Barbara W. Sommer has served as director or codirector for numerous oral history projects and coauthored related publications. She is a founder of the Oral History Association of Minnesota.
"This well-researched book captures the Minnesota experience
through the very personal voices of CCC veterans. I was fascinated
by the unique circumstances surrounding the Native Americans and
Blacks who served in Minnesota. A very enjoyable read."
Robert J. Moore, author of The Civilian Conservation Corps in
Arizona's Rim Country: Working in the Woods "The oral histories
throughout Hard Work and a Good Deal add immeasurably to this
readable, thorough contribution to Minnesota history. A generation
of young men whose talents could so easily have been lost in the
Great Depression describe their hard work as well as the day-to-day
life in CCC camps. Well done!"
Victoria Ford, coauthor, The Civilian Conservation Corps in Nevada:
From Boys to Men "Sommer's narrative clearly contextualizes the CCC
for those unfamiliar with it and skillfully interweaves excerpts
from interviews with former CCC enrollees. These voices keep Hard
Work lively and add a human dimension to her story."
Annals of Iowa "Thanks to Sommer, the words and photographs of a
generation of CCC workers bring this history of the land of ten
thousand lakes to life."
Natural History Magazine
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