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Linnets and Valerians
The four Linnet children: Nan, Robert, Timothy and Betsy are sent to live with their strict grandmother while their father travels to Egypt. Locked away in separate rooms as punishment by their ruthless grandmother, the Linnets feel at once that their new life is unbearable—and decide to make their escape—out of the house, out of the garden and into the village. Commandeering a pony and trap, the children and their dog are led away as the pony makes his way nonchalantly home. The pony’s destination happens to be a house that belongs to their gruff but loveable uncle Ambrose. The kindly uncle Ambrose agrees to take them under his wing, he educates them and encourages them to explore Dartmoor, letting the children have free rein in his sprawling manor house and surrounding countryside.
Befriending the collection of house guests, including an owl, a giant cat, and a gardener, Ezra, who converses with bees, and getting to know the miscellaneous inhabitants of the village, the four siblings discover a life in which magic and reality are curiously intermingled and evil and tragedy lurk never far away. Then stumble upon the eccentric Lady Alicia Valerian, who seems to have lost her family. And then the real fun begins! The Linnets start their search for the missing Valerians. But the village is under a spell of the witch Emma Cobley. Can the children lift the spell and restore happiness to the villagers? Or will they be thwarted by evil Emma Cobley and her magic cat?
This charming story beautifully depicts early twentieth century English country life while conjuring an air of magical adventure. It is full of vivid characters, battles between good and evil and wonderful spell-binding moments.
Befriending the collection of house guests, including an owl, a giant cat, and a gardener, Ezra, who converses with bees, and getting to know the miscellaneous inhabitants of the village, the four siblings discover a life in which magic and reality are curiously intermingled and evil and tragedy lurk never far away. Then stumble upon the eccentric Lady Alicia Valerian, who seems to have lost her family. And then the real fun begins! The Linnets start their search for the missing Valerians. But the village is under a spell of the witch Emma Cobley. Can the children lift the spell and restore happiness to the villagers? Or will they be thwarted by evil Emma Cobley and her magic cat?
This charming story beautifully depicts early twentieth century English country life while conjuring an air of magical adventure. It is full of vivid characters, battles between good and evil and wonderful spell-binding moments.
256 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1964
About the author
Elizabeth Goudge
82 books825 followersElizabeth Goudge was an English author of novels, short stories and children's books.
Elizabeth de Beauchamp Goudge was born on 24 April 1900 in Wells, Somerset, in Tower House close by the cathedral in an area known as The Liberty, Her father, the Reverend Henry Leighton Goudge, taught in the cathedral school. Her mother was Miss Ida Collenette from the Channel Isles. Elizabeth was an only child. The family moved to Ely for a Canonry as Principal of the theological college. Later, when her father was made Regius Professor of Divinity at Oxford, they moved to Christ Church, Oxford.
She went to boarding school during WWI and later to Arts College, presumably at Reading College. She made a small living as teacher, and continued to live with her parents. During this time, she wrote a few plays, and was encouraged to write novels by a publisher. As her writing career took off, she began to travel to other nations. Unfortunately, she suffered from depression for much of her life. She had great empathy for people and a talent for finding the comic side of things, displayed to great effect in her writing.
Goudge's first book, The Fairies' Baby and Other Stories (1919), was a failure and it was several years before she authored Island Magic (1934), which is based on Channel Island stories, many of which she had learned from her mother, who was from Guernsey. After the death of her father, Goudge and her mother went to Devon, and eventually wound up living there in a small cottage. There, she wrote prolifically and was happy.
After the death of her mother, and at the wishes of Goudge's family who wished her to live closer to them, she found a companion who moved with her to Rose Cottage in Reading. She lived out her life there, and had many dogs in her life. Goudge loved dogs, and much preferred their company to that of humans. She continued to write until shortly before her death, when ill health, successive falls, and cataracts hindered her ability to write. She was much loved.
Goudge was awarded the Carnegie Medal for The Little White Horse (1946), the book which J. K. Rowling, author of the Harry Potter stories, has said was her favorite as a child. The television mini-series Moonacre was based on The Little White Horse. Her Green Dolphin Country (1944) was made into a film (under its American title, Green Dolphin Street) which won the Academy Award for Special Effects in 1948.
A Diary of Prayer (1966) was one of Goudge's last works. She spent her last years in her cottage on Peppard Common, just outside Henley-on-Thames, where a blue plaque was unveiled in 2008.
Elizabeth de Beauchamp Goudge was born on 24 April 1900 in Wells, Somerset, in Tower House close by the cathedral in an area known as The Liberty, Her father, the Reverend Henry Leighton Goudge, taught in the cathedral school. Her mother was Miss Ida Collenette from the Channel Isles. Elizabeth was an only child. The family moved to Ely for a Canonry as Principal of the theological college. Later, when her father was made Regius Professor of Divinity at Oxford, they moved to Christ Church, Oxford.
She went to boarding school during WWI and later to Arts College, presumably at Reading College. She made a small living as teacher, and continued to live with her parents. During this time, she wrote a few plays, and was encouraged to write novels by a publisher. As her writing career took off, she began to travel to other nations. Unfortunately, she suffered from depression for much of her life. She had great empathy for people and a talent for finding the comic side of things, displayed to great effect in her writing.
Goudge's first book, The Fairies' Baby and Other Stories (1919), was a failure and it was several years before she authored Island Magic (1934), which is based on Channel Island stories, many of which she had learned from her mother, who was from Guernsey. After the death of her father, Goudge and her mother went to Devon, and eventually wound up living there in a small cottage. There, she wrote prolifically and was happy.
After the death of her mother, and at the wishes of Goudge's family who wished her to live closer to them, she found a companion who moved with her to Rose Cottage in Reading. She lived out her life there, and had many dogs in her life. Goudge loved dogs, and much preferred their company to that of humans. She continued to write until shortly before her death, when ill health, successive falls, and cataracts hindered her ability to write. She was much loved.
Goudge was awarded the Carnegie Medal for The Little White Horse (1946), the book which J. K. Rowling, author of the Harry Potter stories, has said was her favorite as a child. The television mini-series Moonacre was based on The Little White Horse. Her Green Dolphin Country (1944) was made into a film (under its American title, Green Dolphin Street) which won the Academy Award for Special Effects in 1948.
A Diary of Prayer (1966) was one of Goudge's last works. She spent her last years in her cottage on Peppard Common, just outside Henley-on-Thames, where a blue plaque was unveiled in 2008.
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January 31, 2024
4.5★
Thank Heavens for the Open Library, that's all I can say!
My son has lost A Very Important Paper & last week we ripped our house apart looking for it. There wasn't the smallest chance that the paper was in our house, but he was desperate. & in the chaos my copy of this book has gone missing. It is in the house...somewhere.
& I really enjoyed this tale, set in 1912, of four young children dumped by their father at his mother's place while he goes off on an Egyptian adventure before going back to his military service in India.
The children rebel against restrictions that they aren't used to so, like in all good 20th century children's fiction, the children run away. They end up with their Grumpy Uncle Ambrose who is charmed by the eldest, Nan, & gradually falls for all the children.
A delightful tale. I didn't mark this book down for the staggering numbers of coincidences, but I did knock half a ★ off for a somewhat rushed ending.
Thank Heavens for the Open Library, that's all I can say!
My son has lost A Very Important Paper & last week we ripped our house apart looking for it. There wasn't the smallest chance that the paper was in our house, but he was desperate. & in the chaos my copy of this book has gone missing. It is in the house...somewhere.
& I really enjoyed this tale, set in 1912, of four young children dumped by their father at his mother's place while he goes off on an Egyptian adventure before going back to his military service in India.
The children rebel against restrictions that they aren't used to so, like in all good 20th century children's fiction, the children run away. They end up with their Grumpy Uncle Ambrose who is charmed by the eldest, Nan, & gradually falls for all the children.
A delightful tale. I didn't mark this book down for the staggering numbers of coincidences, but I did knock half a ★ off for a somewhat rushed ending.
https://wordpress.com/view/carolshess...
February 15, 2020
Before I get personal and share a standard I have that necessitated my one star rating, let me take a moment to be fair and mention the things I liked about this book. After all, not everyone shares my standard and you might like to know the other aspects of the book.
Goudge is a fantastic writer. Her characters, descriptions, sentences, word choice, even the way Uncle Ambrose talks, all of it is top-notch and mesmerizing. I am simply in love with her writing style and wish that other children's authors would write so exquisitely.
And Uncle Ambrose is a stellar character. Like the children, I found him incredibly likable and loving. Though he possesses a stern exterior and is undeniably strict, these qualities only elicit respect and admiration; an eagerness to please and be loved by him. And his love he bestows fondly. Regarding the children, they are close and caring siblings; and other characters stand out for one thing or another too.
Those are the positives, which of themselves, would have given the book five stars. But now, let me explain my standard and why I actually did not like the book. And to my followers, hopefully you will find this next section at least a little insightful into who I am, what I believe, and the perspective I carry as I read through a book.
