Life With Father and Life With Mother. Here are two (former) classic books about family life in the early 20th century. In many ways the books about Frank and Lillian Gilbreth (Cheaper By the Dozen and Belles On Their Toes) parallel these memoirs. Father, however, is quite a bit more cantankerous; mother is more subtle in the ways in which she outwits him. Although written some twelve years apart, the time line in both is quite jumbled; in fact, the latter novel begins well before its predecessor does. Somehow, "Life With Mother" seems to be more about father. If you enjoyed the Gilbreth books (or the moviethe original, not the recent abomination), youll surely enjoy these.

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