The Luck of the Dudley Grahams

by Alice Calhoun Haines, Francis Day (Illustrator)

The Luck of the Dudley Grahams is the story of the four Graham children and their recently widowed mother, trying to make ends meet by taking boarders into their somewhat eccentric home, as told by 17-year-old Elizabeth to her diary. She chronicles their struggles with the boarders, housekeeping on a very tight budget, and the adventures of her three younger siblings. If the category existed at the time, this would be more of young adult novel than a children's book, as Elizabeth has her moments of angst and worry about herself, her family, and their future.

108 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1907

About the author

Alice Calhoun Haines Baskin was born in New York City. Upon moving to Pasadena, California at the turn of the century, she wrote play reviews for the Pasadena Playhouse and had a weekly column in Pasadena Star News called "A Little Room."

Reviews

[Colleen Mcmahon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Charming early 20th c YA novel with a family struggling with poverty after the sudden death of the father, told as the diary of the oldest daughter, age 17. Some funny adventures, some heartbreaking, pretty realistic about the grind for money and daily labor at turn of the century.

[Kat King · Rating 4 out of 5]

A sweet and sour children's novel. A very pleasant read, heartwarming and uplifting. A few phrases will stick for a long time, especially those regarding being poor (I can relate to those childhood thoughts on poverty).