When I first picked up the book, I thought it was about children living in England in the early 1900s and their many adventures. I was only half right. It was about magic too; perhaps more about magic than the children. In fact, it was a story that at the beginning, started out like any other and dropped no hints of magic whatsoever. It wasn't until half way through that you started seeing the world differently, realizing that the village and several of its inhabitants were under spells and that a battle of good witches and bad witches was in full swing. Then one of the children finds a book full of spells, the kind that says to use boiled frogs and blood etc. for the incantations. A cave with little dolls are discovered and it is learned that these are voodoo-like dolls; one doll, a plightfully shriveled thing, has a pin through it's mouth and has made the real man a mute, and another doll, cast far away, cursed a man to forever wander far from his loved ones. There were other scenes that the author drew as well, but these were philosophically intended to remove the barrier between our world and this magical world. To bring the two worlds into one. And characters had discussions about beliefs fueling things into being, making reality hazy. All of these sections were particularly dark, and though the good witches won in the end, I wish I would have known about all of this before starting. Because I wouldn't have read this book.
So, it's magic that you have an issue with, you ask? Well, no. And, yes.
I don't have a problem with magic ... when it's in The Lord of the Rings, Narnia, or in fairy tales such as Sleeping Beauty or Snow White, for example. What these stories, and others like them, have in common is that they are all in an alternate world. They are all in the land of pretend and make-believe. They are not in our world and could never happen in our world; and we can never be transported to their world either. A definitive distinction between the two worlds is maintained.
The magic I don't like is the kind that is placed in our world and where the lines of reality and mysticism are made hazy. A magic that is and/or appears to be both attainable and desirable in our world.
So what's the difference? Why draw the line here? Well, as a Christian, I don't believe I am supposed to partake in magic. In my understanding, the Bible explains that I am to use no divination or enchantments. I want to honor this. And I want to honor the spirit of the request as well - I don't want to partake, but I don't want to be attracted to or immerse myself in the topic either. And if I had children, I certainly would want to clearly define a line for them of what is pretend and make-believe, and what is the magic we don't have anything to do with. So, while this is not an exhaustive explanation, hopefully this shows where and why I drew the line where I did.
I do appreciate you letting me be open and candid with you regarding my standard. I thought this would be a good time to share a little of myself with you and also to explain why I will not read/report on certain books or why, like this book, I gave it a low rating. At least now, whether you agree or disagree, you won't be caught off guard as you peruse my list! :)
Cleanliness
Children's Bad Words
Mild Obscenities & Substitutions - 1 Incident: blast 'im
Name Calling - 5 Incidents: little blighter, young bacchanalians, Negro, Daft Davie, crybaby
Religious Profanity - 3 Incidents: Merciful heavens (used several times), Lor', I wish to heaven
Religious & Supernatural - 6 Incidents: Fairies, witches, warlocks, elves, gnomes, spirits, Greek gods, Pan, magic and spells, these are what the book is about. There are unusual things that have happened in a little village and the children discover a magic spell book and begin to put the pieces together. A man and a boy have a discussion about the Greek god, Pan. The little boy asks if he is real, and the man said "When men believed in him he was real to them." This conversation helps allow for a grey line between reality and mysticism. "The spells in Emma Cobley's book might be wicked, and Emma Cobley herself, and Frederick the cat, and perhaps old Tom Biddle ... but ranged against them was the goodness of Uncle Ambrose, Ezra, ... and the wholesomeness of the animals, ... the bees, and the good spirits whom she could not see, but of whom she was aware at this moment, holding over in the dark a sort of umbrella of safety." A book of magic spells is found and many of the spells are read and include the ingredients you would expect: "Take a boiled frog and the feathers from a black cock...blood ..." An elf man explains how the world began which includes the Greek gods, gnomes, elves and giants; and ties them all in with the Bible and the fall of the bad angels before Noah's time. Voodoo-like dolls are used to inflict spells on people in the village. These sections are fairly dark.
Romance Related - 3 Incidents: The words "breast" and "bosom" are used - non-sexually. The word "sex" is used to mean gender. "Nan had come across some gentle love-letters in books she had read, but never anything like these, and the wild and vivid language both fascinated and repelled her. There was nothing gentle about this love. It was like a tempest, all rolling protestations of undying adoration shot through with fiery flashes of anger, threats, and reproaches."
Attitudes/Disobedience - 7 Incident: The main children "had no wish to live with her, for she was a very autocratic old lady, a grandmother of a type that was to be met with in 1912, ...[who] believed that children should be instantly obedient." A boy thinks being a burglar would be a good job. (Not to be taken seriously.) A girl throws a fit, kicking her brother. The author states "they were not apologizing children." Children steal a pony and cart and call it "borrowing." It ends up belonging to their uncle though they don't know that at the time. A brother gets rude and snappy with his sister. "Now Robert hated washing, and he hated doing what he was told." At one time he obeys, at another time he does not because he's angry and wants to make his uncle pay.
Conversation Topics - 4 Incidents: Mentions tobacco and pipes. Mentions strong drink a few times and a character is first seen coming home drunk, happy and singing. There is a frolicking song/poem about drinking. After a girl confesses that she didn't mean to sin, her uncle says "Then do not disturb yourself,... Sin, my dear Nan, lies more in the intention than the actual deed. A reprehensible action which is not premeditated remains reprehensible, and should not be repeated, but is not in the eyes of heaven a grave sin."
Parent Takeaway
The children are not well-behaved while living with their grandmother but when they move in with their uncle (at the beginning of the story), he commands respect and they give it gladly. The siblings, on the whole, have a nice bond with each other. Regarding the magic in this book, on several occasions the author creates scenes to remove the barrier between reality and a land of magic. It's not fantasy but part of our world, with a good versus evil magical battle going on. Good does win in the end but there are some pretty dark moments particularly with voodoo type dolls (though they are not called that).
**Like my reviews? Then you should follow me! Because I have hundreds more just like this one. With each review, I provide a Cleanliness Report, mentioning any objectionable content I come across so that parents and/or conscientious readers (like me) can determine beforehand whether they want to read a book or not. Content surprises are super annoying, especially when you’re 100+ pages in, so here’s my attempt to help you avoid that!
So Follow or Friend me here on GoodReads! You’ll see my updates as I’m reading and know which books I’m liking and what I’m not finishing and why. You’ll also be able to utilize my library for looking up titles to see whether the book you’re thinking about reading next has any objectionable content or not. From swear words, to romance, to bad attitudes (in children’s books), I cover it all!
Goudge is a fantastic writer. Her characters, descriptions, sentences, word choice, even the way Uncle Ambrose talks, all of it is top-notch and mesmerizing. I am simply in love with her writing style and wish that other children's authors would write so exquisitely.
And Uncle Ambrose is a stellar character. Like the children, I found him incredibly likable and loving. Though he possesses a stern exterior and is undeniably strict, these qualities only elicit respect and admiration; an eagerness to please and be loved by him. And his love he bestows fondly. Regarding the children, they are close and caring siblings; and other characters stand out for one thing or another too.
Those are the positives, which of themselves, would have given the book five stars. But now, let me explain my standard and why I actually did not like the book. And to my followers, hopefully you will find this next section at least a little insightful into who I am, what I believe, and the perspective I carry as I read through a book.
When I first picked up the book, I thought it was about children living in England in the early 1900s and their many adventures. I was only half right. It was about magic too; perhaps more about magic than the children. In fact, it was a story that at the beginning, started out like any other and dropped no hints of magic whatsoever. It wasn't until half way through that you started seeing the world differently, realizing that the village and several of its inhabitants were under spells and that a battle of good witches and bad witches was in full swing. Then one of the children finds a book full of spells, the kind that says to use boiled frogs and blood etc. for the incantations. A cave with little dolls are discovered and it is learned that these are voodoo-like dolls; one doll, a plightfully shriveled thing, has a pin through it's mouth and has made the real man a mute, and another doll, cast far away, cursed a man to forever wander far from his loved ones. There were other scenes that the author drew as well, but these were philosophically intended to remove the barrier between our world and this magical world. To bring the two worlds into one. And characters had discussions about beliefs fueling things into being, making reality hazy. All of these sections were particularly dark, and though the good witches won in the end, I wish I would have known about all of this before starting. Because I wouldn't have read this book.
So, it's magic that you have an issue with, you ask? Well, no. And, yes.
I don't have a problem with magic ... when it's in The Lord of the Rings, Narnia, or in fairy tales such as Sleeping Beauty or Snow White, for example. What these stories, and others like them, have in common is that they are all in an alternate world. They are all in the land of pretend and make-believe. They are not in our world and could never happen in our world; and we can never be transported to their world either. A definitive distinction between the two worlds is maintained.
The magic I don't like is the kind that is placed in our world and where the lines of reality and mysticism are made hazy. A magic that is and/or appears to be both attainable and desirable in our world.
So what's the difference? Why draw the line here? Well, as a Christian, I don't believe I am supposed to partake in magic. In my understanding, the Bible explains that I am to use no divination or enchantments. I want to honor this. And I want to honor the spirit of the request as well - I don't want to partake, but I don't want to be attracted to or immerse myself in the topic either. And if I had children, I certainly would want to clearly define a line for them of what is pretend and make-believe, and what is the magic we don't have anything to do with. So, while this is not an exhaustive explanation, hopefully this shows where and why I drew the line where I did.
