A book by the beloved author of “Little Women,” “Eight Cousins” is somewhat less known but just as delightful. Rose Campbell has been orphaned at the age of thirteen and is being sent to live with her two aunts, Peace and Plenty, in a huge house atop a hill which has been dubbed “The Aunt Hill.” Her uncle Alec is her official guardian, but he can’t be with her all the time, so Peace and Plenty provide her with a stable, loving atmosphere.
And do they ever spoil her! Suddenly given access to all the pretty clothes, pretty toys, and nice food she could ever eat, Rose finds herself the Queen of the Campbell clan. And when she meets her seven boisterous male cousins, ranging in age from somewhat older to quite a bit younger than herself, she is immediately taken in to their circle. All anxious to please her and help console her in her grief, they set about making her life just as pleasant as possible.
We get to go along with Rose on romps to the beach, to picnics, plays, and parties. She’s still somewhat self-absorbed at this point in her life, but then she makes a friend named Phoebe, who is the maid in the house, a girl not much older than Rose herself. When Rose sees how very little Phoebe has in comparison, and yet how very happy and cheerful Phoebe is, she realizes that there’s a great deal more she could be doing with her life and with her riches.
I’ve read this book over and over again, and imagined myself a guest at one of the Campbell’s parties, or skating on the pond with one of the handsome blond cousins. This book is a wonderful portrait of time in a bygone age, when things were much simpler and a fondness for French novels was considered a huge character flaw. A delightfully old-fashioned book, you’ll want to read it as soon as your daughter is through with it. In fact, I think I still have the copy I got when I was ten.
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