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This story and its companion read "Alida's Song" are believed to be autobiographical accounts of Paulsen's experiences on the farm with his kind-hearted grandma during a few select summers of his life. As other reviewers have noted, Paulsen never gives himself a name in these stories, he is just always referred to as "the boy". I suspect the namelessness represents the insignificance the author felt as he was growing up with his parents, who were alcoholics.

In this story Paulsen is only 6 years old and brought to his grandma's farm because his father is overseas fighting in the war and his mother is working at a munitions factory. With the men away, young Paulsen witnesses the strength, independence and resilience of the women of the community. During his stay he is present in the home when his older cousin goes into labor and gives birth. Being so young, himself, the experience brings with it confusion, fearfulness and wonder.

While they wait for the babe to be born, Paulsen becomes a part of the traditions of his family's Norwegian culture which involves a community quilt and the addition of a quilt square for the baby. Each piece of the quilt comes with a story about his family which offers some entertaining family history to young Paulsen. The experience also offers a sense of pride and belonging for "the boy".

Paulsen's writing is vivid and welcoming and you feel like you are there with them sewing that quilt and cringing every time the cousin screams in pain from her labor.