Some of the best stories of my life begin with an orphaned child. Here is another one.
Norah is a crippled girl, probably from polio, but at seven she is loved and taken care of. Then her mother dies, and her father, who soon will be traveling to South America for business, gets Aunt Rose to take her home. Norah, who doesn’t even understand that her mother is dead, thinks she is going for a visit. And it’s clear right away that no one wants her at her aunt’s home in central New York State.
Aunt Rose is beautiful, but she is cold and aloof. Nevertheless, she makes people love her. She lives a life of barely hidden dislike with Uncle John, yet he loves her. The children are Paul, who tries to please Rose but never does; Mary Anne, who is so beautiful that Norah can’t help staring at her; Jed, who calls Norah “Toad”; and Dosie, who comes right out and tells Norah she doesn’t like her. The children make it clear they aren’t interested in her, and only Paul is kind but removed. Aunt Poll, John’s sister, is so direct that Norah at first hates her, but it is Poll who will help her become strong, independent, and brave. At first, though, she spends most of her time alone crying.
This is a story about how a lonely, neglected orphan slowly becomes an integral and valued member of the family. But it is also about a cold, selfish, beautiful woman who attracts love without effort and without deserving it and does her best to destroy that family. It is about self-determination and growth but also about family secrets.
I absolutely loved this novel and thank the brand new imprint, Quite Literally Books, for sending me the book in exchange for a free and fair review. The first thing I did after I finished this book was look for another one by Nelia Gardner White, a new name to me.
What? Me Read? 
I’ve never heard of this author either. She sounds like a good discovery!
I had another friend tell me that in her time, she was compared to Katherine Mansfield!
A new name to me too! It’s great that publishers are paying a lot of attention to bringing some of these unfairly forgotten authors back to prominence. Gives contemporary authors a bit of much-needed competition!
Yes, especially so many women writers that should be better known are being rediscovered.
How do you feel about The Secret Garden? Another fabulous book with an orphan heroine
Yes, of course.
Sounds great. But cf Becky, no way this can be as good as The Secret Garden, right?
And also the amazing spin on it by Kate Morton: The Forgotten Garden
Oh, yes, I didn’t think of The Forgotten Garden, another favorite book with an orphan. Good job!