The House That Grew

News of financial trouble unsettles Ida and her brother Geordie in their family home beside the sea and pine woods. Dishonest agents have endangered their father's income from property in the West Indies, and he must go there to investigate. An offer to rent the house could help reduce expenses, but the children find the prospect painful. Mrs. Molesworth gives this children's novel Ida's voice, allowing worry, sibling teasing and affection for their parents to share the same account.

The Hut, already a favourite retreat, becomes the place Ida refers to as their present home. A visit to Mrs. Trevor and her daughter brings a lighter scene, as lively pugs tangle themselves in knitting wool. Conversation turns to views of the sea, the woods and the comfort of familiar places. Readers drawn to family stories will find practical questions about money and responsibility alongside a child's close attention to animals, everyday kindness and the meaning of home.