Customer Reviews

Who Gets the Drumstick? the Story of the Beardsley Family (The Story of the Beardsley Family)

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Loved this book!! I was horribly disappointed (but not surprised) to see this book selling for so much. But, that aside, this book is well-written and an excellent portrait of love, family, and the truly important things in life. I was impressed with how in tune Helen and Frank were with their children, and how they tried hard to create an environment of growth, warmth, unity, and love. I really learned some things from the way they parented their children. I wish that the folks who made the movie "Yours, Mine, and Ours" had stuck more to the true story. About the only things that were the same were the names of the family members, and a few small details here and there. Everything else was fictional! The thing that bothered me the most was that in the book the children were excited to become one big, happy family, and cared for and loved each other, and in the movie they were portrayed as hating each other. I am really glad I took the time to read the book!

I borrowed this book from my local library. Once I started reading it I couldn't put it down. How two families came together and became one after two tragedies would be inspiration to anyone trying to blend together two families after the death of a spouse or divorce. This book should be required reading for anyone in such circumstances.

Beardsely recounts the events of her life in this memoir that became the popular movie "Yours, Mine, and Ours" starring Lucille Ball. The book describes the events after the death of Beardsley's first husband who left her with eight children. Upon moving to California, she falls in love with Frank Beardsley, the widowed father of ten children. The two marry and raise a household with twenty-two members in all, and all quite successfully. A funny light memoir for readers of all ages.

This is more than just a story of how two large famlies became one. It is a journey of faith and a message of inspiration to any mom who felt like she was overwhelmed by the demands of her family. Helen Beardsley writes with a gentle voice about the challenges and joys of losing a spouse, raising kids, and starting over again. The first movie is loosely based on this book and is fun to watch, but the book has depth that you will miss is you never read it. If you see it for under $50, I would buy it right away and cherish it. It also includes pictures of the real Beardsley family.

At the age of 30, Helen North was a widow with seven young children and one more on the way. A year later, she had married Frank Beardsley, a widower with ten children. Helen's 1965 memoir recounts how she and Frank met and married, the challenges and joys of blending eighteen children (they would later have two more), their first grocery shopping excursion (she was horrified that a week's food for a family of 20 cost an astronomical $127!), their first Christmas together, and the couple's adoption of each other's children.

Frank and Helen shared a deep religious conviction and an abiding devotion to their family, and her story is a very happy and inspiring one. (The book inspired the 1968 movie, Yours, Mine and Ours.)

There is a very big difference between the movies and the book. In the book (and real life)Helen has 8 children and Frank has 10, and they're all their biological children. In the movies, they changed that and many other things about their marriage and family life. I think that if you really want to understand the Beardsleys (at least as much as anyone can), you should read the book. It is excellantly written, but one needs to realise that it happened in the 60's, not 2005. It is a fascinating book, and I hope you're able to read it. I have enjoyed very much.

When I was raising my children and there were times I felt I was overwhelmed, I would stop and read this book and it encouraged me to go on, If Helen Beardsley could do it with 18 children , so could I, with 4!
A must read for every mother and father and especially if you have teenagers at home.
The movie was good, the book 100 times better.

The book "Who Gets the Drumstick" by Helen North Beardsley is the inspiration for the movie "Yours, Mine and Ours". While I thoroughly enjoyed the movie, I am so glad that I read the book because it presents a much better picture of what life was like for the Beardsley family and of the serious thought and prayer that Helen and Frank put into making the decision to marry and raise their children as one family.
Frank Beardsley insisted that the parents have their own private space and time for themselves in order to be good parents and I found this to be informative and helpful to my husband and myself as parents - even if we only have four children. Also, being Catholic, I especially appreciated reading the true story of how Helen and Frank met and seeing how much their Catholic faith informed their decisions about the marriage and the welfare of the children.
I highly recommend this book, especially to parents - regardless of how many children they have.

if you liked the movie.... Yours Mine and Ours as much as I did, then you'll get a real kick from this book. it is the real true life account of Helen Beardsley and her and husband Franks wonderful family! although I makes you wonder what will happen next to this large blended family
the account of how they met, their courtship and Marriage is great! it is a must read book!