Short Stories for Little Folks (1910)

Defying the Oddsa] is a narrative of the life, times, and experiences of a Canadian farm family in their struggle to survive the odds against success. It is also the story of a naive young man who, in his mid-thirties, realizes that his life is headed in the wrong direction and makes a decision that will test the mettle of both he and his family. A review of his life, prior to that time, reveals the experiences which shaped the character and attitude of a boy growing up in the United States during the war years, in the shadow of the Depression. In the midst of a moderately successful career in industry, he quits his job and returns to his native Canada to farm. The tale is written as a series of anecdotes, ranging from humorous to poignant, that form a sequential story, ending with his personal assessment of the current state of agriculture.