Plague And I (Common Reader Editions) (Paperback)

by Betty MacDonald (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
You know how sometimes friendship blossoms in the Þrst few moments of meeting? “Something clicked,” we say. Well, that’s what discovering Betty MacDonald was like for me: I happened to read a couple of pages of one of her books and — click — knew right away that here was a vivacious writer whose friendly, funny, and Þery company I was really going to enjoy. Although MacDonald’s Þrst and most popular book, The Egg and I, has remained in print since its original publication, her three other volumes have been unavailable for decades. The Plague and I recounts MacDonald’s experiences in a Seattle sanitarium, where the author spent almost a year (1938-39) battling tuberculosis. The White Plague was no laughing matter, but MacDonald nonetheless makes a sprightly tale of her brush with something deadly. Anybody Can Do Anything is a high-spirited, hilarious celebration of how “the warmth and loyalty and laughter of a big family” brightened their weathering of The Great Depression. In Onions in the Stew, MacDonald is in unbuttonedly frolicsome form as she describes how, with husband and daughters, she set to work making a life on a rough-and-tumble island in Puget Sound, a ferry-ride from Seattle.

Product Details

• Paperback
• Publisher: Akadine Pr (March 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1888173297
• ISBN-13: 978-1888173291
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (24 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #712,089 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Personal Reflection, October 19, 2001

By	Beach Lady (Portland, OR) - See all my reviews

Betty McDonald was my husbands's aunt - her sister DeDe mentioned in this book was my beloved mother-in-law. Although I never knew Betty, I had the priviledge of knowing my mother-in-law for 20 some years. The entire Bard family was a strong group with character like none other. My children had the priviledge of growing up listening to so many other "Bard Family stories" told by DeDe, their grandmother. It's too bad we don't have that grit, humor and determination that Betty and the rest of her family had. Those characteristics would help so many of us get through the tough times we face today. She was a great author and a classy lady. So glad these books have come back into print.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars fun at the sanatarium!, May 25, 2000

By	kathryn ashe (marietta, georgia usa) - See all my reviews

you wouldn't think that a stay in a tb hospital could be a subject for a funny book; at least not until you read betty macdonald's "the plague & i". she is the author of the wonderful classics, "the egg & i", "anybody can do anything", "onions in the stew", and the children's series, mrs. piggle-wiggle. this particular book brings her light hearted outlook to what could have been a very stressful time in her life. through betty's eyes the reader is invited to look at a serious subject with humor and wit. i'd recommend this to any reader of erma bombeck or jean kerr.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A funny look at a serious situation., October 26, 2001

By	apoem "apoem" (Bosque Farms, NM USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

This book is filled with an off beat sence of humor. It isn't the slap you in the face kind of humor but rather the kind of humor that hits you later. For example, I found myself smilingat something I read earlier in the day while cooking dinner. At the end of this book you feel like you know each of the people personally. I wanted a follow up to find out what happened to each person. It's that good.

Basically this book is about Betty MacDonalds stay in a sanitorium while she had TB. She can take such a serious topic that could be pretty morose and turn it into something interesting and funny.