I do appreciate you letting me be open and candid with you regarding my standard. I thought this would be a good time to share a little of myself with you and also to explain why I will not read/report on certain books or why, like this book, I gave it a low rating. At least now, whether you agree or disagree, you won't be caught off guard as you peruse my list! :)
Cleanliness
Children's Bad Words
Mild Obscenities & Substitutions - 1 Incident: blast 'im
Name Calling - 5 Incidents: little blighter, young bacchanalians, Negro, Daft Davie, crybaby
Religious Profanity - 3 Incidents: Merciful heavens (used several times), Lor', I wish to heaven
Religious & Supernatural - 6 Incidents: Fairies, witches, warlocks, elves, gnomes, spirits, Greek gods, Pan, magic and spells, these are what the book is about. There are unusual things that have happened in a little village and the children discover a magic spell book and begin to put the pieces together. A man and a boy have a discussion about the Greek god, Pan. The little boy asks if he is real, and the man said "When men believed in him he was real to them." This conversation helps allow for a grey line between reality and mysticism. "The spells in Emma Cobley's book might be wicked, and Emma Cobley herself, and Frederick the cat, and perhaps old Tom Biddle ... but ranged against them was the goodness of Uncle Ambrose, Ezra, ... and the wholesomeness of the animals, ... the bees, and the good spirits whom she could not see, but of whom she was aware at this moment, holding over in the dark a sort of umbrella of safety." A book of magic spells is found and many of the spells are read and include the ingredients you would expect: "Take a boiled frog and the feathers from a black cock...blood ..." An elf man explains how the world began which includes the Greek gods, gnomes, elves and giants; and ties them all in with the Bible and the fall of the bad angels before Noah's time. Voodoo-like dolls are used to inflict spells on people in the village. These sections are fairly dark.
Romance Related - 3 Incidents: The words "breast" and "bosom" are used - non-sexually. The word "sex" is used to mean gender. "Nan had come across some gentle love-letters in books she had read, but never anything like these, and the wild and vivid language both fascinated and repelled her. There was nothing gentle about this love. It was like a tempest, all rolling protestations of undying adoration shot through with fiery flashes of anger, threats, and reproaches."
Attitudes/Disobedience - 7 Incident: The main children "had no wish to live with her, for she was a very autocratic old lady, a grandmother of a type that was to be met with in 1912, ...[who] believed that children should be instantly obedient." A boy thinks being a burglar would be a good job. (Not to be taken seriously.) A girl throws a fit, kicking her brother. The author states "they were not apologizing children." Children steal a pony and cart and call it "borrowing." It ends up belonging to their uncle though they don't know that at the time. A brother gets rude and snappy with his sister. "Now Robert hated washing, and he hated doing what he was told." At one time he obeys, at another time he does not because he's angry and wants to make his uncle pay.
Conversation Topics - 4 Incidents: Mentions tobacco and pipes. Mentions strong drink a few times and a character is first seen coming home drunk, happy and singing. There is a frolicking song/poem about drinking. After a girl confesses that she didn't mean to sin, her uncle says "Then do not disturb yourself,... Sin, my dear Nan, lies more in the intention than the actual deed. A reprehensible action which is not premeditated remains reprehensible, and should not be repeated, but is not in the eyes of heaven a grave sin."
Parent Takeaway
The children are not well-behaved while living with their grandmother but when they move in with their uncle (at the beginning of the story), he commands respect and they give it gladly. The siblings, on the whole, have a nice bond with each other. Regarding the magic in this book, on several occasions the author creates scenes to remove the barrier between reality and a land of magic. It's not fantasy but part of our world, with a good versus evil magical battle going on. Good does win in the end but there are some pretty dark moments particularly with voodoo type dolls (though they are not called that).
**Like my reviews? Then you should follow me! Because I have hundreds more just like this one. With each review, I provide a Cleanliness Report, mentioning any objectionable content I come across so that parents and/or conscientious readers (like me) can determine beforehand whether they want to read a book or not. Content surprises are super annoying, especially when you’re 100+ pages in, so here’s my attempt to help you avoid that!
So Follow or Friend me here on GoodReads! You’ll see my updates as I’m reading and know which books I’m liking and what I’m not finishing and why. You’ll also be able to utilize my library for looking up titles to see whether the book you’re thinking about reading next has any objectionable content or not. From swear words, to romance, to bad attitudes (in children’s books), I cover it all!
March 22, 2017
I’ve long since given up my smug assertion that others my age were deprived by missing reading certain of my favorite childhood books. Well, I admit not that long, but it’s been about 16 months, which is when I joined Goodreads and found so many books that I’ve missed. Linnets and Valerians is one of those books. What’s sad for me is that it was published in Great Britain in 1964; I was 10 or 11. It’s that 9-10 or maybe 8-11 year old range that I would have adored this book; it’s a shame I wasn’t as widely read as I used to think.
Linnets and Valerians is a wonderful fairy tale with identifiable and likeable characters. I especially enjoyed Uncle Ambrose, but I’m sure that as a girl I would have identified with Nan and at the beginning might have been a bit wary of Uncle Ambrose and all of the adult characters.
The plot was completely predictable but it was a fine story. The adventures the four siblings have include just the right amount of suspense and fun.
What I particularly enjoyed were the frequent funny parts; there’s so much humor in the book; I was frequently amused. I also appreciate these magical fantasy books that, if it wasn’t for the magic, could be considered straightforward stories.
Also, I do believe that this is the first book where I was able to suspend my phobia and to actually feel fond of bees. No other book has helped me to do that, whether another fantasy book or a factual book or any book in-between.
Addendum: I also have to say that Absalom is now one of my favorite dogs within books. He's not made to do anything at all not dog-like but the way he's written makes an impression; he's a fully fledged character.
Linnets and Valerians is a wonderful fairy tale with identifiable and likeable characters. I especially enjoyed Uncle Ambrose, but I’m sure that as a girl I would have identified with Nan and at the beginning might have been a bit wary of Uncle Ambrose and all of the adult characters.
The plot was completely predictable but it was a fine story. The adventures the four siblings have include just the right amount of suspense and fun.
What I particularly enjoyed were the frequent funny parts; there’s so much humor in the book; I was frequently amused. I also appreciate these magical fantasy books that, if it wasn’t for the magic, could be considered straightforward stories.
Also, I do believe that this is the first book where I was able to suspend my phobia and to actually feel fond of bees. No other book has helped me to do that, whether another fantasy book or a factual book or any book in-between.
Addendum: I also have to say that Absalom is now one of my favorite dogs within books. He's not made to do anything at all not dog-like but the way he's written makes an impression; he's a fully fledged character.
January 11, 2015
I was delighted when the Hesperus Press reissued ‘Linnets and Valerians’ a while ago, but I was disappointed that the title was changed to ‘The Runaways.’ It’s so much less intriguing and it rather misses the point; this not so much a book about running away as a book about finding the right place in the world, and playing the right role.
That was the only thing that disappointed me – everything else I loved!
The Linnet children were sent to live with their elderly grandmother when their father was posted overseas with his regiment, and they were not at all happy about it. It wasn’t that she was unkind, it was that she didn’t understand. Their lives were dull and confined, and so on one particularly dreary afternoon they decided that they would escape and have a grand adventure.
Everything went beautifully, and they were thrilled to be out in the wilds of Dartmoor, but when the sun began to fade, when the shadows began to lengthen, when they began to feel the pangs of hunger, they realised that they hadn’t planned what they would do then.
They saw a pony and cart that had been left outside a pub, and they saw that it held lots of bags of groceries. It seemed that it had been left there for them and so they got in, they found themselves something to eat, and they let the pony take them where it would.
It took them to its home, where a rather irascible elderly gentleman was extremely surprised to see them. he wasn’t best pleased at what had happened but he rose to the occasion, taking them into his cottage and putting them up for the night. The children were thrilled, and when the manservant who had ‘lost’ the pony, the cart and the shopping cane home from the pub singing and dancing in the early hours of the morning, they were sure that this must be just the start of their adventure.
They were right.
The next morning they learned that the elderly gentleman had known exactly who they were. He was their father’s brother, their Uncle Ambrose, and that he had already visited their grandmother to make arrangements for them to stay with him for a while. There would be rules, but they were very different rules. There would be lessons, for several hours a day, and as long as the children worked and paid attention then they were free to do whatever they wanted, to go wherever they wanted, for the rest of the day. There would be pocket-money, but it would be have to be earned by doing jobs in the house and garden.
It was a wonderful regime. Uncle Ambrose was the very best kind of teacher and they discovered just how exciting learning can be. They enjoyed doing their bit to keep the household going as they earned pennies for sweets and treats. And the meals were glorious!
I saw Elizabeth Goudge’s values threaded through the story and it was lovely. She did it so gently, offering simple explanations and advice, and showing such empathy with the four children.
And, of course, there were adventures.
