Recommended Reading - Wisdom of the 1800s










	Long before Martha Stewart and Dr. Benjamin Spock were born, Lydia Maria Child filled their cultural niches by writing a well-known series of books which dispensed domestic advice on a wide range of topics. Many housewives and mothers of the mid-1800s turned to Mrs. Child's books to learn the tricks of their trade, from cleaning stained clothes to diagnosing sick children.

"The American Frugal Housewife" by Lydia M. Child The American Frugal Housewife
Lydia Maria Child, 1828
Chapman Billies - $9.95
ISBN 0-918222-98-2

Lydia Child was an early feminist and abolitionist who supported her family with her skills as a writer and editor. This how-to manual for homemakers was the first in a series of books which won her nationwide fame. It includes recipes, simple home remedies, and advice on parenting and housekeeping, all put forth in no-nonsense, Yankee prose.

"The Boy The Boy's Own Book
William Clarke, 1829
Applewood Books - $12.95
ISBN 1-55709-505-1

In the days before video games, this book was one of the best home entertainment units on the market. The Boy's Own Book contains "how-to" lessons on everything from swimming to magic tricks, and like The Girl's Own Book, it includes an extensive selection of riddles and rebusses.

"The Family Nurse" by Lydia M. Child The Family Nurse
Lydia Maria Child, 1837
Applewood Books - $12.95
ISBN 1-55709-461-6

This guide to home health care was read by housewives and mountain men alike.

"The Girl The Girl's Own Book
Lydia Maria Child, 1834
Applewood Books - $12.95
ISBN 1-55709-134-X

This remarkable little tome combines practical advice on housekeeping, useful experiments in domestic science (did you know you can restore color to a faded rose with sulphur?), and a surprisingly entertaining array of riddles, word games, and other conundrums meant to sharpen the minds of young ladies.

"The Mother The Mother's Book
Lydia Maria Child, 1831
Applewood Books - $12.95
ISBN 1-55709-124-2

Though it never achieved the popularity of The American Frugal Housewife, this manual of parenting advice provides a fascinating window on motherhood in the mid-Nineteenth Century.

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	The American Frugal Housewife Lydia Maria Child, 1828 Chapman Billies - $9.95 ISBN 0-918222-98-2 Lydia Child was an early feminist and abolitionist who supported her family with her skills as a writer and editor. This how-to manual for homemakers was the first in a series of books which won her nationwide fame. It includes recipes, simple home remedies, and advice on parenting and housekeeping, all put forth in no-nonsense, Yankee prose.
	The Boy's Own Book William Clarke, 1829 Applewood Books - $12.95 ISBN 1-55709-505-1 In the days before video games, this book was one of the best home entertainment units on the market. The Boy's Own Book contains "how-to" lessons on everything from swimming to magic tricks, and like The Girl's Own Book, it includes an extensive selection of riddles and rebusses.
	The Family Nurse Lydia Maria Child, 1837 Applewood Books - $12.95 ISBN 1-55709-461-6 This guide to home health care was read by housewives and mountain men alike.
	The Girl's Own Book Lydia Maria Child, 1834 Applewood Books - $12.95 ISBN 1-55709-134-X This remarkable little tome combines practical advice on housekeeping, useful experiments in domestic science (did you know you can restore color to a faded rose with sulphur?), and a surprisingly entertaining array of riddles, word games, and other conundrums meant to sharpen the minds of young ladies.
	The Mother's Book Lydia Maria Child, 1831 Applewood Books - $12.95 ISBN 1-55709-124-2 Though it never achieved the popularity of The American Frugal Housewife, this manual of parenting advice provides a fascinating window on motherhood in the mid-Nineteenth Century.