Afterthought: A Family Story

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Date

2025

Journal Title

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Volume Title

Publisher

Indiana University Bloomington Libraries Publishing

Abstract

Afterthought: A Family Story focuses on the life of my grandmother, Lila Slaback, who grew up in a dysfunctional, working-class family in La Crosse, Wisconsin, in the 1930s. In her short adult life, she gave birth to seven children with at least four different men and died in 1958 at age thirty-six. She was a real person, but her family was not proud of her story. This book is my best attempt to recover it. This work of historical fiction can be read like a memoir. With extensive notes and resources, it can also be read as inspiration for researching and writing historical fiction, especially in the United States. As an educational text, it would be appropriate for courses on fashion history, American history, gender roles, family, poverty, healthcare, and generational trauma.

Description

Keywords

fashion, body image, historical fiction, American history, Wisconsin, working class, generational trauma, poverty, healthcare, parenting

Citation

Akou, Heather. Afterthought: A Family Story. Indiana University Bloomington Libraries Publishing, 2025.

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Rights

© 2025 Heather Akou Afterthought: A Family Story by Heather Akou is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International You are free to: Share—copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format The licensor cannot revoke these freedoms as long as you follow the license terms. Under the following terms: Attribution—You must give appropriate credit, provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made. You may do so in any reasonable manner but not in any way that suggests the licensor endorses you or your use. NonCommercial—You may not use the material for commercial purposes . NoDerivatives—If you remix, transform, or build upon the material, you may not distribute the modified material. No additional restrictions—You may not apply legal terms or technological measures that legally restrict others from doing anything the license permits. Notices: You do not have to comply with the license for elements of the material in the public domain or where your use is permitted by an applicable exception or limitation. No warranties are given. The license may not give you all of the permissions necessary for your intended use. For example, other rights such as publicity, privacy, or moral rights may limit how you use the material.

Type

Book