If you’re of a certain age – say, 60 and above – reading Tom Sodergren’s book about coming of age in the Midwest in the 50s, 60s, and 70s is a walk down memory lane. However, younger readers still can enjoy a fun and humorous recollection of Sodergren’s formative years growing up as a “child of a child of the depression.”
The book, “Blissfully Unremarkable,” so titled because Sodergren characterizes his family as “ordinary and happy,” shares stories of what Sodergren humbly describes as his typical Midwestern family and upbringing. The book is largely autobiographical and takes readers on a “humorous culinary and cultural romp through the midcentury heartland.”
Divided into two sections titled “When I Was Fed” and “When I Fed Myself,” Sodergren’s work centers around food, family, and travel, noting how folks who grew up during the Great Depression continued to scrimp, save, and lead simple lives.
The book’s subtitle, “A Taste of the Mid-Century Heartland, from Hot Dish to Cold Oleo,” refers to Midwestern staples from the mid-20th century. The hot dish, or casserole, was shared among family and friends and came to embody the practicality and camaraderie of the time. The cold oleo, or margarine, refers to what Sodergren calls his mom’s “laziest, cheapest snack,” spreading cold pats of oleo on white bread and then sprinkling it with sugar.
"It was like eating sweet sand," Sodergren recalls.