The children found that their new home was a happy place in an unhappy setting. The village shopkeeper looked worryingly like a witch; the tower of stones, shaped like a lion, up on the moor was said to be cursed, and the manor house had fallen into disarray and disrepair as the elderly Lady Alicia mourned her husband and son, who has both disappeared years earlier.
Was it witchcraft? Had the children been sent to put things right?
They would find out all sorts of things, they would get themselves into difficult and dangerous situations, as they explored the village and the surrounding moors.
Each child was different, and at a different stage of life, and so each had a different part to play and different lessons to learn.
This was a lovely story quite beautifully told. Elizabeth Goudge’s prose and vocabulary is as lovely as it ever is; and It’s rich with descriptions of the countryside that she knew and loved, and its rich with so many other things that she understood were – and are – so very important in life.
There’s magic, but it’s not the kind often found in story-books: it’s the kind of magic that rises up from nature, and from history, that is a natural part of life but is unquestionably magic
Because the story is so rich its best read slowly, chapter by chapter, and it would be quite wonderful read aloud.
I think that this is a book that would work best read in childhood – and I do wish I had discovered it as a child – but it still has a great deal to offer to the grown-up reader.
As the story drew to a close I started to have an inkling of how Elizabeth Goudge would have events play out. I was right and I was so pleased, because it was so utterly right. So utterly right – emotionally and spiritually – that there were tears in my eyes.
That was the only thing that disappointed me – everything else I loved!
The Linnet children were sent to live with their elderly grandmother when their father was posted overseas with his regiment, and they were not at all happy about it. It wasn’t that she was unkind, it was that she didn’t understand. Their lives were dull and confined, and so on one particularly dreary afternoon they decided that they would escape and have a grand adventure.
Everything went beautifully, and they were thrilled to be out in the wilds of Dartmoor, but when the sun began to fade, when the shadows began to lengthen, when they began to feel the pangs of hunger, they realised that they hadn’t planned what they would do then.
They saw a pony and cart that had been left outside a pub, and they saw that it held lots of bags of groceries. It seemed that it had been left there for them and so they got in, they found themselves something to eat, and they let the pony take them where it would.
It took them to its home, where a rather irascible elderly gentleman was extremely surprised to see them. he wasn’t best pleased at what had happened but he rose to the occasion, taking them into his cottage and putting them up for the night. The children were thrilled, and when the manservant who had ‘lost’ the pony, the cart and the shopping cane home from the pub singing and dancing in the early hours of the morning, they were sure that this must be just the start of their adventure.
They were right.
The next morning they learned that the elderly gentleman had known exactly who they were. He was their father’s brother, their Uncle Ambrose, and that he had already visited their grandmother to make arrangements for them to stay with him for a while. There would be rules, but they were very different rules. There would be lessons, for several hours a day, and as long as the children worked and paid attention then they were free to do whatever they wanted, to go wherever they wanted, for the rest of the day. There would be pocket-money, but it would be have to be earned by doing jobs in the house and garden.
It was a wonderful regime. Uncle Ambrose was the very best kind of teacher and they discovered just how exciting learning can be. They enjoyed doing their bit to keep the household going as they earned pennies for sweets and treats. And the meals were glorious!
I saw Elizabeth Goudge’s values threaded through the story and it was lovely. She did it so gently, offering simple explanations and advice, and showing such empathy with the four children.
And, of course, there were adventures.
The children found that their new home was a happy place in an unhappy setting. The village shopkeeper looked worryingly like a witch; the tower of stones, shaped like a lion, up on the moor was said to be cursed, and the manor house had fallen into disarray and disrepair as the elderly Lady Alicia mourned her husband and son, who has both disappeared years earlier.
Was it witchcraft? Had the children been sent to put things right?
They would find out all sorts of things, they would get themselves into difficult and dangerous situations, as they explored the village and the surrounding moors.
Each child was different, and at a different stage of life, and so each had a different part to play and different lessons to learn.
This was a lovely story quite beautifully told. Elizabeth Goudge’s prose and vocabulary is as lovely as it ever is; and It’s rich with descriptions of the countryside that she knew and loved, and its rich with so many other things that she understood were – and are – so very important in life.
There’s magic, but it’s not the kind often found in story-books: it’s the kind of magic that rises up from nature, and from history, that is a natural part of life but is unquestionably magic
Because the story is so rich its best read slowly, chapter by chapter, and it would be quite wonderful read aloud.
I think that this is a book that would work best read in childhood – and I do wish I had discovered it as a child – but it still has a great deal to offer to the grown-up reader.
As the story drew to a close I started to have an inkling of how Elizabeth Goudge would have events play out. I was right and I was so pleased, because it was so utterly right. So utterly right – emotionally and spiritually – that there were tears in my eyes.
September 10, 2019
So many of my friends seem to have read and loved this book, that when I first chucked it on Mt. TBR, I wrote: "All right, all right, enough already! Everyone seems to love this, and I trust Sherri, Bunny, Lisa, Jackie, Felicity, Melody, Emily, and Constance!" How right I was to trust these wonderful literary guides!
Linnets and Valerians is one of those books that would have been a five-star favorite, if I had encountered it as a child, and I have no doubt that I would have revisited it perennially, along with such beloved classics as Little Women and The Secret Garden . It is the story of the four Linnets siblings - Nan, Robert, Timothy and Betsy - who, in the course of running away from their grandmother's house, inadvertently find their way to their Uncle Ambrose's home in High Barton. Here they stay, cared for by their stern but loving uncle and his good-fairy factotum, Ezra Oakes.
Between the classical education their uncle is determined to give them, their adventures in the nearby woods beneath Lion Tor, their confrontations with the local witch, Emma Cobley, and their role in solving the mystery surrounding the reclusive Lady Alicia Valerian and her missing husband and son, the children find their new lives exciting and eventful. Goudge is an engaging storyteller, and an accomplished writer, with a perceptive appreciation for the child's view of the world, and an ability to paint an immensely appealing scene. Her description of the kitchen at Uncle Ambrose's house, with the cats sleeping in the sink, and the dishes on the table, made me feel as if I were right there. Her many references to the world and literature of classical antiquity - Hector the owl, Andromache the cat, the Great God Pan - thrilled the Classicist in me. Finally, the significance of the bees - their role as protectors and guides - has made me very curious about the folklore surrounding these creatures, and curious to learn more.
All in all, this was a fantastic book, and might - but for one thing - have won one of my rare five-star ratings. But the sad truth is, despite its engaging narrative and lovely prose, this adult reader was conscious of some very ugly class ideas running just beneath the surface, and as much as I tried to ignore it, I simply couldn't. I found myself rather disturbed by some of the assumptions behind the Emma Cobley/Lady Alicia rivalry, from the idea that one should marry within one's own class, to the notion that evil results from those who step "out of their place." It's not that I sympathized with Emma Cobley as an individual woman, or found her unbelievable as a villain. But in a very real sense, this is a book about how a working class woman got above herself, and had to be humbled and put back in her place by a group of children. I enjoyed Linnets and Valerians, and will probably revisit it, at some point, but the class issues here do make it a problematic narrative for me.
Addendum: It is also worth noting that there are some parallels between the story of Emma Cobley, and that of Merope Gaunt, mother of Tom Riddle in the Harry Potter books. Given that Rowling has listed Goudge's The Little White Horse as one of her favorite books, it is reasonable to suppose that she has read this title as well. Perhaps Linnets and Valerians was an influence?
Linnets and Valerians is one of those books that would have been a five-star favorite, if I had encountered it as a child, and I have no doubt that I would have revisited it perennially, along with such beloved classics as Little Women and The Secret Garden . It is the story of the four Linnets siblings - Nan, Robert, Timothy and Betsy - who, in the course of running away from their grandmother's house, inadvertently find their way to their Uncle Ambrose's home in High Barton. Here they stay, cared for by their stern but loving uncle and his good-fairy factotum, Ezra Oakes.
Between the classical education their uncle is determined to give them, their adventures in the nearby woods beneath Lion Tor, their confrontations with the local witch, Emma Cobley, and their role in solving the mystery surrounding the reclusive Lady Alicia Valerian and her missing husband and son, the children find their new lives exciting and eventful. Goudge is an engaging storyteller, and an accomplished writer, with a perceptive appreciation for the child's view of the world, and an ability to paint an immensely appealing scene. Her description of the kitchen at Uncle Ambrose's house, with the cats sleeping in the sink, and the dishes on the table, made me feel as if I were right there. Her many references to the world and literature of classical antiquity - Hector the owl, Andromache the cat, the Great God Pan - thrilled the Classicist in me. Finally, the significance of the bees - their role as protectors and guides - has made me very curious about the folklore surrounding these creatures, and curious to learn more.
All in all, this was a fantastic book, and might - but for one thing - have won one of my rare five-star ratings. But the sad truth is, despite its engaging narrative and lovely prose, this adult reader was conscious of some very ugly class ideas running just beneath the surface, and as much as I tried to ignore it, I simply couldn't. I found myself rather disturbed by some of the assumptions behind the Emma Cobley/Lady Alicia rivalry, from the idea that one should marry within one's own class, to the notion that evil results from those who step "out of their place." It's not that I sympathized with Emma Cobley as an individual woman, or found her unbelievable as a villain. But in a very real sense, this is a book about how a working class woman got above herself, and had to be humbled and put back in her place by a group of children. I enjoyed Linnets and Valerians, and will probably revisit it, at some point, but the class issues here do make it a problematic narrative for me.
