Wednesday, November 2, 2011

Through No Fault of My Own


This is the diary of thirteen-year-old "Coco" Irving, the daughter of Horace and Clotilde Irving, socialites who lived on Summit Avenue in St. Paul in the early 1900's. Coco loved to write, and also get in trouble. Her diary entries frequently begin with the words "through no fault of my own..." The diary recounts one year of Coco's adventures, romances, and youthful problems.
Coco's writing has been published previously; this new edition is from the University of Minnesota Press and includes an introduction by Peg Meier and historical photographs.
Coco and her sister Olivia donated the family home to the state of Minnesota in 1965, and it became the Minnesota Governor's Residence.
This is a fascinating peak inside early 20th century life on Summit Avenue from a young person's perspective.

No comments: