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One Dozen & One; Short Stories
One Dozen and One, Short Stories by Gladys Taber in Hardcover.
240 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1996
37 people want to read
About the author
Gladys Taber
89 books132 followersA prolific author whose output includes plays, essays, memoirs and fiction, Gladys Taber (1899 – 1980) is perhaps best recalled for a series of books and columns about her life at Stillmeadow, a 17th-century farmhouse in Southbury, Connecticut.
Born Gladys Bagg on April 12, 1899 in Colorado Springs, Colorado, she was the middle child and only one to survive to adulthood. Her parents were Rufus Mather Bagg, who could trace his ancestry back to Cotton Mather, and the former Grace Sibyl Raybold. An older sister, Majel, had died at the age of six months while a younger brother Walter died at 15 months. During her childhood, she moved frequently as her father accepted various teaching posts until they finally settled in Appleton, Wisconsin. Gladys graduated from Appleton High School and enrolled at Wellesley College, receiving her bachelor’s degree in 1920. She returned to her hometown and earned a master’s in 1921 from Lawrence College, where her father was on faculty. The following year, she married Frank Albion Taber, Jr., giving birth to their daughter on July 7, 1923.
Mrs. Taber taught English at Lawrence College, Randolph Macon Women’s College in Lynchburg, Virginia, and at Columbia University, where she did postgraduate studies. She began her literary career with a play, Lady of the Moon (Penn), in 1928, and followed with a book of verse, Lyonesse (Bozart) in 1929. Taber won attention for her first humorous novel, Late Climbs the Sun (Coward, 1934). She went on to write several other novels and short story collections, including Tomorrow May Be Fair ( Coward, 1935), A Star to Steer By (Macrae, 1938) and This Is for Always (Macrae, 1938). In the late 1930s, Taber joined the staff of the Ladies’ Home Journal and began to contribute the column “Diary of Domesticity.”
By this time, she had separated from her husband and was living at Stillmeadow, a farmhouse built in 1690 in Southbury, Connecticut, sharing the house with Eleanor Sanford Mayer, a childhood friend who was often mistakenly identified as her sister. Beginning with Harvest at Stillmeadow (Little, Brown, 1940), Taber wrote a series of books about her simple life in New England that possessed homespun wisdom dolled out with earthy humor and an appreciation for the small things. She published more than 20 books related to Stillmeadow, including several cookbooks.
In 1959, she moved from Ladies’ Home Journal to Family Circle, contributing the “Butternut Wisdom” column until her retirement in 1967. In 1960, her companion, Eleanor, died and Taber decided to abandon life at Stillmeadow. Having spent some summers on Cape Cod in Massachusetts, she decided to relocate to the town of Orleans where she would live out the remainder of her days. While a resident of Orleans, Taber contributed “Still Cove Sketches” to the Cape Cod Oracle . Her final book, published posthumously, was Still Cove Journal (Lippincott, 1981).
Gladys Taber had divorced her husband in 1946 and he later passed away in October 1964. She died on March 11, 1980 in Cape Cod Hospital in Hyannis, Massachusetts at the age of 80.
Born Gladys Bagg on April 12, 1899 in Colorado Springs, Colorado, she was the middle child and only one to survive to adulthood. Her parents were Rufus Mather Bagg, who could trace his ancestry back to Cotton Mather, and the former Grace Sibyl Raybold. An older sister, Majel, had died at the age of six months while a younger brother Walter died at 15 months. During her childhood, she moved frequently as her father accepted various teaching posts until they finally settled in Appleton, Wisconsin. Gladys graduated from Appleton High School and enrolled at Wellesley College, receiving her bachelor’s degree in 1920. She returned to her hometown and earned a master’s in 1921 from Lawrence College, where her father was on faculty. The following year, she married Frank Albion Taber, Jr., giving birth to their daughter on July 7, 1923.
Mrs. Taber taught English at Lawrence College, Randolph Macon Women’s College in Lynchburg, Virginia, and at Columbia University, where she did postgraduate studies. She began her literary career with a play, Lady of the Moon (Penn), in 1928, and followed with a book of verse, Lyonesse (Bozart) in 1929. Taber won attention for her first humorous novel, Late Climbs the Sun (Coward, 1934). She went on to write several other novels and short story collections, including Tomorrow May Be Fair ( Coward, 1935), A Star to Steer By (Macrae, 1938) and This Is for Always (Macrae, 1938). In the late 1930s, Taber joined the staff of the Ladies’ Home Journal and began to contribute the column “Diary of Domesticity.”
By this time, she had separated from her husband and was living at Stillmeadow, a farmhouse built in 1690 in Southbury, Connecticut, sharing the house with Eleanor Sanford Mayer, a childhood friend who was often mistakenly identified as her sister. Beginning with Harvest at Stillmeadow (Little, Brown, 1940), Taber wrote a series of books about her simple life in New England that possessed homespun wisdom dolled out with earthy humor and an appreciation for the small things. She published more than 20 books related to Stillmeadow, including several cookbooks.
In 1959, she moved from Ladies’ Home Journal to Family Circle, contributing the “Butternut Wisdom” column until her retirement in 1967. In 1960, her companion, Eleanor, died and Taber decided to abandon life at Stillmeadow. Having spent some summers on Cape Cod in Massachusetts, she decided to relocate to the town of Orleans where she would live out the remainder of her days. While a resident of Orleans, Taber contributed “Still Cove Sketches” to the Cape Cod Oracle . Her final book, published posthumously, was Still Cove Journal (Lippincott, 1981).
