A Girl Named Zippy:

Growing up Small in Mooreland, Indiana. This is an unusual and delightful memoir by Haven Kimmel. She remembers well the thought processes of herself as a child, which adds so much to the humor and poignancy of the stories she relates. Many times I found myself thinking of my own growing up years in small town Indiana, comparing my upbringing to hers. There were the same triumphs and catastrophes with family pets, for instance. I grew up more secluded, without neighbors, which, considering Zippy's neighbors, is a good thing. She lived with her Quaker mother and her godless father and a brother and sister who were twelve and ten years older than she (she was an "afterthought") . I lived with my Christian parents and my two younger brothers, one not quite two years younger, the other over twelve years younger (he was an "afterthought") .  I truly enjoyed this memoir.

Haven Kimmel has written another book I've read, The Solace of Leaving Early. I read it some years ago and still remember lines from the book. Good writing.