his extraordinary father dies following an accident with an automobile. (The father is riding a horse, and is hit by a car.) At twelve, Ralph has to begin thinking seriously about how he can contribute to the family's income and survival. He and his sister Grace and their mother all rise to the occasion with tremendous strength, ingenuity, faith, and stamina. This is literature that inspires.
This is a wonderful treasure of a book. This is the 2nd book in the Little Britches series. Please don't let the name "Little Britches" scare you away from these books. They aren't just for kids. My husband and I love them just as much, if not more than our kids do. These books are the true story of the life of Ralph Moody. And what a life he lives! His books are full of excitement, love, hard work, family, all of the good stuff. You know, sometimes we don't have all of the things in our lives we'd like to have. And we may get to feeling sorry for ourselves, and wishing we had more. But then along comes a book, such as Little Britches, or Man of the Family, and that book reminds us what is really important. This book gives us all a lesson in integrity, hard work, and old fashioned ingenuity. I can't think of a book with a more beautiful example of children honoring their parents then in these books. Nor can I think of parents who are more deserving of being honored. I've read these books myself, and I've read them to my family. If you are a parent, Please! Read these books! And then when your kids are old enough, read them to your kids! I promise, you won't consider it time wasted. Reading books such as these in your home will help build a strong family and bring goodness into your home.
What do You think about Man Of The Family (1993)?
This is the second book in the Little Britches series and I liked it even better than the first one. This one focused more on the mother of the family so it appealed to me more. The mother of the family is raising 5 children by herself and it talks about the things that they do in order to make a living and have the things they need. They are so resourceful and work hard and come by everything honestly, and it's such a great example of families pulling together. I really like this series of stories a lot. They read like fiction, but they are actually a true account from a man that grew up in Colorado and some of his experiences. They are so uplifting to read that are fun to read. Definitely books I will read to my children when they are older.
—Jeniann
Earlier this year I spent a good deal of time reading as many of these Ralph Moody books as I could. They really appeal to me. Ralph is young and has a knack for dickering (making deals), fixing things, and finding ways to make money for his family, since his dad has died. Ralph's mom loves her children and continues to teach them to work. They support themselves, though occasionally they get help from neighbors and friends. Their moral character is top notch. This is not a novel, but it is written like a novel. Ralph Moody write about his own life, and he writes so well that you can hear the characters and believe they were real--they really come to life in other words. His love for horses continues in this book and it's nice that he could still help out with horses and race them, too.
—Spencer
A really good book for understanding some of the changes in our culture from the early 1900's. The author of this book was rounding up cattle at 8 and spent a summer away from home working on a ranch at 12. You cannot bring the past into the present, but we can learn. The prose is simple and unsentimental. He is just telling a story, his story, with some of his thoughts as he moves along. He love for his mother and sisters if fantastic. It is not explicitly Christian, but Christians can learn a lot from it, especially about hard work and taking initiative. Highly recommended for boys.
—Peter N.
