“This Is the Life” The Diary of Jennie McLeod by Leslie Perrin Wilson.
After moving into “the stately and well-preserved Italianate Victorian at 224 Water Street” in Clinton, Massachusetts, author Leslie Perrin Wilson started digging into the history of her new home. Wilson discovered a five-year line a day diary written by a young woman, Jennie McLeod, who had occupied the home with her family for several years starting in 1915. This “archival gold,” as Leslie calls it, launched her into all avenues of Jennie’s life over the years she kept her diary. “This Is the Life” The Diary of Jennie McLeod is the product of rich contextual research. It offers a look into Jennie’s life as a college student, friend, daughter, sister, and important part of her community.
Through Jennie’s diary, her clever jokes and matter-of-fact way, and Wilson’s careful annotations, the reader is left with a unique impression of having known Jennie personally.
Pick up your copy and discover a new friend and a little bit of history.