Bought this because the author's name rang a bell and it was in a antique store booth that featured lots of British imports. If the rest of the book holds up to the first 25 pages, I'm in for a treat.

At times, the book bogs down, but the writing is magical. Growing up story of London in the years before WWI. However, throw in a family obsessed with music (the mother was a concert pianist who gave up her career), a father who is completely unreliable (gambling), a poltergeist, and a famous murder. . . well, it becomes unlike anything I've ever read.

Sometimes I was annoyed, sometimes I wanted the book to be over already (or at least figure out where it was going), but every time I picked it up I was sucked in. Recommended.

Back in the day, I was obsessed with Trixie. I know I read all the books multiple times and imagined being a part of the Bob Whites. I recently discovered my 1988 library summer reading log, and I think all the Trixies were on it. From a nostalgia perspective, this is definitely a 5 star series.

As an adult, it doesn't hold up quite as well as some of my other childhood favorites. But here are a few things I noticed on this reread:
the immense medical detail and random accidents--malnourishment, copperheads, horse-riding accidents, oh my!
Had completely forgotten the "poor little rich girl" part of Honey. What a sad, sad story.
All the gardening! And the heat. But maybe that's my own current summer mentality.

First read: summer 1988

Extraordinry research. A depth that is so deep that even I, a huge Anne/history nerd, haven't read all of it.

Satisfying conclusion to a sprawling trilogy. Always had issues keeping some of the characters straight, but it almost didn't matter.

Highly readable story of a Viennese Jew and her fight to survive. She became what was termed a "U-boat"--a Jew who existed just under the surface of the Nazi regime. I'm fascinated by the man who became her husband--she told him that she was a Jew, and he kept her secret, had a child with her, and ultimately married her. And yet, he was pretty anti-Semitic.
Another part of the World War II story and worth checking out.

If I was a teacher, this book would be covered in red ink. Weird narrative flow, inaccuracies and great awkwardness whenever she tried to insert herself into the story. So much potential, such a rich topic and ultimately, very disappointing. I never quite figured out what she was trying to do.

If you're craving more information about these folks, read Eden's Outcasts--a much longer book, but far superior.

So, I'm a sucker for just about anything that makes historical research seem cool. Hidden sources? Witches? Evil advisors? Handsome preservationists? I'm there!
While not nearly as good as The Heretic's Daughter, I did enjoy it and thought the conceit that witchcraft was real was carried off fairly believeably. The homage to Laurel Thatcher Ulrich's "A Midwife's Tale" made me very happy.

But I'm still confused why the "modern" part was set in 1991.

Thought this would be like "Anybody Can Do Anything" It's not.

Realized I was bored and it was time to move on to other books, so abandoned around p. 50.

A boy sets out to visit his friend who has moved across town. He's decided it's time to show himself that he can be courageous and that's he's no longer a kid (though only 9). And so he sets out, and things don't go quite as planned. First, he has to bring his sister along. He runs into various people along the way. Throughout, there are glimpses of others carrying out their day, and though there's no obvious connection, you have confidence that there will be.

And then, suddenly, it all comes together in a tragic and horrifying way.

I adored this book. There was a momentum to it that's hard to explain. I knew going in what the big event was, and there are some hints before the crisis. But when that crisis hit, I couldn't put the book down.

Beautifully written, and an interesting combination of sweet nostalgia and the suddenness of growing up due to an extraordinary situation. And pretty funny in parts.

Highly recommended!

Road trip! Loved following the adventures through the West. And the museum nerd in me loved that both Midge and Henry were collecting stuff for their future museum.