By Vi Carr Parsons and Violet Carr Moore
There are two sides to every story—especially when told by identical twins. In Double Take, Viola “Vi” Parsons and Violet “Vi” Moore share parallel and personal memories of growing up in Chowchilla, California, after their parents journeyed west from the Ozarks during the Great Depression. Born in a cotton camp tent in the Arizona desert, the twins reflect on a childhood shaped by hard work, faith, family, and the simple joys of small-town life in the heart of California’s San Joaquin Valley.
With humor, warmth, and a touch of nostalgia, the Carr Twins weave together true stories that span the Depression years, World War II, and the Happy Days era. Each story reveals a different side of twinhood—one marked with a triangle of stars, the other with a diamond—and together they paint a vivid portrait of resilience, love, and laughter that has endured across the decades.
From the Introduction
By Vi Parsons
There are two sides to every story. That is very true for us twins, but with an entirely different meaning. As we reminisced about our growing up years, we discovered that we had many of the same memories and a few individual golden nugget stories.
Our parents migrated west from the Ozarks during the Great Depression, working as they traveled. We were born in a tent in a cotton camp in the Arizona desert. When we were about six months old, our family continued on to California. They settled in Chowchilla, a small, rural farming town in the heart of the San Joaquin (pronounced San Wä-Kēn) Valley, along with other migrant families known as Okies.
Our older brothers and sisters said we received special attention, not only because we were the babies in the family, but because we were identical twins.
As years passed, we laughed and talked about growing up as twins in Chowchilla. We were born in the Depression, toddlers during World War II, and teens during the Happy Days.
As you read each story, guess which twin wrote it, then look for the identifying mark at the end. My stories have a triangle of stars representing my three children.
Viola “Vi” Parsons
***
By Violet Moore
No was our father’s response to most things we wanted. We lived in a restrictive environment of no, not, none, and never. Some no’s were good for us—no smoking, no gambling, no alcoholic drinks, no cheating, and no swearing. Other no’s—no pets, no card games, no dice—seemed too harsh for active twins. Frugality added another negative—no car. In spite of all this negativism, we grew up to be positive influences at work, in our churches, and in our communities.
Yes, a positive action word we learned from our mother, has empowered us to channel our talents to sing, teach, research genealogy, be gracious hostesses and volunteers, and write inspirational and family stories. In retirement, we conquered new challenges of tweeting, blogging, and managing a website. We continue to take on other responsibilities, perhaps more than our sunset years will allow us to complete.
In Double Take, we’ve combined our stories of childhood memories. Mine are laced with nostalgia, spiced with humor, and should be digested with a grain of salt. Since so few were able to identify us as young identical twin girls, I’ve marked my writings with a diamond symbol so you don’t have to guess which twin I am.
Violet “Vi” Moore
Publisher : Carr Twins & Co. (3rd Printing. December 12, 2014)
Language : English
Paperback : 156 pages
ISBN-10 : 0978923642
ISBN-13 : 978-0978923648
Item Weight : 7.7 ounces
Dimensions : 6 x 0.36 x 9 inches
Price : $14.95
First Edition, First Printing, 2005 (Out of Print).