Mrs. Wiggs of the Cabbage Patch
Alice Caldwell Hegan, 510 Classics
Paperback
(CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, Feb. 6, 2016)
Mrs. Wiggs' life has been anything but easy. Her husband died of alcohol, her farm burned to the ground and now she struggles in her everyday fight to "pull agin' a debt." Her five children, Jimmy, Billy and the geographically named Asia, Australia and Europena, rely on her for encouragement and love in the harshest of circumstances and she does her best to give them what they need - and so much more. Though the threat of poverty and illness lie constantly at her door, Mrs. Wiggs keeps a sunny attitude that spreads its warmth over her little family and her neighbors. Despite her lack of education, her miniscule means and the many sadnesses that plague her life, Mrs. Wiggs is an example of contentment and generosity that shines out of her tiny community and has its effect even on the wealthier citizens of the nearby town. Her plans to avoid disaster are often hilarious (especially when she approaches the local doctor and asks to sell her body for research in case she ever dies, in order to provide for her children's wellbeing!) but all show the purity and humility that live in her heart.