Belles on Their Toes

In this delightful memoir by the authors of Cheaper by the Dozen, the twelve Gilbreth children cope with the loss of their father as they grow up together.
With twelve kids, life at the Gilbreth house has always been a big project. But after their father passes away, there are more challenges than ever. And yet, with the irrepressible blend of humor and good cheer characteristic of one of the most beloved families in America, the Gilbreths happily rise to every occasion and find a way to keep it all together.

With the clan struggling to make ends meet, everyone has to pitch in. As their resourceful mother works to keep the family business running without Dad, the kids tackle the adventures of raising themselves and running a household. Their attempts to pinch pennies frequently result in chaos. From tragedy and the trials of the first year as a single-parent household to the daily crises of a family with a double-digit headcount, the episodes in Belles on Their Toes are poignant, inspiring, and hilarious.

"From start to finish, it is a reading joy," raved the Chicago Sunday Tribune. "There is a sincere and heartwarming atmosphere in this second volume," wrote Library Journal, "that makes it almost better reading, if possible, than the first."