The Rectory Children

In the seaside town of Seacove, Celestina Fairchild waits in the dim parlour behind her parents' bookshop, longing for her busy mother and dressing tiny dolls. Fragile health has kept her from school, and her quiet routines leave her wanting companionship. Mrs. Molesworth begins this children's novel with the practical details of a household where affection, careful spending and work share the same small space.

The story also follows Bridget, called Biddy, whose temper and jealousy complicate her relations with her mother and Rosalys. A walk along the shore brings an apology and a moment of tenderness, while Mrs. Fairchild urges a balance of firmness and gentleness in bringing up a difficult child. Friendship and family feeling give the novel its focus. Readers interested in everyday childhood can find here a close account of loneliness, hurt feelings and the small exchanges through which children and adults learn to understand one another.