21 Siblings

Helen Miller’s memoir, “21 Siblings: Cheaper by the Two Dozen” depicts the organized chaos of raising 22 children in a relatively small home.  Her parents married young and proceeded to have 22 single birth children between December 16th, 1940 and January 13th, 1966.  According to Wikipedia, the Miller family of 22 children held the record as the largest living single-birth U.S. family from one mother and one father in this century. 

Miller describes how the family managed as they grew up on a farm and lived off the land through good years and bad, and focuses on traditional meals depending on what produce was in season.  She develops the theme of everyday life in a family where schedules revolved around the rhythm of the Catholic church and school calendar.

It’s a surprisingly up-beat and always fascinating story of a unique Minnesota family’s history.  Miller is the 13th of 22 children, which puts her in a good position to see the whole picture of this unusual family.