The Wolves of Willoughby Chase (1962) by Joan Aiken #WitchWeek2024

🐺 Willoughby Chase is home to Sir Willoughby, Lady Green, and their only daughter Bonnie. Due to Lady Green's illness, Sir Willoughby is taking her to the Mediterranean by ship. They arranged for a distant cousin to take over Bonnie and the estate into her care - Miss Slighcarp's care. Bonnie won't be lonely because her orphan cousin, Sylvia is arriving from London, where she's been living with her poor but proud aunt Jane.

🐺 Sylvia's train journey through snowy countryside to Willoughby Chase is far from uneventful. She was terrified by a pack of wolves that are menacing the train, one even tried to attack Sylvia's compartment when the train's stopped middle way. Fortunately Sylvia's fellow passenger, a man called Mr. Grimshaw, courageously averted the danger. Sylvia had no idea that a more terrifying pack of "wolves" is awaiting her at Willoughby Chase; more terrifying because these are wolves in sheeps' clothing.

🐺 Bonnie and Sylvia, despite of differences in personality and upbringing, soon find themselves best friend to each other. But Miss Slighcarp has her wicked intention. With Mr. Grimshaw's help she planned to take over Willoughby Chase. She dismissed the loyal servants, tampered Sir Willoughby's will, and things like that. When Bonnie and Sylvia hampered her, she sent them to a horrid orphanage owned by equally wicked woman if Miss Slighcarp's friend.

🐺 When things get most nasty for the girls, they plan to run away. Luckily for them, few of the loyal servants don't desert them. The goose boy Simon also proved to be a valuable friend to them. However, what can they do to thwart the enemies plans, if Bonnie's parents were really dead inside the drowned ship?

🐺 I happened to read two books about horrid orphanages almost in a row. However, the one in Thursday's Child felt almost like adventure compared to this one, where Bonnie and Sylvia were most unfortunately put into. I was glad that Bonnie and Sylvia had each other's company to bear their misery. And if there's one blessing in disguise from this hardship, it's the resilient and experiences the two girls now possess as the result. That short experience strengthened them to be wonderful women in future.

🐺 This is my first Joan Aiken, and I'm grateful to have found this wonderful author. It certainly won't be my last read of her.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐1/2

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Witch Week 2024 #WitchWeek2024

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