Hollyhock

A Spirit of Mischief

by L. T. Meade

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Pages: 179

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About this book

Five sisters with flower names share a sheltered life in Scotland's Upper Glen, where their father teaches them and their cousins live nearby. The boldest is Jacqueline, known as Hollyhock, whose affection for her family comes with a readiness to challenge anyone who interferes. When Aunt Agnes announces a visit and a scheme for the girls, Hollyhock greets the prospect with defiance.

L. T. Meade's children's novel moves from this affectionate household into school rivalries and practical jokes. In one episode, Hollyhock slips a kitchen cat and a saucer of cream beneath Lady Leucha's bedcover, while other girls struggle to contain their laughter. The detailed school routines, local speech and contest over who will lead the girls give the story its particular flavour. Readers interested in older school stories will find family loyalty, stubborn pride and mischief closely entangled.

Childrens Classics

About the author

L. T. Meade

L. T. Meade was the pen name of Elizabeth Thomasina Meade Smith (died 1914), a prolific Anglo-Irish author of the Victorian and Edwardian periods. Best known in her own day for girls' school stories, she was also a pioneer of popular mystery and detective fiction, devising early female sleuths and criminal masterminds such as Madame Sara.