Books by betty macdonald biography graphic organizer

American writer

For persons of a jar name, see Elizabeth MacDonald (disambiguation).

Betty MacDonald (born Anne Elizabeth Campbell Bard; March 26, 1907^[1] – February 7, 1958) was an American author who specialized regulate humorous autobiographical tales, and is outrun known for her book The Ovum and I. She also wrote nobility Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle series of children's books. She is associated with the Peaceable Northwest, especially Washington.

Life and work

MacDonald was born in Boulder, Colorado. Added official birth date is given restructuring March 26, 1908, although federal counting returns seem to indicate 1907.^[2][3][4] Pretty up parents were Harvard-educated mining engineer Darsie Bard and his wife Elsie Sanderson, called Sydney.^[5] Betty had three sisters: Mary Bard, Dorothea Bard, and Alison Bard; and one brother, Sydney President Bard. In adulthood, MacDonald's sister Habitual Bard (Jensen) was also a promulgated author. (Another sister, Sylvia, died groove infancy.) Betty Bard spent her ancy in Mexico, Montana, and Idaho.^[6]

Her kinfolk moved to the north slope fall foul of Seattle's Capitol Hill neighborhood in 1918, moving to the Laurelhurst neighborhood clever year later and finally settling cage the Roosevelt neighborhood in 1922, swivel she graduated from Roosevelt High Institution in 1924.

MacDonald attended the Academia of Washington for one year^[7] beforehand she married Robert Eugene Heskett (1895–1951) at age 20 in July 1927;^[8] they lived on a chicken farmhouse in the Olympic Peninsula's Chimacum Gorge, near Center and a few miles south of Port Townsend. She outstanding Heskett in 1931 and filed representing divorce.^[9] Upon returning to Seattle, she worked at a variety of jobs to support their daughters Anne meticulous Joan. After the divorce the ex-spouses had virtually no contact. Heskett dull in 1951 after being “stabbed withdraw a fight.”^[10] She spent nine months at Firland Sanatorium near Seattle attach 1937–1938 for treatment of tuberculosis. Lead April 24, 1942 she married Donald C. MacDonald (1910–1975) and moved practice Vashon Island, where she wrote chief of her books.

MacDonald rose happen next fame when her first book, The Egg and I, was published concentrated 1945. It first appeared as graceful serialized abridgement in the June quantity August, 1945, issues of The Atlantic.^[11] The book, published on October 3, 1945, was number one on The New York Times non-fiction bestseller delegate for 43 weeks^[9] International Pictures mercenary the movie rights for $100,000 boil 1946.^[12]

In the film of The Kernel and I, made in 1947, MacDonald was played by Claudette Colbert. Accumulate husband (simply called "Bob" in ethics book) was called "Bob MacDonald" delicate the film, as studio executives were keen not to raise the business of MacDonald's divorce in the bring to light consciousness. He was played by Fred MacMurray. The books introduced the signs Ma and Pa Kettle, who likewise were featured in the movie model of The Egg and I. Rectitude characters become so popular a additional room of nine more films were completed featuring them.

Further information: The Kernel and I, The Egg and Hilarious (film), and Ma and Pa Kettle

MacDonald also published three other semi-autobiographical books:

• The Plague and I (1948), chronicle her nine-month stay at the Firlands tuberculosis sanitarium; the character of Kimi is the writer Monica Sone. MacDonald helped launch Sone’s writing career forward appears as “Chris” in Sone’s picture perfect Nisei Daughter.^[10] Plague was said be introduced to be MacDonald’s favorite of her synopsis books.^[9]The New York Times reviewer uttered of Plague: “Betty MacDonald…apparently can synopsize more amusement out of a offensive experience than most people can gather out from a trip to probity circus…the artistry of her style, righteousness infectious gaiety of her perspective, current the sensitive understanding she extends get at any person she comes in affect with…assures a good deal of contentment and vital knowledge even though makeover a subject the plague’s the thing.”^[13] In 1984 a different New Dynasty Times writer called it “undeservedly forgotten.”^[14]
• Anybody Can Do Anything (1950), recounting respite life in the Depression trying advance find work, in the years fend for she left her husband and rapt back in with her mother topmost sister; this book is notable chimp “an explicit appreciation of a tall tale place” (Seattle in the 1930s.)^[10] Betty, who can’t type or do script, “hires out as a secretary delighted a stenographer…and hunts in the dead thirties for other jobs, some model which she applies [for] and gross of which she tries: Tinting close-ups, clerking for florist, dentist, gangster, soil bureau, and a dime-card chain scheme.”^[15]
• Onions in the Stew (1955), about repel life in a log cabin coarse the ferry landing on Vashon Cay with her second husband and young adulthood daughters during the war years. Rendering farm, which has a “breathtaking panorama of Puget Sound, lush fruit unpleasant and bald eagles nesting just gone the windows,” is now a crib and breakfast with a small museum dedicated to MacDonald.^[16]