Addendum: It is also worth noting that there are some parallels between the story of Emma Cobley, and that of Merope Gaunt, mother of Tom Riddle in the Harry Potter books. Given that Rowling has listed Goudge's The Little White Horse as one of her favorite books, it is reasonable to suppose that she has read this title as well. Perhaps Linnets and Valerians was an influence?
August 12, 2015
I read this book aloud to my daughter. Some parts felt like a bit of a slog but other parts were poetic and lovely. We liked the characters and the way that at the finish of the book, all the loose ends were picked up and tied together beautifully. The plot does beg the question, why didn't Ezra burn the dolls sooner ? Very glad to have read it though.
November 20, 2013
I have been in a bit of a slump with reading at the moment, reading books that have left me wanting, and reading books with a tight, tense, uncharitable air. This has not been productive; rather so, it has left me hungry for something. That hunger was sated, briefly, by my glorious Noel Streatfield but it stayed with me after that and it made itself known.
And when I feel like this, when there are things needling at the edge of my mind, or a closed, grey feeling to my senses, I need a very specific sort of book. I need Noel Streatfield. I need Michelle Magorian.
I need Elizabeth Goudge.
I need her buttery, fat prose, her Jam and Jerusalem books of England and English magic and children who make the world a better place through their simple belief and instinctive actions. I need her yellow stories, the stories shot through with sunshine and meadows and hills that must be climbed and stories that must be told.
I need books like this and I need to read them selfishly for when I finish reading them, I am whole. I am content and complete.
Linnets and Valerians is about people. Round, solid heartfelt and heartsore people. It's about the shapes families make with each other, the fitting, jarring shapes that occur when a piece is torn away, and the shapes that are made when a connection occurs, right on the edge of despair. It is also about hope, really, and redemption. It is romantic, naive, and occasionally foolish. It is about magic, faith and an almost idyllic English countryside.
In a way it is about Love, which to be fair, is about all of those things and often all at once.
And when I feel like this, when there are things needling at the edge of my mind, or a closed, grey feeling to my senses, I need a very specific sort of book. I need Noel Streatfield. I need Michelle Magorian.
I need Elizabeth Goudge.
I need her buttery, fat prose, her Jam and Jerusalem books of England and English magic and children who make the world a better place through their simple belief and instinctive actions. I need her yellow stories, the stories shot through with sunshine and meadows and hills that must be climbed and stories that must be told.
I need books like this and I need to read them selfishly for when I finish reading them, I am whole. I am content and complete.
Linnets and Valerians is about people. Round, solid heartfelt and heartsore people. It's about the shapes families make with each other, the fitting, jarring shapes that occur when a piece is torn away, and the shapes that are made when a connection occurs, right on the edge of despair. It is also about hope, really, and redemption. It is romantic, naive, and occasionally foolish. It is about magic, faith and an almost idyllic English countryside.
In a way it is about Love, which to be fair, is about all of those things and often all at once.
September 6, 2019
I would have loved it when I was eight. Reading it now, I'm more than a bit skeptical and annoyed at
🌀 how happy all those devoted servants are to be working dawn to dusk
🌀 how transparent and clunky the plot is (hmm, there's a mute wild man living in a cave. wonder if he'll turn out to be anyone?)
🌀 how facile and arbitrary the magic is
🌀 how cloyingly anthropomorphic that poor pet monkey is. He understands English perfectly, so naturally he's pressed into service as one more happy tea-serving flunky
🌀 how it's particularly disturbing that this fantasist slice of class-system worship was written not in the nineteen-teens, but in 1964
Instead, read any of Edith Nesbit's fabulous magical books, or Edward Eager's. Heck, read The Snow Ghosts which was written in the 1960s and features kids exploring their aunt's Stately Home for salable treasures to keep the old house from falling to bits. With no servants, but with two gratifyingly doglike dogs.
🌀 how happy all those devoted servants are to be working dawn to dusk
🌀 how transparent and clunky the plot is (hmm, there's a mute wild man living in a cave. wonder if he'll turn out to be anyone?)
🌀 how facile and arbitrary the magic is
🌀 how cloyingly anthropomorphic that poor pet monkey is. He understands English perfectly, so naturally he's pressed into service as one more happy tea-serving flunky
🌀 how it's particularly disturbing that this fantasist slice of class-system worship was written not in the nineteen-teens, but in 1964
Instead, read any of Edith Nesbit's fabulous magical books, or Edward Eager's. Heck, read The Snow Ghosts which was written in the 1960s and features kids exploring their aunt's Stately Home for salable treasures to keep the old house from falling to bits. With no servants, but with two gratifyingly doglike dogs.
September 15, 2008
This is one of those stories about four children, in this case four brothers and sisters, getting into mischief in amusing ways. The descriptions take you to this English town in the countryside and give everything the possibility of magicalness.
Nan, Robert, Timothy, and Betsy escape the severe sternness of their grandmother's care, and somehow "borrow" a cart and horse that delivers them directly at their Uncle Ambrose's house, an uncle they've never met, an uncle with a pet owl named Hector who hicks out owl pellets at auspicious moments.
Fortunately for the four kids, he assumes guardianship of them, including their education. For Uncle Ambrose is a retired schoolmaster with formidable skills in teaching.
The kids charm their way into Lady Alicia's reclusive life, explore the rocky hillside and discover a mute hermit, and accidentally buy candy from a witch with a cat who can grow into the size of a lion! Their actions and explorations uncover old mysteries, and drive out old evil, too! I really was surprised at the witchiness of this sweet story, in a good way.
Recommended for kids who like the Edward Eager and E. Nesbit books.
Nan, Robert, Timothy, and Betsy escape the severe sternness of their grandmother's care, and somehow "borrow" a cart and horse that delivers them directly at their Uncle Ambrose's house, an uncle they've never met, an uncle with a pet owl named Hector who hicks out owl pellets at auspicious moments.
Fortunately for the four kids, he assumes guardianship of them, including their education. For Uncle Ambrose is a retired schoolmaster with formidable skills in teaching.
The kids charm their way into Lady Alicia's reclusive life, explore the rocky hillside and discover a mute hermit, and accidentally buy candy from a witch with a cat who can grow into the size of a lion! Their actions and explorations uncover old mysteries, and drive out old evil, too! I really was surprised at the witchiness of this sweet story, in a good way.
Recommended for kids who like the Edward Eager and E. Nesbit books.
January 5, 2018
4.5 stars. The sole reason for subtraction of a half-star is mixed feelings about some of the story's magical themes. Otherwise—well, the writing is simply lovely, the setting of a quaint English village delightful, and the characters absolutely charming and endearing. Elizabeth Goudge is just as good as E. Nesbit at writing from children's perspectives in a natural and hilarious way. (When I opened the book and saw it contained a Robert, I thought it would take me a little while to dissociate him from Nesbit's Robert in the Five Children series, but this one asserted his individuality from the first page). Unlike Nesbit, though, the adult characters play a vibrant part—Uncle Ambrose is simply a marvel. There are some unexpectedly touching moments, too; the bit with Nan's parlor almost brought tears to my eyes. The magic element in the story is small but definite, treating the spells of a village witch as real and effective, and the undoing of them by "good" spells the crux of the plot. I don't think I'd give it to a child or read it to them without a careful caveat about its being make-believe...but as a grown-up I can wink at that and simply enjoy the delights of the book.
July 9, 2015
I loved this book as a kid, and didn't realise then that this is the same EG who wrote A City of Bells. The Linnet kids are "not apologising children" who stick together and tell each other everything, probably because they've grown up in India where you don't apologise to servants and they didn't have anyone else of their social level to play with. And for once, all the kids have red hair of one shade or another, although apparently Nan's is "too sandy" for her to be beautiful. Betsy reminds one strongly of Bella from A City of Bells, but she grows up a bit and stops being such a demanding crybaby when she meets her uncle Ambrose, an ex-schoolmaster used to being obeyed without recourse to punishment.
It's a great cosy story, and I realise upon re-reading it as an adult that this is where I got my great love and respect for bees--and nowadays we are learning the hard way just how important they are! I still speak to any bee that flies near me in this crowded, polluted city I live in, though perhaps not respectfully enough. Somehow, however, I didn't remember the main storyline of Lady Alicia and her missing family; I had only retained the magical kids-living-in-fascinating-old-house part, which is unusual for me. I also didn't remember the "witchcraft" storyline, and rereading that as an adult made the ending rather dissatisfying. True, Goudge was writing for children, and children of the age this book is intended for (7-10) tend to want all the ends tied up in a satisfying package, preferably with a happy ending where the good guys come out on top (the kids) and the bad guys (the adults) get their comeuppance. But I found the total about-face of the adult characters unconvincing, and I wonder if today's child readers would too. Goudge does mention that even kindly old Ezra reserves judgement on how deep the change actually goes. But it's still a good read, and one I can recommend.
