Belles on Their Toes

I loved Belles on Their Toes. This is the sequel to Cheaper by the Dozen, which I enjoyed immensely earlier this year.

To recap: Frank and Lillian Gilbreth were efficiency experts. Frank basically invented the field of motion study, looking to save a minute here and a second there at every opportunity. In their two books, Frank Bunker Gilbreth, Jr. and Ernestine Gilbreth Carey have created a charming portrait of growing up in the midst of this large and eccentric family. 

Belles on Their Toes picks up where Cheaper by the Dozen leaves off, almost to the day. Frank Gilbreth, Sr. has just died of a heart attack and Lillian is setting off alone for Europe to deliver the talks Frank was scheduled to give and, in doing so, earn his fees, maintain his business, and keep her family together. (The children range in age from 18 to two.)

This is a delightfully written memoir: more than once I imagined how wonderful it must have been to be a Gilbreth. This is clearly a testament to the authors' ability, as in my sane moments, I can imagine few things worse! 

As an added bonus, several of the Gilbreth children attend the University of Michigan, including the youngest, Jane, whose graduation provides perhaps the most poignant in the book.

Four stars.