Audiobook Blog Tour: The Egg and I by Betty MacDonald & Narrated by Heather Henderson...Review & Giveaway!

Today it's my turn to tell you about The Egg and I audiobook!

Keep reading to learn more, to read my review, and to enter the amazing giveaways!

About the Audiobook

Author: Betty MacDonald

Narrator: Heather Henderson

Length: 9 hours

Publisher: Post Hypnotic Press⎮2015

Genre: Humor, Memoir

When Betty MacDonald married a marine and moved to a small chicken farm on the Olympic Peninsula in Washington State, she was largely unprepared for the rigors of life in the wild. With no running water, no electricity, a house in need of constant repair, and days that ran from four in the morning to nine at night, the MacDonalds had barely a moment to put their feet up and relax. And then came the children. Yet through every trial and pitfall – through chaos and catastrophe – this indomitable family somehow, mercifully, never lost its sense of humor. A beloved literary treasure for more than half a century, Betty MacDonald’s The Egg and I is a heartwarming and uproarious account of adventure and survival on the American frontier.

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  About the Author

Betty Bard MacDonald (1907–1958), the best-selling author of The Egg and I and the classic Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle children’s books, burst onto the literary scene shortly after the end of World War II. Readers embraced her memoir of her years as a young bride operating a chicken ranch on Washington’s Olympic Peninsula, andThe Egg and I sold its first million copies in less than a year. The public was drawn to MacDonald’s vivacity, her offbeat humor, and her irreverent take on life. In 1947, the book was made into a movie starring Fred MacMurray and Claudette Colbert, and spawned a series of films featuring MacDonald’s Ma and Pa Kettle characters.

MacDonald followed up the success of The Egg and I with the creation of Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle, a magical woman who cures children of their bad habits, and with three additional memoirs: The Plague and I (chronicling her time in a tuberculosis sanitarium just outside Seattle), Anybody Can Do Anything (recounting her madcap attempts to find work during the Great Depression), and Onions in the Stew (about her life raising two teenage daughters on Vashon Island).

Author Paula Becker was granted full access to Betty MacDonald’s archives, including materials never before seen by any researcher. Looking for Betty MacDonald, the first official biography of this endearing Northwest storyteller, reveals the story behind the memoirs and the difference between the real Betty MacDonald and her literary persona.

Post Hypnotic Press

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About the Narrator

Heather Henderson is a voice actress and audiobook narrator with a 20-year career in literary and performing arts. Her narrations include the NYT bestseller (now also a feature film) Brain on Fire; and Sharon Creech’s The Boy on the Porch, which won her an Earphones award and was named one of the Best Children’s Audiobooks for 2013 by Audiofile Magazine. She earned her Doctor of Fine Arts degree at the Yale School of Drama, and is co-curator of AudioEloquence.com, a pronunciation research site for the audiobook industry. In 2015, Heather was a finalist for a Voice Arts Award (Outstanding Narration, Audiobook Classics), for her narration of Betty MacDonald’s The Egg and I.
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My Review

Title: The Egg and I
Author:  Betty MacDonald
Narrator:  Heather Henderson
Format: Audiobook
Running Time: 9hrs
Source:  Audiobookworm Promotions Blog Tour

I remember seeing the film adaptation of The Egg and I as a kid and I can't remember a time when Ma and Pa Kettle, two of its most famous characters were not a part of my life as they have always been favorites of my father, thus favorites of mine.  However, I had never had the opportunity to read the book that inspired the film and its characters and am so glad I took the time to listen to the audiobook version.

Written in the 1940s and based on author Betty MacDonald's real life, The Egg and I is filled with the author's experiences and observations from when she and her husband moved to a chicken farm in rural Washington state. Life wasn't always easy for Betty and her family, but they persevered. As the synopsis suggests, Betty seemed to keep her sense of humor about most things based on the wit and humor she uses in telling her stories. The little anecdotes shared about her life on the chicken ranch are quite humorous and colorful as are the characters (including the animals) our author introduces us to along the way.

However, although appropriate to the time period, there are a few problematic observations or descriptions used when it comes to some of her Native American and rural neighbors that might bother some who read or hear them.  But keep in mind the author's experiences (or lack of) and time period when this book was written.

As for Heather Henderson's narration, it was absolutely perfect and I am so glad I listened to the audiobook version of this book despite its length (9hrs). Somehow hearing the story told to me rather than reading it myself, made everything better and funnier. It was as if the author herself was telling me what had happened. Through both the author's words and the way the narrator delivered them, I could easily picture someone from the city trying to adjust to an isolated life filled with chickens, outhouses, and plenty of other things she never thought she'd have to deal with when she got married and started a family.

This classic book was narrated beautifully with plenty of humor and fun.  I enjoyed hearing about the author's experiences as she adjusted to life on a chicken ranch.

My Rating: 4 Stars

*I received a free copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.*

Giveaways

Grand Prize

The Egg and I Grand Prize

First Runner Up

The Egg and I Runner Up

Second Runner Up

The Egg and I 2nd Runner Up

Third Runner Up

The Egg and I 3rd Runner Up

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