It's a great cosy story, and I realise upon re-reading it as an adult that this is where I got my great love and respect for bees--and nowadays we are learning the hard way just how important they are! I still speak to any bee that flies near me in this crowded, polluted city I live in, though perhaps not respectfully enough. Somehow, however, I didn't remember the main storyline of Lady Alicia and her missing family; I had only retained the magical kids-living-in-fascinating-old-house part, which is unusual for me. I also didn't remember the "witchcraft" storyline, and rereading that as an adult made the ending rather dissatisfying. True, Goudge was writing for children, and children of the age this book is intended for (7-10) tend to want all the ends tied up in a satisfying package, preferably with a happy ending where the good guys come out on top (the kids) and the bad guys (the adults) get their comeuppance. But I found the total about-face of the adult characters unconvincing, and I wonder if today's child readers would too. Goudge does mention that even kindly old Ezra reserves judgement on how deep the change actually goes. But it's still a good read, and one I can recommend.
August 2, 2024
A beautiful, lovely story! This is my second time reading Linnets and Valerians and it was even more special this time. I'm always swept away by Elizabeth Goudge's storytelling and gorgeous, lyrical writing. For some reason, her children's books touch my heart even more than her adult books.
As soon as I read the first chapter, I became totally immersed in the setting and interested in every single character. I love how each character in this wonderful story is so distinct and fascinating. Almost every single chapter has sections of cozy descriptive writing or lovely quotes that I mark with book darts. Especially the sections about the homes, clothing and food.
It's really hard for me to express how much this book means to me because it just sparkles with life, joy, family, patience and understanding. The older characters, Uncle Ambrose, Ezra and Lady Alicia are larger than life and are my favorites to read about. I love their wisdom, experience and ability to go beyond the every day into the realm of possibilities and magic.
I adore this book and it will always be a favorite! Highly recommended!!
As soon as I read the first chapter, I became totally immersed in the setting and interested in every single character. I love how each character in this wonderful story is so distinct and fascinating. Almost every single chapter has sections of cozy descriptive writing or lovely quotes that I mark with book darts. Especially the sections about the homes, clothing and food.
It's really hard for me to express how much this book means to me because it just sparkles with life, joy, family, patience and understanding. The older characters, Uncle Ambrose, Ezra and Lady Alicia are larger than life and are my favorites to read about. I love their wisdom, experience and ability to go beyond the every day into the realm of possibilities and magic.
I adore this book and it will always be a favorite! Highly recommended!!
July 13, 2024
A children’s book read for the Elizabeth Goudge Book Club. This one was so steeped in English folklore down to telling the bees about life events. Just delightful.
April 17, 2017
Published in America under the title Linnets and Valerians, this is a great comfort-read for bedtime reading. Goudge's framework for most of her stories is firmly in place: an Anglican vicar in a small town or village who is not as otherworldly as he seems, children who are taken in or otherwise "adopted" and educated at home by the old man, and a wealthy older woman (in this case only in about her 50s, which I suppose was indeed "elderly" in the 19th century) who has effectively "stopped time" and refuses to leave the house. The kids' father is an army officer in Egypt, not somewhere you'd want to take children from the ages of 6-10 in those days, particularly without a mother to keep an eye on them.
There's a curious blend of high Anglicanism and paganism in this book as there are in many of Goudge's books, particularly the Eliots of Damrosehay series...and there is indeed the same mixture in many English villages today. We are allowed to think that the vicar's man of all work may be a faery (after all, his brother is a blacksmith in Pizzleton, "pixy town") and while it's black magic to make images of others to harm them, it is apparently ok to do it for their good, particularly if said good images are concealed in the church!
If I have a complaint, it is that the ending is a bit coincidental and skimped, but that I suppose is beecause when the dark is beaten everything comes right. Shame she didn't give it a little more development though.
There's a curious blend of high Anglicanism and paganism in this book as there are in many of Goudge's books, particularly the Eliots of Damrosehay series...and there is indeed the same mixture in many English villages today. We are allowed to think that the vicar's man of all work may be a faery (after all, his brother is a blacksmith in Pizzleton, "pixy town") and while it's black magic to make images of others to harm them, it is apparently ok to do it for their good, particularly if said good images are concealed in the church!
If I have a complaint, it is that the ending is a bit coincidental and skimped, but that I suppose is beecause when the dark is beaten everything comes right. Shame she didn't give it a little more development though.
April 15, 2014
I have mixed feelings about this book. It was a fun story, though the ending was obvious. It belongs in the same category as Edith Nesbit's books, and Edward Eager's. I really liked the children and Uncle Ambrose, and thought the characters were well-written.
The negatives? The denouement was painted with too broad a brush. We rushed through the conclusion much too quickly- almost like the author just wanted to get it over with already, or had a deadline to meet. Also, I didn't feel like Goudge did a good job of making the magic mesh well with the religion that seems foundational to the culture at the time. In fact, although she glosses over this, Christianity and the magic seem to me to be fundamentally in conflict.
My major problem was with the justice of the story: there isn't any. The wicked people aren't punished. They don't repent. They just act like everything's all okay now and the good people go along with it. I think this is a misguided attempt to highlight mercy and forgiveness. It went wrong. There is no mercy without justice.
The negatives? The denouement was painted with too broad a brush. We rushed through the conclusion much too quickly- almost like the author just wanted to get it over with already, or had a deadline to meet. Also, I didn't feel like Goudge did a good job of making the magic mesh well with the religion that seems foundational to the culture at the time. In fact, although she glosses over this, Christianity and the magic seem to me to be fundamentally in conflict.
My major problem was with the justice of the story: there isn't any. The wicked people aren't punished. They don't repent. They just act like everything's all okay now and the good people go along with it. I think this is a misguided attempt to highlight mercy and forgiveness. It went wrong. There is no mercy without justice.
November 2, 2014
My favorite author, and one of her best children's books. Maybe the very best. Yes. Absolutely. Read it.
I would like to describe this book, it deserves it. It takes place, (I think) in the early 1800's. Four motherless British children are left with a martinet of a grandmother while their father goes to India with his regiment. They cannot bear life with Grandma and so one night they run away. Having no place to go, they "borrow" a pony and trap from outside a tavern. The pony knows exactly where to go and takes them, somewhat miraculously, to the home of their father's brother, a retired schoolmaster, now a minister and always an eccentric in the extreme. But he makes a wonderful guardian and the adventures, which are magical and marvelous, are not to be missed. Everything turns out perfectly in the end which is how I think children's books should be. And nothing I have said does it justice for this is truly a wonderful book full of mystery and magic and wisdom and joy. And bees. I must not forget the bees...
I would like to describe this book, it deserves it. It takes place, (I think) in the early 1800's. Four motherless British children are left with a martinet of a grandmother while their father goes to India with his regiment. They cannot bear life with Grandma and so one night they run away. Having no place to go, they "borrow" a pony and trap from outside a tavern. The pony knows exactly where to go and takes them, somewhat miraculously, to the home of their father's brother, a retired schoolmaster, now a minister and always an eccentric in the extreme. But he makes a wonderful guardian and the adventures, which are magical and marvelous, are not to be missed. Everything turns out perfectly in the end which is how I think children's books should be. And nothing I have said does it justice for this is truly a wonderful book full of mystery and magic and wisdom and joy. And bees. I must not forget the bees...
March 25, 2016
A light-hearted children's book, set in the late nineteenth century, with just a touch of magic.
It opens with a whopping coincidence, as the four siblings flee their grandmother and stumble on their Uncle Ambrose. But since they hate it there, and their father has left them there because he's in Egypt, their uncle takes them on, on the condition he can educate them.
Their further adventures involve their surprise at variable English weather (having grown up in India), an old woman nearly a recluse, a book of spells hidden in a cabinet, a mute man, a pony, poachers and their traps, and much more.
It opens with a whopping coincidence, as the four siblings flee their grandmother and stumble on their Uncle Ambrose. But since they hate it there, and their father has left them there because he's in Egypt, their uncle takes them on, on the condition he can educate them.
Their further adventures involve their surprise at variable English weather (having grown up in India), an old woman nearly a recluse, a book of spells hidden in a cabinet, a mute man, a pony, poachers and their traps, and much more.
February 4, 2022
Maybe this rates 4 stars. I've read this at least four times, twice aloud. I know I would have given it 4 stars the first time I read it. The story is a nice balance of family, fantasy, characters (people with strong and somewhat odd personalities), and nature. Each of the kids has found something in the book that makes it a favorite.
Why then am I giving it 3 stars (actually 3.5)? Probably because there are so many good books for this age group that it's tough to make the judgment call.
Why then am I giving it 3 stars (actually 3.5)? Probably because there are so many good books for this age group that it's tough to make the judgment call.
January 9, 2013
I really only read it on the basis of author love, so I was entirely surprised by how instantly smitten I was with the family. C.S. Lewis levels of charm, but with much subtler aspects of magic and fantasy, which is always a plus. I'll never forget this title, either.
