The Penderwicks

The Penderwicks by Jeanne Birdsall. Oh! Those wonderful words! This book is home to me, it is the most incredibly written book that I have ever read. Of all modern fiction, I truly believe that this book is a gem among common stones. It is captivating and as soon as you read those first few words that Jeanne Birdsall wrote: “For a long time after that summer, the four Penderwick sisters still talked of Arundel.” You are drawn into the story, you feel in a way like you are in the story, experiencing everything that the characters do. The storyline is very charming: the four Penderwick sisters, plus Mr. Penderwick, their father, and Hound, the family dog, are going to vacation at a cottage in the Berkshire Mountains. They expect a small cozy house with a little yard on a normal street, but what they get is a little cozy cottage on Stafford Street, normal right? Yes, except for the fact that the little cozy cottage is located at the back of a huge estate called Arundel. Arundel, with its huge gardens, lily pond, greenhouse, and the carriage house, all cared for by the gardener. And of course the mansion itself. All this is a recipe for an extraordinary summer adventure, but there’s also another surprise waiting for the Penderwicks; Mrs. Tifton, and another much better surprise….a boy. This book is written in an Alcott-like style, (which makes it a great next read for Little Women fans.) and will surely be loved not just the first time, but every time after that. This book will always be remembered as a great part of my childhood, and I hope it will be the same for you too.