The Egg and I

The Egg and I In her world renowned debut book, The Egg and I (1945), Betty MacDonald weaves together stories of her hardships living on a chicken farm in the Chimacum Valley with first husband, Robert E. Heskett. Living without electricity or plumbing and surviving on meager earnings, Betty funnels her frustrations into this beloved

The Plague and I

The Plague and I “Betty had the capacity for happiness even when the family’s gift of good health failed her.”[1] MacDonald’s second memoir, The Plague and I, grows out of her experience fighting Tuberculosis, colloquial known as “the white plague,” during residency at the Firland Sanatorium in the 1940s.[2] Another humorous account of life hardships,

Anybody Can Do Anything

Anybody Can Do Anything Anybody Can Do Anything (1950) is Betty’s third autobiographical memoir and depicts life with her daughters during the Great Depression of the ‘30s. After leaving behind her first husband and the dreaded chicken farm, Betty, accompanied by her two young children, moves back into her family’s house in the city and

Onions in the Stew

Onions in the Stew Another great memoir from Betty MacDonald, and unfortunately her last, is Onions in the Stew, first published in 1955. The book, titled The Island and I in the German translation, depicts life living on Vashon Island off of Seattle with new husband, Don, and her two daughters. Another marvelous work of

Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle

Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle        Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle is a small woman who lives in an upside-down house in a neighborhood of poorly behaved children. The widow of a pirate, her back yard is a hunting ground for treasures. Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle is loved by the children and parents of the neighborhood alike. With a fun house, backyard of treasures,

Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle’s Farm

Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle’s Farm In Mrs. Piggle Wiggle’s Farm (1954), Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle is out of her upside-down house and on a farm in the countryside. Despite a change in residence, she is never short of ill-behaved children to cure. When the habit becomes too much for the parents to handle, the children are whisked away to

Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle’s Magic

Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle’s Magic The second book in the series, Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle’s Magic (1949), brings the audience back into the magical world of Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle and her bad-habit cures. With a “Cupboard full of magic powders and pills and appliances to help cure children’s bad habits” in her charming upside-down house, Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle has everything she

Hello, Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle

Hello, Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle Hello, Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle (1957), the fourth book of the Piggle-Wiggle series, takes place back in the upside-down home of Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle in the same neighborhood prior to living on the farm. In addition to returning to her original humble home, Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle has also brought back her magic cures. Parents call on

Nancy and Plum

Nancy and Plum Nancy and Plum (1952), a story of two orphaned sisters, is a classic page-turning tale of adventure. Originating from a bedtime story that Betty told to her daughters, the story follows a yearlong adventure of two young sisters who decide to escape the cruel “ogre”[1] of Mrs. Monday, the owner of the