Xlibris Publishing shares an article about Eric Weidler, and his book The Little Farm in the Big Valley.
Book Synopsis:
First there was Little House, then there was Little Farm. Laura Ingalls Wilder’s saga continues into the twentieth century with The Little Farm in the Big Valley: a story for baby boomers and other generations as well!
GO into the mind of the child in this childhood memoir.
SEE the “play” and the “work” among three generations in the rural heartland of America.
GO along with the boys on their country adventures.
SEE how things unfold as their family grows.
Here is a memoir of a childhood like many others and, still, unique in its setting. With the disappearance of small farms, the generations’ way of life disappears as well. It is only to be recalled by the written word and forms of media. Such is the purpose of the author, Eric Weidler, who thoroughly relates his early years on that “little farm.”
About the Author:
Eric Weidler is a retired schoolteacher and US Army veteran who lives near Reading, Pennsylvania. He taught at the Exeter Township School District for thirty-nine years as an elementary and ESL teacher. He was a member of the Pennsylvania Army National Guard, retiring after twenty-one years in 2004 as a warrant officer.
A graduate of Shippensburg and Wilkes universities, BS and MEd respectively, he received a “Who’s Who among American Colleges” award during his undergraduate studies. He has enjoyed his marriage to wife, Debra, since 1977; and they have five grown-up children, four sons and a daughter, who live away from home. He and Debra are also grandparents of five, currently, and enjoy seeing them quite often. Debra has recently retired from Riverview Christian Early Learning Center after nineteen years of employment. Eric is currently employed part-time for the Reading Eagle newspaper company.
Over the years, he has enjoyed reading children’s literature and various authors who have written of childhood. Soon into his retirement, he decided to write about his own childhood as well. Influenced by the books of Laura Ingalls Wilder and drawing from his own rural beginnings, he has written a true story that can reach a wide range of age groups. Many of the reading audience can identify with growing up in the fifties and sixties just as Eric did. Though much of the farm culture and living conditions no longer exists, the story reminds us of a simpler time and, as in all childhoods, a time to be remembered.
Some words from Eric Weidler, The Little Farm in the Big Valley:
“Self publication is interesting in that one can generally go at their own pace. With emphasis on semantics and re-editing, an author can zero in on a finished work. There are always second thoughts on additions and deletions. At some point, you must go with a final draft. There is so much more to do beyond that stage.
“Being age 65 and retired means that I am not too adept at the newer forms of social media. Aspiring authors shouldn’t find this a great hindrance, however. Having resources and a support team will keep you going each step of the way.
“I was inspired to write about my youth and a way of life that is “gone with the wind.”
“Small farms are a thing of the past and I think it important young folks of today recognize that they were an important part of our history.”
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