The Cutters

by Bess Streeter Aldrich, published by Aeonian Press, Leyden, MA 01337. Republished 1975 with special arrangement with Hawthorn Books, Inc. Copyright 1922, 1923 by The Crowell Publishing Company.

If you like the subtle family humor of books like Cheaper by the Dozen – or even TV family sitcoms, like The Cosby Show – you'll love this one. Set in a tiny Midwest town, each chapter is a separate episode in the life of the Cutter family - Ed and Nell, their five children, and Ed's mother. Social commentary, still valid today, is hidden in the family situations: on working women versus stay-at-home moms; keeping up with the Joneses; surviving economic hard times with patience and humor; teaching children the meaning of true friendship; even the hypocrisy of squabbling believers, as in the following example.

Background: The ladies of the town are bickering about which church should host an important dinner. Finally, they decide to have it at the Legion Hall. Aldrich's commentary: "...thereby appeasing all the warlike tribes of the followers of the Gentle One. When peace, like a river, attended their way once more...."

First copyrighted in 1922, the writing style is simple and peppered with delightful phrases, like "Money was tight, tighter than a bark on a tree," and "It is like bathing in rippling water to work in the midst of singing words." It's a short book, and I recommend it as necessary reading for all mothers who have, or have had, a houseful of children.