Oral history is a very special genre of research and writing, and The
Life and Letters of Annie Leake Tuttle is a wonderful example of
a Canadian oral history rich in tradition and cultural images. Fardig
Whiteley has collected and selectively edited the firsthand musings
of a Nova Scotia woman of the late 19th century. Annie Leake Tuttle
comes alive in these pages and we come to know her through her personal
struggles. This work is additionally important because it focuses on
women's experiences. This segment of society has been sadly neglected
in the traditional recording of history.
Fardig Whiteley has skillfully selected and edited a variety of pieces
from the collection of writing left by this extraordinary, ordinary
woman. The story of Annie Leake Tuttle is the story of countless women
who lived, dreamed and died in Canada during the late nineteenth century.
She was, by contemporary standards, an average, unexceptional woman
who lived and sought meaning in her life in relatively unremarkable
ways, yet her story is all the more powerful because of its conventionality.
Reading through these pages one can clearly identify with a woman who
understood her own failings and sought to discover her strengths. She
overcame a number of obstacles in pursuing her desire to teach and in
her search for spiritual meaning. She never stopped learning about herself
and the world in which she lived; in her life is a lesson for all people
who believe they do unremarkable things. The fact that she left such
a detailed account of her life and times is a major accomplishment in
itself and a great legacy to those of us who come after her. Whether
we be teachers, or not, women, or not, she has a powerful message to
deliver to us all.
The book is relatively short and flows easily from Tuttle's early musings
to the last letters she wrote late in life. It offers an insightful
and important glimpse into the life of ordinary people - she talks at
length about friends and family and their adventures, as well as her
own. Annie wrote these accounts in order to leave a record for her nieces
and nephews. Her intimate, conversational, self effacing style comes
across as sincere and informative. As I read through her letters and
journal entries, I felt a very personal connection to this woman. This
is a characteristic that is sadly lacking in many "academic"
works of history and, because of this, The Life and Letters of Annie
Leake Tuttle would be an excellent resource in any Canadian history
classroom. It could be used as a required reading piece to help students
at the high school or secondary level to understand the deeper, more
personal aspects of historical study, especially oral histories.
This book is laid out as Annie intended. She identified "chapters"
of her life, labeled them with intriguing titles, and noted the years
covered by each chapter. The flow of the book is logical and easy to
follow and Fardig Whiteley inserts commentary which serves to enhance
and clarify the text. A map at the beginning of the book orients the
reader to the area in Nova Scotia where most of the action took place.
A number of family portraits and photographs which illustrate the countryside
and the home in which Tuttle spent the last years of her life are also
included. These pictures are thoughtfully selected and help the readers
orient themselves in time, just as the map facilitates a geographical
orientation. A small family tree and basic chronology of Annie Leake
Tuttle's life - again, meaningful personal touches which make Annie's
story more real - are included at the end of the book.
Finally, Fardig Whiteley includes a brief commentary on the primary
sources used to compile the book and an extensive bibliography for those
who wish to pursue the fascinating topic of oral histories in general,
and Annie's story in particular. This book is one of the "Books
in the Life Writing Series" and the list of other available titles
is thoughtfully included at the end. The Life and Letters of Annie
Leake Tuttle would be a wonderful addition to any historian's collection;
it is a piece which brings "ordinary" history alive and helps
us to make a personal connection to our past.