Showing results by author "Edna Ferber" in All Categories

In this early novel by Edna Ferber, a successful, charming businesswoman watches and encourages her handsome son as he faces the challenges and pressures of the advertising world.

The story revolves around Fanny Brandeis, starting with her childhood in Winnebago, WI, where her parents run a shop. After Fanny's father dies, her mother Molly must make extremely difficult choices about Fanny's and her brother Theodore's educations. These choices set the course for the entire family throughout their lives. Rather than rely on dialogue to advance the plot, noted American author Edna Ferber is an exceptional storyteller who delights the listener with narrative. Fanny must decide whether to pursue wealth or follow her creative dreams.

Selina sees beauty everywhere, including in the fields of cabbages. She has a natural curiosity about farming and oversteps the woman's traditional role by having the audacity to ask the men questions. She soon marries Pervus DeJong, a farmer. Selina eagerly offers suggestions for operational improvements, but Pervus ignores her, preferring to use the unprofitable farming methods employed by his father.

One of Edna Ferber’s most important early novels. Meet Fanny Brandeis—sturdy, alert, and endlessly determined. Edna Ferber’s Fanny Herself (1917) follows a Jewish-American woman in a small Wisconsin town who dares to dream beyond her circumstances. With wit, grit, and piercing brown eyes that see the world too clearly, Fanny struggles to balance duty, ambition, and her own individuality in a society that resists women’s independence.

So Big is the unforgettable story of the indomitable Selina Peake DeJong and her struggles to stay afloat and maintain her dignity in the face of a challenging marriage, widowhood, and single parenthood.

In this continuation of Pulitzer Prize-winner Edna Ferber's series set at the turn of the 20th century, the magnetic divorcée Emma McChesney faces a new set of challenges. In partnership with T.A. Buck Jr., Emma struggles to keep the T.A. Buck Featherloom Petticoat Company relevant, while her charismatic 21-year-old son takes the NY advertising world by storm. Jock's insistence that his business-savvy mother's methods are outdated leads to a crisis of confidence for Emma. But Jock's charm and ability to "sell ice to an Eskimo" land him in trouble.

Join Emma McChesney, a clever and determined divorced mother, as she embarks on her journey across the Midwest as a sales representative for a prominent skirt and petticoat manufacturer. Her escapades—filled with humorous encounters with predatory salesmen and quirky hotel clerks—are both hilarious and heartfelt. Emma excels in her field, often outshining even the most polished male competitors, all while balancing her dedication to her work and her seventeen-year-old son, Jock. Through her experiences, she learns the importance of sticking to what she knows best roast beef, medium, rather...

Gigolo is a captivating collection of short stories by Edna Ferber, the celebrated author of classics like Show Boat and So Big, for which she won the Pulitzer Prize. Set against the vibrant backdrop of the Midwest—from Illinois to Oklahoma—these narratives explore the lives of diverse characters, from a spirited young auto mechanic to a woman embracing her newfound identity at sixty. Ferbers stories are imbued with the strength of women navigating and triumphing over challenging circumstances. In her poignant tale, The Sudden Sixties, she muses, “Having made the worst of it, you made ...

In the whimsical world of fairy tales, we often hear the phrase, they lived happily ever after. But what happens after the story ends? Once the enchantment fades and the glass slippers become worn, does the Prince ever find himself needing to remind Cinderella about her messy kitchen or her grammar? And after Puss in Boots has secured wealth and a bride for his master, does that gentleman not sometimes feel frustrated when neighbors refuse to acknowledge his lovely wife, born of humble beginnings? Buttered Side Down dares to explore these unanswered questions, offering a refreshing twist on ...

Ten classic public domain short stories offering a feminine perspective on work, written from 1868 to 1925 by an incredible lineup of authors. These works present an early and poignant perspective on the role of work in society and relationships and its effect on women.

So Big is author Edna Ferber's breakout, Pulitzer Prize-winning novel of life on an American farm, which features the hardscrabble schoolteacher-turned-truck-farmer Selina Peake DeJong, one of the most iconic characters in 20th century fiction.

Menant une vie mi-ordinaire, mi-luxueuse auprès de son père, Selina Peak découvre la valeur de l’art et de la beauté à un très jeune âge. Déterminée, à peine diplômée, âgée de 19 ans et afin de devenir maîtresse d’école, Selina change d’horizon et emménage à High Prairie, une communauté hollandaise à quelques kilomètres de Chicago. Étant persuadée de la véracité des propos tenus par son père « la vie n’est qu’une grande aventure », Selina se jette dans l’inconnu ! Ce chemin pris, sera-t-il Si Grand ? Découvrez-le dans ce magnifique audiobook, Prix Pulitzer du roman 1925.

After years of living in boarding houses and working to pay for the care of her mentally ill husband, Dawn O’Hara feels closer to fifty than twenty-eight—and on the edge of a mental breakdown. The stress of her life in the big city sends her to the doctor, who advises her to return to her small hometown in Michigan to recuperate. With help, Dawn is able to get a job as a newspaper reporter, meet people, and have a year’s worth of adventure. She is ready to start fresh, but with the memory of her husband, she fears she will never truly be free to love—or to be herself—again.

"The Dancing Girls, and Other Stories" contains four short-stories by two-times Pulitzer Prize winner Edna Ferber, written between 1910 and 1919. The title story paints a pictures of small-town America and of life "on the other side of the tracks." "The Dancing Girls" is followed by "Old Lady Mandle," "Long Distance," and "One Hundred Percent." - Edna Ferber (1885-1968) was an American author.

"The Homely Heroine" is a short story by American author Edna Ferber. It features a writer whose heroines are generally extremely beautiful. But one day, whilst she is out shopping, a shop-keeper asks her why she doesn’t write stories about a homelier heroine. "The Homely Heroine" is followed by "A Bush League Hero," "What she Wore," and "The Man Who Came Back." - Edna Ferber (1885-1968) was an American author.

A beautifully crafted collection of eight short stories by Edna Ferber: In Gigolo, Edna Ferber delves into the minds of eight diverse characters from all walks and stages of life.

After losing her father and her husband, Selina Peake is left to raise her only son on the farm that was left to her. Dirk Peake, a tenacious boy who grows up to be a successful bond salesman, must come to terms with his own regrets later in life after he decides not to pursue architecture, a passion that both he and his mother shared.

In this final book of Pulitzer Prize-winner Edna Ferber's series featuring the indomitable Emma McChesney, Emma's newly married son Jock has relocated to Chicago, leaving Emma an empty-nester. Her secret romance and pending nuptials stall when their company is thrown into an uproar at the height of the selling season. To defeat her long-time nemesis and take the T.A. Buck Featherloom Petticoat Company international, the always-competitive Emma sails off on a whirlwind tour of South America.

Pulitzer Prize-winner Edna Ferber created three wildly successful books featuring the business adventures of a dynamic, divorced single mother at the turn of the century. The first book in this classic series introduces listeners to the engaging, beautiful, and quick-talking Emma McChesney, traveling saleswoman for the T.A. Buck Featherloom Petticoat Company. Emma's 10 years on the road have taught her that living the Philosophy of Roast Beef, Medium allows her to avoid "moral pepsin" while meeting the challenges required to win in a man's world.

There is invariably something to laugh or cry about and a lot to think about in these short stories by Edna Ferber.