Gladys Taber had divorced her husband in 1946 and he later passed away in October 1964. She died on March 11, 1980 in Cape Cod Hospital in Hyannis, Massachusetts at the age of 80.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
November 4, 2024
4.75🌟 A captivating and delightful collection of short stories by my favorite author!
I've read many Gladys Taber books, and all but one have been non-fiction. The one fiction book I did read, "The Heart Has April, Too", was not a favorite. I was incredibly sad that I didn't love it. So, I started this book feeling a bit wary. I couldn't face reading another Gladys Taber title that I couldn't give 4-5 stars to with all my heart.
But, I'm thrilled to say that I loved this book! Funnily enough, the first story was my favorite (joy!) and the last story was my least favorite. Overall, the stories are the perfect length, amusing, tender and full of character. I devoured the book quickly, like this was the most lovely treat in the world.
Books about dogs are not usually my first choice for cozy reads, but I absolutely adored most of the dog-centric stories in One Dozen and One. If you love Gladys Taber's writing style, dogs, sweet relationships and/or touching short stories, I guarantee you will like this collection.
So many thanks to my dear friend Caro (@carosbookcase) for buddy reading this book with me for October! I'm very excited to discuss all the details with her!
I've read many Gladys Taber books, and all but one have been non-fiction. The one fiction book I did read, "The Heart Has April, Too", was not a favorite. I was incredibly sad that I didn't love it. So, I started this book feeling a bit wary. I couldn't face reading another Gladys Taber title that I couldn't give 4-5 stars to with all my heart.
But, I'm thrilled to say that I loved this book! Funnily enough, the first story was my favorite (joy!) and the last story was my least favorite. Overall, the stories are the perfect length, amusing, tender and full of character. I devoured the book quickly, like this was the most lovely treat in the world.
Books about dogs are not usually my first choice for cozy reads, but I absolutely adored most of the dog-centric stories in One Dozen and One. If you love Gladys Taber's writing style, dogs, sweet relationships and/or touching short stories, I guarantee you will like this collection.
So many thanks to my dear friend Caro (@carosbookcase) for buddy reading this book with me for October! I'm very excited to discuss all the details with her!
January 1, 2024
Thoroughly enjoyable collection of stories! If you have read Taber's Stllmeadow books and her memoirs about growing up, you will recognize a lot of her source material. Her short stories are well-crafted, and expertly immerse the reader in their settings and characters' perspectives. Heartfelt and heartwarming are two adjectives I'd use to summarize them.
August 27, 2025
I hadn't realized how dramatic Gladys Taber was in her writings. Before I had only read her books about living at Stillmeadow and Still Cove. The second to last story put me to mind of L. M. Montgomery but that's not a bad thing. The first story in it was my favorite and also very L. M. Montgomery. All in all I enjoyed the read.
February 1, 2026
As a memoirist, Gladys Taber leans toward the lyrical, but her fiction is very spare. Not that her fiction isn't a muted pleasure to read, it just seems to have been created by another person altogether.
The earliest of these stories were published in the 1930s, the most recent in the 1960s. They are very much of their era, and I can imagine finding a Gladys Taber short story between the pages of an old copy of Ladies' Home Journal, dug out of the attic. There is nothing here to provoke the sensibilities of a little housewife.
The men are sterling creatures who manage their wives admirably, with equal measures of adoration, firmness, and indulgence. The women have lovely blue eyes, gentle lilting voices, slender figures, fine skins which flush easily, and soft hair, blond or dark.
Though these women have other women who help with the heavy work of bed-making and carpet-cleaning, they are themselves talented cooks, the better to keep their sterling husbands happy.
Often there is a twist, just a little one. And then...
The end.
The earliest of these stories were published in the 1930s, the most recent in the 1960s. They are very much of their era, and I can imagine finding a Gladys Taber short story between the pages of an old copy of Ladies' Home Journal, dug out of the attic. There is nothing here to provoke the sensibilities of a little housewife.
The men are sterling creatures who manage their wives admirably, with equal measures of adoration, firmness, and indulgence. The women have lovely blue eyes, gentle lilting voices, slender figures, fine skins which flush easily, and soft hair, blond or dark.
Though these women have other women who help with the heavy work of bed-making and carpet-cleaning, they are themselves talented cooks, the better to keep their sterling husbands happy.
Often there is a twist, just a little one. And then...
The end.
August 22, 2017
I first learned about the existence of the prolific writer, Gladys Taber from Susan Branch (another now favorite author, writer, trendsetter). Gladys is most definitely from another time and place - part of the charm of her stories. She loves where she was planted and she is a quick study of the common place and typical man & woman. Dogs (especially Cockers, Sitters and such) are always in her stories. Deep thinking? Oh, heck no. A necessary escape and well worth spending time with her sweet, must I say, old-fashion, ideas.
October 23, 2017
I have no idea how this book came to be in my collection, but I’m glad it did. At the end of each short story I felt as if I had just finished a novel. So much story hidden within so few words. Loved it.
January 18, 2019
This what the perfect mid-afternoon quiet time read.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews