Chapters 1-5 Summary and Analysis

"Belles on Their Toes" by Frank B. Gilbreth and Ernestine Gilbreth Carey tells the story of Lillian and her children. After her husband's death, the woman was left to earn the income for the family and raise 11 children on her own. This isn't easy to do at any time, much less in the pre-World II era when women didn't generally work outside the home, and certainly not in the field of engineering.

Mother had to go to Europe and the children had to stay by themselves. It was difficult for everybody involved, but they all knew that they had to do it. They were used to their father going away on trips and had a special going-away routine. The driver who was going to take their Mother to the station told them that he heard about their father. The...