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New Graft on the Family Tree
Lewis Morgan had, at last, disappointed his mother. Mother Morgan knew that her son would one day marry; it is what young men do, after all. But she had hoped that he would wait a few more years and then choose one of the local girls. A good, sensible, hardworking farm girl would have been good enough for her. Why not for her son?Louise, Lewis's young bride, wants so much to fit in at the Morgan house. But from the moment she arrives it appears that she has little in common with her in-laws. How, she wonders, will she ever be able to share God's love with them?
Heartwarming stories of faith and love by Grace Livingston Hill's aunt--Isabella Alden. Each book is similar in style and tone to Hill's and is set in the late 1800s and early 1900s.
Heartwarming stories of faith and love by Grace Livingston Hill's aunt--Isabella Alden. Each book is similar in style and tone to Hill's and is set in the late 1800s and early 1900s.
293 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 1992
About the author
Pansy
341 books31 followersNote: In her lifetime, Isabella Macdonald Alden was usually published under the pseudonym Pansy, and occasionally under the name Mrs. G.R. Alden.
Aunt to Grace Livingston Hill
The sixth of seven children born to Isaac and Myra Spafford Macdonald, of Rochester, New York, Isabella Macdonald received her early education from her father, who home-schooled her, and gave her a nickname - "Pansy" - that she would use for many of her publications. As a girl, she kept a daily journal, critiqued by her father, and she published her first story - The Old Clock - in a village paper when she was ten years old.
Macdonald's education continued at the Oneida Seminary, the Seneca Collegiate Institute, and the Young Ladies Institute, all in New York. It was at the Oneida Seminary that she met her long-time friend (and eventual co-author), Theodosia Toll, who secretly submitted one of Macdonald's manuscripts in a competition, setting in motion a chain of events that would lead to the publication of her first book, Helen Lester, in 1865.
Macdonald also met her future husband, the Rev. Gustavus Rossenberg Alden, at the Oneida Seminary, and the two were married in 1866. Now Isabella Macdonald Alden, the newly-married minister's wife followed her husband as his postings took them around the country, dividing her time between writing, church duties, and raising her son Raymond (born 1873).
A prolific author, who wrote approximately one hundred novels from 1865 to 1929, and co-authored ten more, Alden was also actively involved in the world of children's and religious periodicals, publishing numerous short stories, editing the Sunday Juvenile Pansy from 1874-1894, producing Sunday School lessons for The Westminster Teacher for twenty years, and working on the editorial staff of various other magazines (Trained Motherhood, The Christian Endeavor).
Highly influenced by her Christian beliefs, much of Alden's work was explicitly moral and didactic, and often found its way into Sunday School libraries. It was also immensely popular, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with an estimated 100,000 copies of Alden's books sold, in 1900.
Information taken from:
readseries.com
isabellamacdonaldalden.com
Aunt to Grace Livingston Hill
The sixth of seven children born to Isaac and Myra Spafford Macdonald, of Rochester, New York, Isabella Macdonald received her early education from her father, who home-schooled her, and gave her a nickname - "Pansy" - that she would use for many of her publications. As a girl, she kept a daily journal, critiqued by her father, and she published her first story - The Old Clock - in a village paper when she was ten years old.
Macdonald's education continued at the Oneida Seminary, the Seneca Collegiate Institute, and the Young Ladies Institute, all in New York. It was at the Oneida Seminary that she met her long-time friend (and eventual co-author), Theodosia Toll, who secretly submitted one of Macdonald's manuscripts in a competition, setting in motion a chain of events that would lead to the publication of her first book, Helen Lester, in 1865.
Macdonald also met her future husband, the Rev. Gustavus Rossenberg Alden, at the Oneida Seminary, and the two were married in 1866. Now Isabella Macdonald Alden, the newly-married minister's wife followed her husband as his postings took them around the country, dividing her time between writing, church duties, and raising her son Raymond (born 1873).
A prolific author, who wrote approximately one hundred novels from 1865 to 1929, and co-authored ten more, Alden was also actively involved in the world of children's and religious periodicals, publishing numerous short stories, editing the Sunday Juvenile Pansy from 1874-1894, producing Sunday School lessons for The Westminster Teacher for twenty years, and working on the editorial staff of various other magazines (Trained Motherhood, The Christian Endeavor).
Highly influenced by her Christian beliefs, much of Alden's work was explicitly moral and didactic, and often found its way into Sunday School libraries. It was also immensely popular, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with an estimated 100,000 copies of Alden's books sold, in 1900.
