Project Gutenberg 2005-01-17 Public domain in the USA. 169 Ferber, Edna 1885 1968 20008793 Half Portions The maternal feminine -- April 25th, as usual -- Old lady Mandle -- You've got to be selfish -- Long distance -- Un morso doo pang -- One hundred per cent -- Farmer in the dell -- The dancing girls. Produced by Juliet Sutherland, Aaron Reed and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team "Half Portions" by Edna Ferber is a novel written in the early 20th century. The story introduces Aunt Sophy Decker, a middle-aged spinster and successful milliner in Chippewa, Wisconsin. It explores her life as she operates her hat shop, navigates family dynamics, and provides emotional support to her sisters and their families, all while reflecting on her own unfulfilled desires and giving nature. At the start of the book, we are introduced to Aunt Sophy as a character who embodies the challenges and virtues of single life. She is portrayed as a self-reliant businesswoman who caters to a diverse clientele, from fashionable women to working-class girls. The opening details her relationships with her married sisters, who often confide in her about their dissatisfaction with marriage and motherhood. Sophy, despite being perceived as a "poor aunt," exhibits a depth of understanding and tolerance that reflects her strength and resilience. The narrative sets the stage for a poignant exploration of womanhood, sacrifice, and the complexities of family relationships, hinting at Sophy's journey of self-discovery amid the expectations placed on her by her family. (This is an automatically generated summary.) Reading ease score: 84.3 (6th grade). Easy to read. en United States -- Social life and customs -- 20th century -- Fiction PS Text Category: Novels Category: American Literature 423578 2025-07-06T10:52:06.743838 text/html 417046 2024-10-28T21:45:33 text/html 224177 2025-07-06T10:52:13.452839 application/epub+zip 228397 2025-07-06T10:52:08.635824 application/epub+zip 228396 2025-07-06T10:52:07.479855 application/epub+zip 375404 2025-07-06T10:52:17.115818 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 360339 2025-07-06T10:52:12.736859 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 332485 2022-09-07T17:56:39.030824 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 406846 2023-09-07T04:39:22.005269 text/plain 387109 2024-10-28T21:45:33 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 16323 2025-07-06T10:52:17.240785 application/rdf+xml 9074 2025-07-06T10:52:07.979834 image/jpeg 2729 2025-07-06T10:52:07.730830 image/jpeg 218847 2025-07-06T10:52:06.776864 application/octet-stream application/zip Archives containing the RDF files for *all* our books can be downloaded at https://book.klll.cc/wiki/Gutenberg:Feeds#The_Complete_Project_Gutenberg_Catalog en.wikipedia