The Indomitable Spirit of Rural America

This is a family saga that captures the essence of rural America, Helen Sheehy's Just Willa spans seven decades of one woman’s life, taking us from the Dust Bowl to the Depression, from Roosevelt to Reagan. It gives us a character of indomitable spirit—the daughter of a homesteader who survives the trials of single motherhood and goes on to marry a bootlegging cowboy—who fuels and anchors her family with love and bravery. And it shows us a world filled with people and struggles both realistic and relatable—a world that is beautiful, despite its hardships.HELEN SHEEHY grew up on tenant farms in Oklahoma and Kansas. She has worked as a dramaturg, written a theatre textbook, and authored biographies of three theatre pioneers: Margo: The Life and Theatre of Margo Jones (Southern Methodist University Press, 1989), Eva Le Gallienne: A Biography (Knopf, 1996), and Eleonora Duse: A Biography (Knopf, 2003). The latter two books were named New York Times notable books of the year. Sheehy taught theatre and acting at Southern Connecticut State University for more than two decades. After spending years writing non-fiction, she has turned to her earliest love, telling stories. She lives in Hamden, Connecticut. "Just Willa" is her first novel. https://www.amazon.com/Just-Willa-Helen-Sheehy/dp/1734267836http://www.yourlotandparcel.orgSupport the show