These books. I think I'm supposed to enjoy them for the (apparent) helpfulness and kindness and good nature of the protagonists, but half the time I end up with my jaw hanging open at their nosiness and presumption. They're all just so entitled, which is a change for the definite worse from the first in the series.

Anyway, in this volume the bad behaviour continues. Little Benny demands to be taken mountain climbing, so of course Grandfather Alden indulges the brat. From the top of said mountain they see a light in the woods, which park rangers later inform them is an old American Indian, who wants nothing more than to be left alone. Of course the family descends upon her en masse, out of base curiosity. "Oh, we wanted to see if you were in trouble," they say, knowing full well from said rangers that she's fine. It turns out that old Lovan is worried about losing her land, and instead of, say, hiring her a lawyer so that it isn't stolen out from under her, Grandfather buys it (of course he does) continuing his habit of hoovering up every resource he can get his grubby mitts on. And of course there's a lost relative in there, because there always, always is. Warner has an obsession with lost relatives, apparently, and the story wanders on its condescending way from there.