The Peterkin Papers: Classic Book Guide and Free Edition
The Peterkin Papers: author and translator credits, catalogue synopsis, subjects and links to the Gutenberg reading formats.

The Peterkin Papers is catalogued by Project Gutenberg with author credits for Hale, Lucretia P. (Lucretia Peabody) (1820–1900).
Catalogue synopsis
Project Gutenberg supplies this automated synopsis of the opening text:
"The Peterkin Papers" by Lucretia P. Hale is a collection of humorous children's stories written in the late 19th century. The book revolves around the misadventures of the quirky Peterkin family, particularly focusing on their comical attempts to navigate everyday life and solve simple problems in hilariously convoluted ways. The characters include Mr. and Mrs. Peterkin, their children, and their occasional interactions with the wise lady from Philadelphia, who often provides them with unconventional advice. The opening of the collection introduces Mrs. Peterkin's mishap of accidentally putting salt into her coffee instead of sugar, leading her family on a whimsical quest to rectify the situation. They first consult their neighbor, the chemist, who attempts to remedy the coffee with various unsatisfactory substances. When he fails, the children decide to seek out the herb-woman for further assistance. Ultimately, a surprising solution arises when Elizabeth Eliza suggests making a fresh cup of coffee, which the family hilariously realizes they could have done all along. This sets the tone for the delightfully chaotic adventures that the Peterkin family will continue to experience throughout the stories.
Book and edition facts
- Title: The Peterkin Papers
- Author credits: Hale, Lucretia P. (Lucretia Peabody) (1820–1900)
- Catalogue language: English
Catalogue subjects
- Family life -- Juvenile fiction
- Humorous stories
Gutenberg collections
- Category: American Literature
- Category: Children & Young Adult Reading
- Category: Humour
- Category: Short Stories
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View the complete Gutenberg catalogue record. Project Gutenberg identifies this edition as public domain in the United States; that designation does not establish its copyright status in every country.
Source notes
Catalogue metadata is public domain and is supplied through Gutendex, which imports Gutenberg's machine-readable catalogue. The automated synopsis is source-supplied, not an independently verified review. Author dates above describe the credited people; no ebook release date is presented as the book's original publication date.


