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by Mary Elizabeth Webster (Author), Kristy Jarvis (Illustrator)
The author's knowledge of past events in the area inform her work of historical fiction, told through the eyes of the characters she created. The colorful watercolors of a local artist bring the story to life for the reader.
The author's characters, Hannah the wise owl and Sly the red fox, watched from afar as history unfolded before their very eyes. In this book, they recount what they saw years ago.
In 1933 America was recovering from the Great Depression. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt and his advisors came up with an idea called "The New Deal", which included a subsistence homestead program aimed at revitalizing the nation. The First Lady, Eleanor Roosevelt, helped her husband scout for land the homesteads could be built on.
As luck would have it, Eleanor and her son, Elliot, were invited to have dinner at the home of one of his friends. Upon arrival, Eleanor couldn't believe her eyes. The land across the road showed great possibilities for a homestead community. The president later agreed with Eleanor and the property she found eventually became a part of the subsistence homestead program and was known as Dalworthington Gardens.
Hannah the wise old owl and Sly the red fox continue the tale of their home by sharing the stories of the first settlers that moved to Dalworthington Gardens. The settlers faced many hardships. However, they worked hard and overcame them. They also learned a lot and had great fun.
The wonderful story concludes in 1949 when a majority of the residents voted to incorporate the town of Dalworthington Gardens.
Incredibly, Dalworthington Gardens is the only part of the Federal Homestead Subsistence Program in Texas still in existence today as an independent city.
