Lena Carpelan

After 11 years of childless marriage, calm and efficient Swedish-American Anna Sjöholm Masters has an unexpected attack of horrormones, loses her mind, and begs her husband for a baby. The result is the Blackberry Hill kids, an endearing trio of rapscallions who cheerfully romp through life as their aging parents valiantly try to keep order in the midst of chaos. From bilingual Collin who loudly counts to "sex" at Wal-Mart; to struggling readers who stumble through "the itchy bitchy spider," to reports from school ("Ashlee got a splinter in her butt and showed it to us for show and tell"), and with an insider look at pets, camping, family vacations, playing games, the endless quest to be biggest and best, and survival through the teen years, this collection of effervescent freeze frames, one liners, skits, and letters capture the essence of exuberant family life.