The Tanglewoods' Secret

The Tanglewoods’ Secret by Patricia St. John is a truly touching story about a girl coming to Christ. The girl’s name is Ruth, who has an awful temper, and is desperately trying to tame it. Ruth and her brother Philip live with their Aunt Margaret and Uncle Peter, because their parents are in India, and have to stay there for the longest time because of the war. Ruth and Philip are fascinated by nature, and they keep careful records of the birds they see, and the birds’ habits and ways of life, in a notebook. But the notebook of birds would be so much better if only Philip could get that camera that he wants. So they save and save, counting and recounting their money, hoping that there will one day be enough. In the meantime, they make their own special place for nature study down in the woods. They spend many happy hours there, but only because they skip their chores, and leave Aunt Margaret to do all the work. This is usually Ruth’s idea, as she believes she ought to have fun while she’d still a child. And mixing that with Ruth’s loathsome temper….well let’s just say, that Aunt Margaret isn’t always in the best of moods. The children continue to try and save money for their camera, and their schemes for getting money always leave them in a fine mess. After a few happy days in their wood, the children meet Terry, a poor child about their age. Turns out that he knows more about nature than either of them, so they become good friends, quite quickly. Meanwhile Ruth meets a shepherd and a clergyman, who influence her in ways that she could never have imagined. But when Ruth faces unexpected difficulties, she begins to understand herself, her temper, and her need for the Good Shepherd in a deeper way.