A Fancy of Hers / The Disagreeable Woman

by Horatio; Ralph D. Gardner (intro.) Alger

Ben Hadley's conversion had indeed been sudden, and, as in most similar cases, he found some difficulty in staying converted. While his pride was flattered by the confidence reposed in him by Miss Frost, there were times when his old mischievous propensities almost overcame him. On the third day, as John Cotton was passing Ben's desk, the latter suddenly thrust out his foot into the passageway between the desks, and John tumbled over it.

179 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1877

Reviews

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book really took me back to my childhood of reading Louisa May Alcott and other 19th century writers, although this is actually an Alger book written for adults. A Fancy of Hers deals with a bored rich woman who moves to a rural area incognito to become a schoolteacher. A Disagreeable Woman deals with a young doctor who takes his meals at a boarding house and meets a gruff older woman who turns out to have a heart of gold. Cliches abound, but so do wonderfully written humorous passages about human behavior and 19th century customs. I found the ending of A Disagreeable Woman to be a bit forced, but appropriate to the writing conventions of the time period.