Betty MacDonald’s semi-autobiographical The Egg and I was first published in 1945. It has since been one of America’s favorites. The story takes place in the late 1920s.
The Egg and I goes into a few years of the author’s early life, but soon concentrates on life on a chicken ranch near the town of Chimacum on Washington’s Olympic Peninsula. Betty and her husband, Bob Heskett, bought a run-down farm and with enormous work, converted it into a chicken ranch. Life wasn’t easy. They had no electricity or running water and had to always be on the look-out for dangerous wildlife.
Good neighbors were essential and the Hesketts had much give and take with theirs. Among their neighbors were Ma and Pa Kettle, whose story later took on a life of its own in a film series.
The book has been criticized as being politically incorrect, but considering when it was written, I accepted the fact that the author simply stated her feelings and observations of the local Native people. Many of America’s early writers expressed opinions that are now considered culturally insensitive.
The Egg and I dispels myths about the glories of living off the land. Farming is hard work, with long hours and no time off for sickness, vacations, etc. Still, despite the labor-intensive ranch work and inconveniences, MacDonald writes with humor and honesty.
The Egg and I richly deserves the favorable attention bestowed on it for generations. I thoroughly enjoyed this entertaining story.