The Home-Maker

Dorothy Canfield Fisher (1879 - 1958)

The Knapp family seems as though they ought to be happy, yet hidden frustrations are tearing them apart under the surface. As the family breadwinner, Lester Knapp drags himself reluctantly to his job each day, miserable in the harsh world of commerce and business, longing for a quiet life at home with his books. Meanwhile, Evangeline Knapp is admired as an excellent housewife, yet the limited challenges of that life are driving her to perfectionism and boredom. The Knapp children are affected by their parents' unhappiness, the youngest child acting out in frequent tantrums, and the two older children tense and nervous. When an accident puts Lester in a wheelchair and sends Evangeline out to work, their family and friends see it only as a tragedy. Yet Lester discovers his true calling at home, developing his own relaxed style of housekeeping, while discerning the individual needs and personalities of the children. And Evangeline discovers her true calling in the business world, demonstrating both creativity and organizational skills, thriving on the daily challenge and mental stimulation. Before long, the entire family realizes that they are all blossoming into a new happiness. But will this unconventional arrangement of gender roles be allowed to continue? Or will circumstances force the Knapps to return to the lives that made them miserable? - Summary by Maria Kasper

Genre(s): Family Life, Published 1900 onward

Language: English

Section Chapter Reader Time
Play 01 Chapter 1 Maria Kasper
00:22:54
Play 02 Chapter 2 Maria Kasper
00:39:55
Play 03 Chapter 3 Maria Kasper
00:19:13
Play 04 Chapter 4 Maria Kasper
00:24:22
Play 05 Chapter 5 Maria Kasper
00:10:51
Play 06 Chapter 6 Maria Kasper
00:06:33
Play 07 Chapter 7 Maria Kasper
00:26:57
Play 08 Chapter 8 Maria Kasper
00:27:44
Play 09 Chapter 9 Maria Kasper
00:25:03
Play 10 Chapter 10 Maria Kasper
00:17:49
Play 11 Chapter 11 Maria Kasper
00:22:10
Play 12 Chapter 12 Maria Kasper
00:08:02
Play 13 Chapter 13 Maria Kasper
00:09:46
Play 14 Chapter 14 Maria Kasper
00:18:21
Play 15 Chapter 15 Maria Kasper
00:17:01
Play 16 Chapter 16 Maria Kasper
00:19:03
Play 17 Chapter 17 Maria Kasper
00:33:53
Play 18 Chapter 18 Maria Kasper
00:08:06
Play 19 Chapter 19 Maria Kasper
00:21:20
Play 20 Chapter 20 Maria Kasper
00:24:37
Play 21 Chapter 21 Maria Kasper
00:38:52
Play 22 Chapter 22 Maria Kasper
00:08:13