90 Brothers and Sisters

Two idealistic young people from Chicago move into a remote Appalachian area of Kentucky in the 1930's, and end up with a family of nearly 100 children, and not a cent to their names. Told from the astonished and sometimes indignant viewpoint of their only biological child, this rollicking tale has so much heartwarming goodness and chilling danger built into the plot that what began as a novel turned into a documentary because it was "too unbelievable".

90 Brothers and Sisters could be one of the funniest and saddest books you have ever read. Two idealistic young people from Chicago move into a remote Appalachian area of Kentucky in the 1930's, and end up with a family of nearly 100 children, and not a cent to their names. Told from the astonished and sometimes indignant viewpoint of their only biological child, this rollicking tale has so much heartwarming goodness and chilling danger built into the plot that what began as a novel turned into a documentary because it was "too unbelievable". Originally published by Harper and Row in 1978, this book is now going online for a new generation of readers.

A lifetime of rich experience gives Lenore De Pree's writing texture and depth. Born in Chicago, raised in the Appalachian Mountain region of Kentucky where this story takes place, then going on with husband Gordon to spend twenty years in Hong Kong and ten years in Saudi Arabia, Lenore has looked deep into human nature, culture, and the many definitions of love. Mother of four children and grandmother of five, Lenore now lives in western Michigan where she and Gordon share a love of art and design.