I can still remember when I first picked this book up. Even though now, as an adult, I raise an eyebrow at the fact that lions, tigers, bears, penguins and ostriches all shared the same land, when I first picked up the book I took it as a matter of course. If you haven't heard the story, a family of six (mother, father and four boys) gets stranded on a deserted island and works to survive and prosper. I think what I loved most about this book was the endless possibility. Although the characters found themselves in a situation that had the potential to be frightening and terribly dangerous (shipwrecked on a deserted island) they made the situation work for them with their survival skills, their family bonds and their faith (er...also by shooting everything that moved, but I digress). The best lesson I learned from "Swiss Family Robinson"? When life shipwrecks you, use the lumber to build a tree house.
I'm sure most people will know Louisa May Alcott from her widely read book "Little Women", but fewer know about her many other books. After I had first read "Little Women" I returned to the shelf to find - to my joy - several other Alcott novels just waiting to be discovered. One of my favorites was "An Old-Fashioned Girl" which centered around a 'country' girl named Polly Milton. At the opening of the story, fourteen year old Polly goes to stay with her stylish city friend Fanny Shaw and the Shaw family. Although Polly feels sadly out of place, she wins over almost everyone she meets with her good heart and happy nature. The book follows Polly and the Shaws through several years and changes of fortune. I adored Polly, simply because she stayed true to her own sweet nature in spite of frustrations and lack of wealth or beauty.
I read "Swallows and Amazons" for the first time because of a smashing review from the lovely ladies over at Book Smugglers. The book hooked me with the first paragraph in which we find a very young boy running towards his mother. However, this young boy isn't running in a straight line, but beating windward (running in a zig-zag) the way a ship does. First of all, this made me laugh because when you're young you never can just run in a straight line (there's always lava or shark infested waters or some other interesting thing you must avoid). Secondly, it beautifully set the stage to introduce four sailing-obsessed children who were planning to sail on their ship (the Swallow) and camp out on an island for the summer. The book follows the four 'Swallows', John, Susan, Titty and Roger as they have adventures and clash with the fearsome Amazon pirates (Nancy and Peggy) who eventually turn friends. Although I haven't read further, this series apparently follows the Swallows and Amazons every summer and watches them as they grow and change.
I tend to gravitate towards stories that show an underdog succeeding. Elnora Comstock is the only child of stern widow Katharine Comstock. The two live on the edge of the Limberlost swamp in the state of Indiana and scrape by. We enter into the story on Elnora's first day of high school, where the girl is made fun of because of her raggedy clothes. Elnora discovers that she must buy her own books and supplies if she wants to attend high school. Elnora can't go to her mother for help because Katharine blames Elnora for the death of her husband and holds her at a distance. However, Elnora finds that her extensive knowledge of the Limberlost (in particular her habit of gathering and learning about moths) and the love of her friends will enable her to make her way in the world. This is a wonderful story of love, forgiveness and the beauty of nature.
I freely admit that there have been several instances where I have seen the movie before I have read the book. After seeing the movie version and thoroughly enjoying it (it's adorable and comes highly recommended from me) I was overjoyed to find there was a book so I could enjoy the story all over again. In 1930s London, middle aged spinster and governess Guinevere Pettigrew is mistakenly sent to the home of glamorous actress Miss Lafosse. Miss Pettigrew swiftly becomes the companion of the flighty beauty and finds herself blooming as she guides the girl through a series of romantic and social mishaps. "Miss Pettigrew" is a Cinderella story of sorts that sends the message that one is never too old to shine.
"Cold Comfort Farm" is another recently discovered read that has risen to become one of my all time favorites. Stella Gibbons penned this comedic novel in the 1930s, slyly poking fun at popular themes in literature of the day. The story follows one Flora Poste, a thoroughly modern girl who decides to move in with distant relatives rather than find gainful employment. Flora journeys to Cold Comfort farm in Sussex, England where she discovers several mournful relatives, each with their own unique issues. One example is matriarch Aunt Ada Doom, who keeps her family in line by wielding a scarring experience she had as a child when she "saw something nasty in the woodshed". Flora is determined to help her poor backward family, so, armed only with her firm common sense and modern ideals, she sets off to make things right. This book is completely hilarious and I was giggling helplessly by the first chapter. Enjoy a little satire with this timeless comedy.
