"Why Do We Crave Nostalgia?"

Why is it that when we reach our 50s and beyond there is a certain longing for the past? Perhaps, this nostalgic craving is due to our desire to slow down time.

Eviatar Zerubavel, a cognitive sociologist at Rutgers University, in his book Social Mindscape, made the following observation: "we all live in remembrance environments and mnemonic communities. These mental landscapes, constructed from shared feeling about the past, determine how we think about ourselves and our place in history." In other words, people will come to know us by the memories we share with others and in turn we shall know ourselves. It is with this in mind that I was able to appreciate first time novelist Al Michaud's A Twig in Springdale.

Using short literary descriptive sketches or vignettes, Michaud narrates his many fond memories he has of growing up during the time of the depression years in the small village of Springdale, Connecticut.

We learn about the schools the author attended and the teachers who had a made deep and lasting impressions. It was a time when male teachers were a rarity, and as he states: "teaching was rigid, warm, educational and productive."

Various ailments would lead to the usage of such cure all medications as Vicks Vapor Rub or Chicken soup. People were not immune from tragedies that resulted in death such as trolley accidents, appendicitis, pneumonia, car wrecks, and fires. However, they did not seem to be big events, as life seemed to go on without any lasting impression, even when one the author's schoolmates was crushed to death by a steam roller in the school yard-"We watched in silence. The police came. The ambulance came. Mr. McCall rang the bell and we all went to class."

You were not too concerned about the latest in clothing fashions, electronic gadgets, or the endless "goodies" children today enjoy, as money was scarce, you just had to make do with whatever you had.

Although Michaud's writing focuses on memorabilia of life during the depression years, his personal reflections will surely bring back memories for those of us who were born after during the 40s and 50s, as is the case with myself. His style is straight- forward and at times sentimental coming across as a very human and down to earth individual. Readers will be pulled in from the very first few pages and I am sure they will find a bit of their own "Springdale," wherever they may have grown up.

Reviewed by Norman Goldman
Courtesy Bookpleasures
Posted June 13, 2004