Rating: 5/5
This book was all about the life of three children: Phyllis, Peter and Roberta (though she likes to be called Bobbie instead). The children’s father mysteriously goes away, and none of them know why except Mother. They move house into the countryside and begin to live very poor. There the children make good friends with the people of the railway, and love the railway itself.
Their father goes for a very long time. When the children wave to an old friend of theirs, which they call ‘The Old Gentleman’, they are doing it for the purpose of him to send their love to Father.
With many rescues and great journeys, the children have great fun and a brilliant time. But they are also sad – they miss Father so much, and yet they don’t think Mother is happy. “How can we cheer her up?” they ask each other. “If she’s not happy, she never will be until Father comes back, will she?” and the simple questions are: WILL Father come back? And if not, WILL the children or Mother be happy again?
Wonderful book! Terrific! I like the phrases Nesbit uses – “don’t let’s quarrel, now!” – “Oh, rot!” – “Yes, Mother. Of course we will, ducky-dear.” – it’s all very funny, since we usually don’t speak like that anymore, but it also gives a touch of what Nesbit DID speak like when she was still around.