Tag: Romance

Pollyanna Grows Up

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Pollyanna Grows Up

by Eleanor H. Porter (1927)

How could I have been such a fan of Pollyanna all these years and not read the sequel until now? I’ll admit that upon reading the short blurb on the back of this book, I almost didn’t give it the chance it deserved. Like Jimmy Bean initially felt, I just didn’t want Pollyanna to grow up. Her charming and unconscious optimism wouldn’t be quite the same coming from an adult. Needless to say though, the book did not disappoint, and I am rather glad I read it.
The book begins with Pollyanna still as a child, only she is on a stay with a family in Boston, where her Pollyanna ways spread to new friends. The book then does an abrupt 6-year fast forward midway through the book after Pollyanna’s long stay in Germany with her Aunt Polly and Dr. Chilton. Their circumstances have changed quite a lot by the time they return. Pollyanna, now 20, reconnects with her Boston friends and the Pendletons as she tries to figure out her new life.
After a bit of dramatic confusion, the book comes together like a perfect puzzle at the end, a bit unrealistically, but sweet, nonetheless.
Will I be rereading this one? Definitely. Maybe not as often as the first, but it’s surely worth revisiting.

I Capture the Castle

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I Capture the Castle (1949) by Dodie Smith

“Journaled” by 17-year old, Cassandra Mortmain, I Capture the Castle tells the story of the endearing and slightly eccentric Mortmain family.  Although extremely poor, the family lives in an old English castle.  At the beginning of the story, their lives seem destined to continue in the same manner forever, but things quickly change for them after meeting their new neighbors, The Cottons.  From the lovely Midsummer’s Eve rites to the hilarious meeting of Simon and Neil, Cassandra captures everything and everyone perfectly in her “journal.”  Her humanness and appreciation of life make me feel I’ve found a true kindred spirit.  Cassandra takes on such a life of her own that she really feels like so much more than just a character in a book.

One review of this book says, “It’s as fresh as if it were written this morning and as classic as Jane Austen,” which sums up my thoughts perfectly.  Full of humor, surprise, romance, family, and self-discovery, I Capture the Castleranks as one of my all-time favorite books.  I read it at least once a year, and it’s a treat every single time.  I cannot recommend this book highly enough.

(I refuse to see the film version, of course, as I feel Cassandra (Dodie Smith) has done such an excellent job capturing life at the castle that I see everything very clearly played out on the pages, and I couldn’t bear to ruin that.)

 

You might also enjoy:
Anne of Green Gables

The Ballad of Valentine

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The Ballad of Valentine (2002)
written by Alison Jackson, pictures by Tricia Tusa

A man tries everything he can to deliver a valentine to his sweetheart, but his plans continue to go awry.  Little does he realize (although the reader sees), his sweetheart is cooking up a valentine of her own for him.  This is a delightful Valentine’s book written to the format of the song, “Oh, My Darling Clementine.”

Valentine’s  Day Books