May 20, 2019
Be still my heart! I've been walking on clouds while reading this gem. Everything around me is brighter and more beautiful, which usually happens when I read one of EG's novels, but this one is the most loveliest yet-- except for maybe the Little White Horse.
January 6, 2024
Reading this back to back with Sutcliff's The Armourer's House, written a decade earlier, was interesting. There are certain similarities in the tales: they're both about groups of related children going on small-scale adventures (bigger adventures here than in The Armourer's House), about going to live with uncles in the absence of parental guardians, about life in England in the past.
They also both are products of their time in their depiction of race and gender, but the comparison doesn't do Goudge any favors. In both stories, the girls of the family have different experiences and expectations than the boys of the family, but in Goudge that's just How Boys And Girls Are; Sutcliff, writing thirteen years earlier (but born twenty years later, and I bet that's part of the difference), is much more aware of the gender divide as a product of social expectations and as fundamentally unfair.
As far as race goes, there is a fairly infamous passage where Robert decides to play pretend with a Black servant character, which goes as follows:
That passage, as it turns out, appears rather differently in my 1978 American edition:
Still not great! But there has clearly been some effort on the part of the editor to soften the effect: the removal of the word "slave," the substitution of "trusted" for "coal-black."
After I noticed this change, I started doing some spot comparisons of other parts of the text, and: wow, the 1978 American edition is heavily edited compared to the 1992 American edition. In the 1992 American edition, for example, Ezra's dialogue is written in a phonetic accent with dropped Hs and Gs; in the 1978 edition, Ezra gets to keep the full alphabet. (There are also some other random changes. In the 1978 American text, Uncle Ambrose threatens to "cause you to be laid over a chair with your posteriors uppermost"; in the 1992 American edition, this is simply "cause you to be severely punished.")
A friend with a 1982 British edition found her text matched the 1992 American edition. I have a suspicion that what happened was that when the book was first published in America, it was Americanized, which included toning down the racism and the accents, and that at some point between the 1970s and the 1990s American publishers decided it was better to restore the original British text than to keep printing their own variant. But it's hard to tell without access to a lot more printings to spot-check. (The library does have the original 1964 American printing, which I may go glance through at some point; I have no easy way of getting ahold of the 1964 British printing.) And I have no idea what's going on with those upturned posteriors.
Anyway, ambyr, what did you think of the book? The writing was charming, but I kept getting distracted by the period attitudes, and I found the resolution anti-climatic. (It is also a little awkward, to a reader used to 21st century children's fiction convention, how much of the actual action is handled by adults rather than the theoretical child protagonists.) Also, not really sold on the final romance that involves an 18-year-old marrying someone nearly 30 years her senior, whom she met and fell for when she was 12. (And while we're complaining about romance: I have no particular sympathy for Hugo Valerian, who jilts Emma as soon as a higher-class marriage prospect comes along. Witchcraft seems a reasonable response, frankly, although she could have left his eight-year-old son out of it.)
They also both are products of their time in their depiction of race and gender, but the comparison doesn't do Goudge any favors. In both stories, the girls of the family have different experiences and expectations than the boys of the family, but in Goudge that's just How Boys And Girls Are; Sutcliff, writing thirteen years earlier (but born twenty years later, and I bet that's part of the difference), is much more aware of the gender divide as a product of social expectations and as fundamentally unfair.
As far as race goes, there is a fairly infamous passage where Robert decides to play pretend with a Black servant character, which goes as follows:
"Slave," he [Robert] said to his coal-black Nubian standard-bearer [Moses], "lead on!"
Timothy looked anxiously at Moses, but saw to his relief that he did not seem to be at all hurt in his feelings and was smiling quite amiably as he led the way to the house. Hurt feelings were no part of the two men Moses was. One was gentle and humble and the other could be as wild as a thunderstorm, but neither was resentful.
That passage, as it turns out, appears rather differently in my 1978 American edition:
"Lead on," he [Robert] said to his trusted Nubian standard bearer [Moses].
Moses smiled amiably and led the way toward the house. Hurt feelings were no part of the two men Moses was. One was gentle and humble and the other could be as wild as a thunderstorm, but neither was resentful.
Still not great! But there has clearly been some effort on the part of the editor to soften the effect: the removal of the word "slave," the substitution of "trusted" for "coal-black."
After I noticed this change, I started doing some spot comparisons of other parts of the text, and: wow, the 1978 American edition is heavily edited compared to the 1992 American edition. In the 1992 American edition, for example, Ezra's dialogue is written in a phonetic accent with dropped Hs and Gs; in the 1978 edition, Ezra gets to keep the full alphabet. (There are also some other random changes. In the 1978 American text, Uncle Ambrose threatens to "cause you to be laid over a chair with your posteriors uppermost"; in the 1992 American edition, this is simply "cause you to be severely punished.")
A friend with a 1982 British edition found her text matched the 1992 American edition. I have a suspicion that what happened was that when the book was first published in America, it was Americanized, which included toning down the racism and the accents, and that at some point between the 1970s and the 1990s American publishers decided it was better to restore the original British text than to keep printing their own variant. But it's hard to tell without access to a lot more printings to spot-check. (The library does have the original 1964 American printing, which I may go glance through at some point; I have no easy way of getting ahold of the 1964 British printing.) And I have no idea what's going on with those upturned posteriors.
Anyway, ambyr, what did you think of the book? The writing was charming, but I kept getting distracted by the period attitudes, and I found the resolution anti-climatic. (It is also a little awkward, to a reader used to 21st century children's fiction convention, how much of the actual action is handled by adults rather than the theoretical child protagonists.) Also, not really sold on the final romance that involves an 18-year-old marrying someone nearly 30 years her senior, whom she met and fell for when she was 12. (And while we're complaining about romance: I have no particular sympathy for Hugo Valerian, who jilts Emma as soon as a higher-class marriage prospect comes along. Witchcraft seems a reasonable response, frankly, although she could have left his eight-year-old son out of it.)
March 24, 2012
(duplicates what's up on LJ)
I read Linnets and Valerians because I was intrigued and entranced by Sonya Taaffe's description about the gold-hearted, black-hearted, and silver people (quotation here), especially the silver people, descended from fairy folk.
That turned out to be a wrong reason to read the book, or maybe what I should say is, whatever nebulous concept, and therefore hope for the story, that I had, based on that description, it was misguided. Those concepts didn’t really figure in the story the way I imagined they would. There’s genuine magic, both good and wicked, but its actions are almost all entirely congruent with everyday reality as ordinary people experience it. (Almost. There are some exceptions.)
But the immanent presence of magic that those words suggest is definitely present in the book, and if you adjust your eyes to see it, and turn your ears toward it, to hear it (like the singing of the bees), then it’s there, and its wonderful. Magic like this moment, when mist rolls in over Weeping Marsh (which I can’t help but associate with Marshwood Vale, which I recall seeing shrouded in mist when we lived in Dorset, one county over from the Devonshire setting of Linnets and Valerians):
As much as by that magic, though, I was moved by the characters. When Betsy, the younger of the two Linnet girls (there are two girls and two boys), meets the reclusive Lady Alicia, two things happen that I love. First, we get a child’s eye view of a situation that the child can’t comprehend, but that the reader can (even if the reader’s simply an older child, which is likely the case for most readers of the book—I’m far above the target audience age). I find this style of unreliable narrator very effective:
Second, we get a very touching, and yet to my mind unsentimental description of generosity. Betsy has burst in on Lady Alicia in pursuit of a monkey who has stolen her doll. Lady Alicia explains that the monkey, Abednego, only wanted the doll because he hasn’t been able to nurture children of his own. The wheels turn in Betsy’s head, and she decides to give the doll to Abednego:
That just about captures my every battle to be generous!
But it’s not all solemn moments. There’s plenty of humor, too. For example, Robert, the oldest boy, is always imagining himself the hero of the moment:
Upon meeting Lady Alicia:
The plot of Linnets and Valerians centers around Lady Alicia’s missing son and husband and a village woman, Emma Cobley, who also happens to practice black magic and who was in love with Lady Alicia’s husband (and, in fact, essentially thrown over by him). She’s made harmful spells; those spells must be dissolved for the story to reach its happy end.
Which brings me to my only dissatisfaction with the story.
But this dissatisfaction is minor. I loved the book overall.
I read Linnets and Valerians because I was intrigued and entranced by Sonya Taaffe's description about the gold-hearted, black-hearted, and silver people (quotation here), especially the silver people, descended from fairy folk.
That turned out to be a wrong reason to read the book, or maybe what I should say is, whatever nebulous concept, and therefore hope for the story, that I had, based on that description, it was misguided. Those concepts didn’t really figure in the story the way I imagined they would. There’s genuine magic, both good and wicked, but its actions are almost all entirely congruent with everyday reality as ordinary people experience it. (Almost. There are some exceptions.)
But the immanent presence of magic that those words suggest is definitely present in the book, and if you adjust your eyes to see it, and turn your ears toward it, to hear it (like the singing of the bees), then it’s there, and its wonderful. Magic like this moment, when mist rolls in over Weeping Marsh (which I can’t help but associate with Marshwood Vale, which I recall seeing shrouded in mist when we lived in Dorset, one county over from the Devonshire setting of Linnets and Valerians):
When they turned and faced the other way the sunlit moor had vanished in a moving pall of gloom. There was no wind but the air that touched their faces was clammy and cold.
