Home at Heart

From 1957 to1972, Dorothy "Dottie" Lebo wrote a weekly humor column called "Home at Heart" for the Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, Sunday Patriot-News that chronicled the chaos and charms of family life. A 1950s mom who refused to conform to the era's rigid standards for housewives, Lebo documented suburban living during a period of rapid change in American culture.

"Home at Heart" ran in the women's pages and won Lebo the affection of legions of local fans as she recounted her hilarious household misadventures. During the days when financial planning meant managing charge accounts and layaway plans, and collecting S&H green stamps, Lebo entertained her readers with reflections on historic events, including the Apollo moonwalk, the assassination of President Kennedy, and the British invasion led by the Beatles. She mused on the lives of celebrities like actress Elizabeth Taylor and football star Joe Namath, and she pondered a rapidly changing culture as it came home to roost in the form of long hair, basement bands, and pop psychology.

Full of good humor and brimming with the details of the time, Home at Heart will take you back to a pivotal era. Diane Lebo Wallace has lovingly compiled her mother's witty columns, offering an intimate glimpse into the mind of an extraordinary housewife and mother.