💐 Jane and Lucilla are orphaned cousins who lived in boarding school until they were coming of age. They were supposed to get into a nice income, hitherto managed by their guardian. But the guardian gambled away the money, and so the two young girls must start their independent lives, free from school, with only £500 and a small yet lovely cottage in the village.
💐 Lucilla was disconcerted when they first realized of their predicament, but not Jane. Jane is an optimistic girl, though a bit too imaginative. She believes that "life is a lark", and so it should be how we perceive of life!
💐 The two girls start to earn a living by selling flowers from their little garden. But the garden is soon inadequate for their enterprise. If only they could own the uninhabited mansion house they saw down the road, with a large garden! One day they sneak into the house. Jane fell off the stairs, but luckily a handsome young man who is nephew to the house owner helps her. His name is Rochester. Wait... Jane... and then Rochester? As in... well, you know what I'm talking about, right? Is it a coincidence? I believe not!
💐 The house owner, charmed by the girls' personalities, let them use the garden, which delighted them. The flower enterprise is soon enlarged to a boarding house business.
💐 It's quite delightful to watch the two inexperienced girls entering an adult life with all the blundering, which they try to perceive as an adventure - or as a "lark"!
💐 This book is so refreshing - funny, witty, affectionate, heartwarming. It's hard for not loving and enjoying it. If you love Nesbit's children books, you'll love this one!
Rating: 4,5 / 5
This book sounds so charming and fun! And I'm very partial to the title. ;D
ReplyDeleteActually, when I first found your blog, I thought you named it after this book, but apparently I was wrong :))
DeleteAnd yes, it is charming and fun, I'm sure you'd love it!
I liked this one too! It's been reprinted in the US in the Furrowed Middlebrow imprint of Dean Street Press, which has reprinted a lot of forgotten middlebrow novels. It's a fun light read.
ReplyDeleteI've heard about Dean Street quite much lately, and been curious what it's about. Thank you for enlightening me, I'll check their books after this.
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