“The sea is coming in over the moor!” gasped Nan.
“And there are devils on horseback riding over the waves,” said Timothy. He spoke calmly but with a sort of despair, as well he might, for the sight was truly frightening. The waves that were rolling in were the high gray waves of storm but they made no sound and the terrible tossing riders made no sound either. It would have been less terrifying if they could have heard the crash of waves or the neighing of the horses.”
“Don’t yee be feared, children,” said Ezra. “ ‘Tis naught but mist rolling in over Weepin’ Marsh. It can come very sudden and take queer forms. But us’d best be going and quick too.” (239-240)
As much as by that magic, though, I was moved by the characters. When Betsy, the younger of the two Linnet girls (there are two girls and two boys), meets the reclusive Lady Alicia, two things happen that I love. First, we get a child’s eye view of a situation that the child can’t comprehend, but that the reader can (even if the reader’s simply an older child, which is likely the case for most readers of the book—I’m far above the target audience age). I find this style of unreliable narrator very effective:
“A long time ago I had one little boy, called Francis,” said Lady Alicia, and her blue eyes were hooded again and once more her hands looked as though she would never be able to lift them from the carved birds.
“Did you lose him?” inquired Betsy with interest.
“Yes,” said Lady Alicia.
“Where did you lose him?”
“On Lion Tor,” said Lady Alicia in a voice dry as dust. “Thirty years ago. He was eight years old.”
“Timothy is eight,” said Betsy.
She was sorry Lady Alicia had this habit of losing things because she could see it made her unhappy, but she did not know how to say so …
“Did you lose your husband too?” asked Betsy.
“No, he lost himself. He was an explorer. He used to travel all over the world digging up vanished cities. And then he also vanished.”
“Perhaps he’ll turn up,” said Betsy hopefully.
“Not, I think after twenty-seven years,” said Lady Alicia. She sounded sad but Betsy thought she had got over her husband losing himself in foreign parts a good deal better than she had got over herself mislaying her little boy on Lion Tor. (92-93)
Second, we get a very touching, and yet to my mind unsentimental description of generosity. Betsy has burst in on Lady Alicia in pursuit of a monkey who has stolen her doll. Lady Alicia explains that the monkey, Abednego, only wanted the doll because he hasn’t been able to nurture children of his own. The wheels turn in Betsy’s head, and she decides to give the doll to Abednego:
Now Betsy was not an unselfish or even an outstandingly loving child, but she suddenly remembered her father saying good-bye to her before he went away. He had picked her up, holding her with her cheek against his face, and then had put her on Grandmama’s lap and gone out of the room without saying a single word. And then there was the old lady, so heavy and dusty because she had lost her little boy. And now there was Abednego. Three times now this strange adult thing had touched her. She was well aware that her feeling for Gertrude [the doll] was not this thing but something far less admirable, and looking up into Abednego’s face she fought a battle inside herself wit the thing that it was, a sort of grabbing thing, and then she held Gertrude out to him. “You have her,” she said. (94)
That just about captures my every battle to be generous!
But it’s not all solemn moments. There’s plenty of humor, too. For example, Robert, the oldest boy, is always imagining himself the hero of the moment:
Robert found he was sweating profusely and trembling like an aspen leaf. He did not know what an aspen leaf was but he knew it was what you trembled like when a moment of supreme crisis was safely past. (13)
Upon meeting Lady Alicia:
It was obvious that she did not like being visited and Robert bowed very humbly indeed, sweeping his feathered hat from his head. Sir Walter Raleigh could not lay his cloak at the feet of Gloriana, since she showed no signs of wishing to leave her chair, but his burning glance told her of his deep devotion.
“Is this histrionic gentleman your elder brother?” [Lady Alicia] asked Betsy. (116-117)
The plot of Linnets and Valerians centers around Lady Alicia’s missing son and husband and a village woman, Emma Cobley, who also happens to practice black magic and who was in love with Lady Alicia’s husband (and, in fact, essentially thrown over by him). She’s made harmful spells; those spells must be dissolved for the story to reach its happy end.
Which brings me to my only dissatisfaction with the story.
But this dissatisfaction is minor. I loved the book overall.
April 13, 2024
I am convinced that Goudge’s adult books are far superior to her children’s books (for many a reason - but chiefly, I think, she does better when dealing with the enchantment of daily life instead of including actual magic), but this is, nevertheless, a fun story featuring Goudge’s beautiful prose.
November 15, 2019
I do love this book and it feels nice in a British Children Have Adventures way but the ever-present misogyny from their uncle is difficult to digest, and the weird marrying off of Nan to a man At Least ten years older the second she turns eighteen is bad, folks!
July 17, 2024
When the Linnet children run away from their strict grandmother, they just so happen to arrive on their Uncle Ambrose’s doorstep. He “reluctantly” takes them in, and so begin their adventures—including a mysterious reclusive lady of the manor, a village witch and her cronies, some friendly and protective bees, and more than a touch of magic along the way. This was an enchanting classic children’s book of the “English children having adventures in the countryside” type—one of my favorite genres! The ending resolved everything a little too quickly and neatly (I wanted clearer consequences for the villains!), but otherwise, this was a delight.
January 16, 2015
One of my favorite book bloggers, Cornflower of Cornflower Books, read Linnets and Valerians (rechristened "The Runaways") recently, and I vaguely remembered it from days of yore at the Alvin Bolster Ricker Memorial Library and Community House, so I got a copy through interlibrary loan and had at it. As I read, it came back to me--Goudge's great descriptions, her occasional sharp, witty comments, Uncle Absolom, complete with Hector the owl, Ezra the manservant, and the haunting combination of magic, religious faith, classicism, and adventure that make this book unique.
I'm glad I read it while I was young first, because that familiarity smoothed over some spots that could've been irritating for an adult reader: there's a touch of smug cuteness in the story as well as some marked gender stereotyping that makes me twitch a bit now, but I do appreciate Goudge's satisfying story-telling and the book's energy and vision, as well as its complex diction and structure, a rare element in many ya novels of the present. I recommend this book to imaginative young readers and their book suppliers, but I do add a caution: I think Linnets and Valerians helped create my lasting Anglophilia!
I'm glad I read it while I was young first, because that familiarity smoothed over some spots that could've been irritating for an adult reader: there's a touch of smug cuteness in the story as well as some marked gender stereotyping that makes me twitch a bit now, but I do appreciate Goudge's satisfying story-telling and the book's energy and vision, as well as its complex diction and structure, a rare element in many ya novels of the present. I recommend this book to imaginative young readers and their book suppliers, but I do add a caution: I think Linnets and Valerians helped create my lasting Anglophilia!
June 15, 2016
What a wonderful book. When I started it I puzzled over why I was reading a children's book, but I was soon enchanted. I have always loved the English village mysteries. They are created to fit snugly into a small circle. They are timeless. They are familiar, all with the same basic components.
This book follows all these tropes. Plus it has three kinds of magic. Maybe more. There is magic magic with spells and curses. Then there is a near fairy tale magic of place, weather and nature rampant. Then there is the magic of the plot. Goudge sucks you in. You think, oh no that can't be going to happen, and then it does. The story is at once fascinating, thrilling and warm.
A very great pleasure to read.
This book follows all these tropes. Plus it has three kinds of magic. Maybe more. There is magic magic with spells and curses. Then there is a near fairy tale magic of place, weather and nature rampant. Then there is the magic of the plot. Goudge sucks you in. You think, oh no that can't be going to happen, and then it does. The story is at once fascinating, thrilling and warm.
A very great pleasure to read.
January 6, 2020
I got this book from a friend for my 11th birthday. I read it that summer and every summer after until high school; it became an escape into a magical world where a group of siblings could have an adventure that introduced them to strange people and events, made them appreciate each other better, and gave them the confidence to live with eyes, ears, and hearts wide open.
Throughout my young adulthood and into parenthood, I would recall snippets of imagery and glimpses of characters that gave me such jolts of joy, I had to revisit the book. I still love everything about it - the writing mesmerizes, the story holds as entertaining + relevant.
Throughout my young adulthood and into parenthood, I would recall snippets of imagery and glimpses of characters that gave me such jolts of joy, I had to revisit the book. I still love everything about it - the writing mesmerizes, the story holds as entertaining + relevant.
July 29, 2015
While reading I found myself conflicted. At moments I was completely immersed in the story, and other times frustrated. The frustrating parts were the magical parts, which I didn't like initially. Towards the end, the magical aspects had grown on me and my imagination was beginning to flourish. Perhaps my deprivation and under exposure of imaginative storybooks as a child played into this. My only complaint of the end was wanting more justice and repentance from the evil doers. I look forward to discussing with my daughter in a few years, she will love this!
November 9, 2013
Revisiting Elizabeth Goudge lately, and this was my favorite as a kid. Dare I say it? I liked this even better than C.S. Lewis's The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe. No uber-Christian message here, just a very well-told tale in the E. Nesbit tradition.
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