I Didn t Bargain for This! is by Mary Mitzi Henderson Perdue, daughter of Sheraton Hotels co-founder Ernest Henderson and widow of Frank Perdue, the chicken magnate. A central theme of the book is Mitzi s behind the scenes stories of what it took to build the Sheraton Chain and the Perdue chicken company. The book examines the attitudes and approaches that helped both her father and husband achieve success. This book is a light-hearted personal story of a woman who raised two sons as a single Mom; graduated from Harvard; bought and managed rice farms and vineyards in Northern California; became president of the oldest and largest American farm women s organization; was for eight years a television hostess and producer; for two years a syndicated radio hostess; and for almost 22 years, a syndicated environmental columnist; served as a United Nations Delegate to the International Conferences on Women in Nairobi; was a Commissioner of the National Commission on Libraries and Information Science; and established an award-winning health and fitness organization on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. The story begins with her childhood experiences in Massachusetts and New Hampshire, as part of a multi-generation New England family. She relates humorous stories about her Dad Ernest Henderson, a business entrepreneur who started Sheraton Hotel Chain with an investment of $ 1,000 and her practical minded socialite Mom who would host parties in the evening after shoveling coal to heat the home during World War II. She recounts her Dad s efforts to promote racial equity and his strong beliefs in fair treatment. Her story describes her first marriage to a former Priest and her second mid-life marriage to Frank Perdue, head of a chicken company that now sells its products in 114 countries. I Didn t Bargain for This is a easy read about Mitzi s life as the daughter of one of America s greatest entrepreneurs and how she chose a life of work and dedication to public causes as an alternative to the celebrity globe-trotting life, she could have pursued. This book is a reminder that the American Dream lives on and public service is a valued American tradition. I Didn t Bargain for This is published by R.J. Myers Publishing and Consulting Company, Washington, D.C.