2018 February PASO Magazine

LOCAL GOODS
REPORT
from GENERAL STORE
PASO ROBLES
YOU WILL LOVE LITTLEBETH
(BORN AND BRED IN PASO) IN
UNDER THE
ASHES
BY CINDY RANKIN​
​
At General Store Paso, we geek out about lots
of things. It’s useful when we’re choosing new
goods for the store. The phrase “love me some
linen!” has been whispered while perusing stacks
of towels. We make a lot of ridiculous noises when we’re evaluating scents from
one of our local bath and body makers for custom lotions and soaps. We get
excited about Dill Pickle Peanuts from Lord Nut the way some people might
get excited finding a $100 bill on the ground. (They are ridiculous.)
But if we had to choose the one thing that just gets us more excited than
almost anything else, it would be picking books. We spend hours going
through piles of new books and researching older books that we think people
would enjoy. So it was with particular glee that we were told about this remarkable
book by a local author that we couldn’t wait to bring in.
Local author Cindy Rankin’s Under the Ashes is theoretically for young readers,
but it’s a superbly researched and compelling story that centers on a fierce
young Paso Roblan named Littlebeth who would “rather race the boys, chase
skunks, and read about bandits than act like a lady.”
Set just days before the great San Francisco earthquake, the book takes us on a
journey that shows not only the inner strength and tenacity of the young heroine
of the book, it also paints a vivid picture of the time. (And, in the spirit of Valentine’s
Day, there is a very sweet love story as well.) It’s a great read for all ages,
especially read aloud. Cindy spent a lot of time at the Carnegie Library studying
local history and reading newspapers on microfiche from the past. Inspired by a
photo of a young man in a dog-pulled cart in the downtown park, as well as by
the astounding self-confidence of her child Kate, Littlebeth came to be. We are
so excited to add Under the Ashes to our book obsession at General Store!
Wondering what to get that young person or history buff for Valentine’s
Day? Be like Littlebeth. Break with tradition. Skip the chocolate. Grab this
book, and maybe some Dill Pickle Peanuts. : )
Happy Valentine’s Day, neighbors!
The Team at General Store Paso Robles
36 PASO Magazine, February 2018