Married when she was barely 19, Betty Auchard went straight from her parent's home to her husband's bed. She raised four children, returned to college, taught art in public school, and became a grandmother, published artist, a retiree and then a widow. When she loses her husband of 49 years, widowhood forces Betty to find out what she can do on her own. She has a lot to learn. Facing her new responsibilities she makes all kinds of mistakes. These short, upbeat, inspiring stories tell how this spunky woman got through widowhood—she decides to dance instead of sitting on the sidelines. Betty laughs and cries her way through grief and, ultimately, comes to see her situation as normal. Through it all, Betty lands on her feet ready for whatever comes next. The last page doesn't feel like and ending, because really, it's just the beginning. IPPY Award winner!

Dancing in my Nightgown: The Rhythms of Widowhood

Auchard, Betty

Parenting & Relationships

CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform

A day after their wedding in 1949, Denny whisks his new bride, Betty, to the boys’ dorm on a college campus in Nebraska, where they are to serve as houseparents and role models. The strict church-based campus prompts the young wife to act smarter than she thinks she is and holier than she knows she is. Coming from a down-to-earth family that indulged in much of what is forbidden by the Christian college (including drinking, smoking, cussing, and dancing) requires that she smooth out a lot of rough edges. In the process, Betty learns lessons as a surrogate mother to eleven high-spirited young men that will prepare her for the real thing. Reading Living with Twelve Men feels like time travel; it’s a moral and emotional snapshot of mid-America in the 1950s. This was an era without television, cell phones, computers, and social media. The concerns of individuals in small-town middle America were so unlike those of the present day that the differences are breathtaking. Most of the time, we judge a book by its contents. This work speaks loudly by what isn’t said, and the silence offers a priceless perspective on genuine human values. Living with Twelve Men is Betty Auchard at her best. — Charles D. Hayes, author, September University: Summoning Passion for an Unfinished Life, and A Mile North of Good and Evil. These stories are like an episode out of a good novel. You would not have to know the characters to appreciate the experiences and, most likely, you’ll be reminded of your own past. People in the Midwest, in the days leading to our own time, were survivors. We’re used to hearing, “Forget the past,” but maybe it’s not so bad to remember the past if in it one finds pleasant memories and laughter. Betty does that with both dignity and grace. I would recommend that you read the story to see for yourself. — Dr. J. Benton White, retired professor, San Jose State University Betty was born to write, even though she may not have figured that out until later in life. A captivating storyteller, she lures you in from the first sentence, and no matter how old you are, or in what era you grew up, you can identify with the thoughts and events she recounts with humor, poignancy, and great insight. — Nina L. Diamond, journalist, essayist, author, and former Independent Publisher Book Awards (IPPY Awards) judge, 2004-2011 About the Author: Betty Auchard, a retired art teacher, was sixty-eight when widowhood prompted her to begin writing. At the age of seventy- five, she completed her first memoir, Dancing in My Nightgow, which became an IPPY Award (Independent Publisher) finalist. The Home for the Friendless, published when she was eighty, received first-place awards for content and book design from the National Independent Publisher Awards (NIEA). Living with Twelve Men is Betty’s 85th birthday present to herself, and she and her editor have already started work on a fourth book. The oldest of three children, Betty grew up in the Midwest and spent the early years of married life in Nebraska. When her husband, Denny, landed a position as a college professor at San Jose State University, they relocated to the Bay Area of California, where they raised four children and a herd of grandchildren. Betty continues to write in the family home. Books printed in the US and the UK.

Living with Twelve Men: a mother in training

Biographies & Memoirs

Community & Culture

Robertson Publishing

Married when she was barely 19, Betty Auchard went straight from her parents' home to her husband's bed. She raised four children, returned to college, taught art in the public school system, and became a grandmother, a published artist, a retiree, and then a widow. When she loses her husband of almost 49 years to cancer, widowhood forces Betty to find out what she can do on her own. She has a lot to learn, having never been single before. She was not freeway literate, nor had she ever used a computer. And she had never paid the bills by herself. Facing her new responsibilities, this septuagenarian makes all kinds of mistakes. These short, upbeat, inspiring stories tell us how this spunky woman got through widowhood-she decides to dance instead of sitting on the sidelines.

Dancing in My Nightgown: The Rhythms of Widowhood

Stephens Pr Llc

This is the Spanish language edition of Dancing in My Nightgown (ISBN 9781-932173-7580).Married when she was barely 19, Betty Auchard went straight from her parents' home to her husband's bed. When she loses Denny to cancer after almost 49 years of marriage, widowhood forces Betty to find out what she can do on her own. She has a lot to learn, having never been single before.These short, upbeat, inspiring stories tell us how this spunky septuagenarian survives-she decides to dance instead of sitting on the sidelines. Betty laughs and cries her way through grief and, ultimately, comes to see her situation as normal."None of us is going to get out of this alive, and someone is always going to be left behind feeling sad."

Bailando en mi camison / Dancing in My Nightgown: Al Compas de la Viudez / The Rhythms of Widowhood (Spanish Edition)

Self-Help

Death & Grief

The eldest of three in an unconventional family making their way through The Great Depression, Betty narrates this humorous and poignant recollection. Although poor in possessions, Betty's family leads a life so rich in turmoil that it rivals today's sitcoms. Betty's young parents tie and untie the marital knot three times amidst a string of separations. When relatives become too weary to keep the children, Betty and her siblings are dropped off at The Home for the Friendless where they enjoy three meals a day, indoor plumbing, a grassy playground, and plenty of holiday parties. When the family reunites two years later, the roller coaster resumes as they move many times across two states, proving that love overcomes all and that normal isn't always better.

Home for the Friendless: Finding Hope, Love, and Family

Regional U.S.

LifeStories

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Auchard, Betty. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Auchard, Betty

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Auchard, Betty. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Dancing in my Nightgown: The Rhythms of Widowhood

Living with Twelve Men: a mother in training

Dancing in My Nightgown: The Rhythms of Widowhood

Dancing in My Nightgown: The Rhythms of Widowhood

Bailando en mi camison / Dancing in My Nightgown: Al Compas de la Viudez / The Rhythms of Widowhood (Spanish Edition)

Home for the Friendless: Finding Hope, Love, and Family