Mildred and Elsie

Mildred Keith #3

by Martha Finley

Mildred's stay at Roselands draws to a close, and she is torn between her beloved home in Indiana and her newfound friends and family. She has blossomed into a beautiful young woman and must discourage the advances of not one, but two suitors, for she still loves Charlie. When Elsie recovers from a life-threatening illness, she visits the Keiths in Pleasant Plains with her father. After years of separation, Mildred and Charlie Landreth reunite to find all of the obstacles to their love now removed, and they marry.

Genres: Fiction, Christian Fiction, Historical, Young Adult, Historical Fiction, Classics, Childrens

288 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1881

About the author

Martha Finley was a teacher and author of numerous works, the most well known being the 28 volume Elsie Dinsmore series which was published over a span of 38 years. Finley wrote many of her books under the pseudonym Martha Farquharson.

For more information, please see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martha_F... or, http://marthafinley.wordpress.com/

Reviews

[Lydia · Rating 3 out of 5]

After spending a long recuperation vacation with her relatives in the South, Mildred is on her way back home. Her health has stabilized, but she may have left her heart behind, much to the dismay of those who would be her suitors when she returns home. However, Mildred is determined not to mope and decides to make herself useful. She partially does this by helping teach her siblings, with chores around the household, but because of the generous gift of her Dinsmore relatives, she is also able to begin teaching piano lessons. Meanwhile, time passes, siblings and friends grow up, some get married and still Mildred waits to find out if her heart will return to her in the keeping of the one she parted from.

As always, this is an interesting peek into a time period that is rather between things; the west is still "the frontier", but isn't right at their backdoor anymore, the Civil War is still some years off. There were two reasons I didn't enjoy this book as much; first there is an abrupt, large time jump, which I don't remember Ms. Finley doing in any of her other books. But mostly, I wish Mildred had fallen in love with a different guy, nothing against the guy she does like, there was just one I thought was better (if you got mad at Jo for her choice in Little Women, you'll understand my disappointment).

No content issues, though accurate portrayals of period racial relations.

[Luella Caudill · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this book Mildred leaves Roselands, and goes home. More than one guy would like to be the one to marry her, but she can't forget Charlie. In the end Charlie, comes, having in the meantime trusted in Jesus. So now she feels free to marry him. In less than two weeks they are married.

[Lillian Autry · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the pureness of this book. I don’t know why it took me so long to finish it because every time I picked it back up, I fell back in love with it, and then I would set it back down and forget about it for months. I love Mildred and Charlie together.

[Emily Miller · Rating 4 out of 5]

Felt a bit rushed compared to the modern day adaption. Still very sweet none the less.

[Annie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is entirely unabridged and so much better than the newer "updated" copies I have read previously!
It is the third book in the Mildred series (which was a companion series to the Elsie Dinsmore books).
It may be a bit confusing to read unless you have read the first and second books in the series because there are a lot of characters to keep up with. :)

[Jenifer · Rating 2 out of 5]

From an old journal entry of mine; "Found by Norma at grandma Ashworth's after her death. A funny, old-fashioned book. I love its green cover and small size. The front cover has Elsie Pederson's signature and the date Nov. 5, 1908. I wonder where she got the book and if she liked the story."