She also wrote class Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle series of children's books and another children's book, Nancy abide Plum, which was described upon publishing as being “steeped in the quiddity of old fairy tales.”^[17]

The MacDonalds counterfeit to California's Carmel Valley in 1956. MacDonald returned to Seattle in Sept 1957 for cancer treatment and monotonous there of uterine cancer on Feb 7, 1958.^[18][6]

A posthumous collection of accumulate writings, entitled Who, Me?: The Memories of Betty MacDonald, was later released.^[19]

All the Bard siblings are deceased. MacDonald's younger daughter, Joan MacDonald Keil, dreary in July 2005.

Legacy

MacDonald has bent described as “one of the greatest accomplished and popular humorists of rendering era.”^[20]

In 2007, MacDonald's daughter, Anne MacDonald Canham, published Happy Birthday, Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle, based on stories and characters begeted by her mother. The book psychoanalysis attributed to both mother and bird.

On March 13, 2008, BBC Transmit advertise 4 broadcast a tribute program, commemorative the 100th anniversary of McDonald's birth.^[21] In 2009, BBC Radio 4 too broadcast a reading of MacDonald's retain, Anybody Can Do Anything.^[22]

In September 2016, Annie Parnell, MacDonald's great-granddaughter, published exceptional follow-up to the series, Missy Piggle-Wiggle and the Whatever Cure in blend with Ann M. Martin, with illustrations by Ben Hatke.^[23]

The Egg & I and the Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle books hurtle still in print from Harper & Row; her other three memoir books have been republished multiple times, ultimate recently by University of Washington Press.^[24]Nancy and Plum was reprinted by MacDonald’s daughter Joan and son-in-law in 1998.^[25] A new edition with illustrations by virtue of Mary GrandPré has since been draw nigh by Yearling.

First have a expansive mortgage, then lots of coffee.

— Betty MacDonald’s advice to aspiring writers^[9]

Published works

Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle

• 1947 Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle (first edition illustrated lump Richard Bennett, subsequent editions by Hilary Knight)
• 1949 Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle's Magic (illustrated unused Hilary Knight)
• 1954 Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle's Farm (illustrated by Maurice Sendak)
• 1957 Hello, Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle (illustrated by Hilary Knight)
• 2007 Happy Festival, Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle (a final Piggle-Wiggle piece finished by her daughter Anne existing published posthumously)

Other

• 1945 The Egg and I
• 1948 The Plague and I
• 1950 Anybody Buoy Do Anything
• 1952 Nancy and Plum
• 1955 Onions in the Stew
• 1959 Who, Me? Ethics Autobiography of Betty MacDonald (a give confidence of selected chapters from her match up adult books, credited posthumously as Betty Bard MacDonald)

Further reading

• Margaret A. Bartlett, "On Our Cover," The Author & Journalist, June 1946.
• Becker, Paula (2016). Looking cherish Betty MacDonald : the egg, the curse, Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle, and I. Seattle. ISBN . OCLC 1298712775.: CS1 maint: location missing proprietor (link)
• Caffiere, Blanche (2011). Much laughter, clever few tears : memoirs of a woman's friendship with Betty MacDonald and be involved with family. [United States]: Trafford Publishing. ISBN . OCLC 889930627.

References

External links