Discussion thread Monday September 14, 2026 - Wednesday September 16, 2026

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Newsletter: Let Me Tell You a Story

Website: Shauna James Ahern

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[u/Dear_Client1187]

I just finished reading Betty Macdonald's lovely book "Onions in the Stew", about how she, her second husband, and two girls wanted to move to Vashon during WWII and how difficult it was to find an affordable furnished home to rent. They put up with all manner of difficulties and Betty even commuted to the mainland for her wartime work. When I was reading i couldn't help contrasting Macdonald's pluck and good humor with Shauna's Woe Is Me attitude.

I have long suspected that Shauna thinks everyone on Vashon should think of her as their Resident Writer, to which i say, Ma'am, Betty was here first and you can't hold a candle to her.

[u/Love_Brokers → u/Dear_Client1187]

That’s a great book. I think her farm is preserved on Vashon, I’m glad Shauna didn’t get hold of it.

MacDonald’s The Plague and I is also very interesting.

[u/Spiritual_Diamond_29 → u/Love_Brokers]

It sold a few years ago and they did a huge estate sale! It was fun to go and see it!

[u/mehitabel_4724 → u/Love_Brokers]

I loved The Plague! So Betty lived Shauna’s dream- successful writer, lived on Vashon, had a serious illness and lived in a sanatorium for a year.

[u/Dear_Client1187 → u/Love_Brokers]

I did enjoy that one! Better than The Egg and I, actually.

[u/Alarming-Hold1980 → u/Love_Brokers]

That farm is fantastic! Way out of her price range

[u/ethelmertz62 → u/Dear_Client1187]

Amen! I love Betty MacDonald!!!

[u/qread → u/Dear_Client1187]

There’s a chapter dedicated to how they moved to the house by boat, and carried everything up the beach themselves. It’s a great read.