Information taken from:
readseries.com
isabellamacdonaldalden.com
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
January 5, 2010
This was a great story about a young lady, Louise, who gets married and she and her husband move in with HIS parents. (I know, scary!) Louise soon learns that she and her husband are the only Christians in the household, and she sets out to change that. Louise is a wonderful example of how we can live our lives in constant prayer.
This book was a great comfort and inspiration to me, as someone who has been praying fervently for members of my family and friends to become Christians. It shows what true Christianity is about - living our day-to-day lives for the Lord instead of for ourselves. It also shows the many ways that God is at work in the lives of those He loves (which means everyone, not just those who are saved). We get to witness the great lengths that God goes to to lead people into relationship with Him.
I highly recommend this book.
This book was a great comfort and inspiration to me, as someone who has been praying fervently for members of my family and friends to become Christians. It shows what true Christianity is about - living our day-to-day lives for the Lord instead of for ourselves. It also shows the many ways that God is at work in the lives of those He loves (which means everyone, not just those who are saved). We get to witness the great lengths that God goes to to lead people into relationship with Him.
I highly recommend this book.
August 20, 2014
This is a Christian writer that I heard about when we visited Chautauqua Institute this summer so I had to read one of her books. The story was wonderful and proves that the influence of one good person can have HUGE effects on those around them. It was originally written in 1880 so the prose was a little convoluted but the story is wonderful. One thought in particular toward the end of the story made a real impression on me because I do it a lot: "This is one of the awful snares Satan uses to trip the feet of unwary saints. He leads them to feel that it does no harm to relish bitter thoughts they really do not intend to carry out. He lets them forget that relishing those thoughts even for a moment weakens their spirituality and cuts off their communion with Christ." Food for thought.
September 7, 2024
4.9 stars.
A fiction book with personal evangelism as the main topic. The power of prayer may come as close second as far as topic is concerned. Everybody will find something that will spur your evangelistic efforts at least a little.
A fiction book with personal evangelism as the main topic. The power of prayer may come as close second as far as topic is concerned. Everybody will find something that will spur your evangelistic efforts at least a little.
February 25, 2022
I've bumped up my rating from a 4 to a 5 because it has become a beloved book to me. I rarely reread books and yet I find myself wanting to read this one every couple of years. I've recorded 3 reads on Goodreads - but I know it has been more like 5 times now. My copy is an old paperback reprint and I think I will treat myself this year and look for a hardcover in good shape.
December 24, 2008
Good, rather typical Alden story of a young woman trying to bless and witness to her husband's family.
September 6, 2010
A woman gets married and moves to the country farmhouse her husband lives in--with his family. At first most people in the family dislike the woman.
June 11, 2011
Very good !!!
September 4, 2017
My mother gave me an ancient copy of this book (the copyright on the inside is 1880, and the inscription says "Elizabeth J. Hamilton '96" [she was my great-grandmother]). She was so excited because she had fallen in love with an author known simply as Pansy. She'd read my great-grandmother's books and was now buying up as many copies of Pansy's books as she could get her hands on.
I wasn't sure what all the fuss was about. All she could tell me was that it was "Christian fiction from the 1800's." (Wasn't everything basically Christian fiction back then? I mused.) Well, it took me two years to read the thing (in bits and snippets here and there when I didn't have another book going), but she was right. It was amazing! I loved it! It is definitely Christian fiction, both challenging and encouraging my faith in a way that fiction has not in a long time, while still maintaining elements of style so typical to 19th century writing.
If you like Christian fiction and/or 19th century writing, get a copy. You'll love it.
I wasn't sure what all the fuss was about. All she could tell me was that it was "Christian fiction from the 1800's." (Wasn't everything basically Christian fiction back then? I mused.) Well, it took me two years to read the thing (in bits and snippets here and there when I didn't have another book going), but she was right. It was amazing! I loved it! It is definitely Christian fiction, both challenging and encouraging my faith in a way that fiction has not in a long time, while still maintaining elements of style so typical to 19th century writing.
If you like Christian fiction and/or 19th century writing, get a copy. You'll love it.
April 11, 2026
This is one of the very first books by Isabella Alden I ever read back when I was around 13. It was one of the ones that made me fall in love with this author. I'm not sure I've read it since though I might have.
I love the characters! Louise is so sweet and loving even in a home like she had to live in. I loved watching the growth of the characters and the changes that came about because of the prayers and witnessing for Christ. It's also a good reminder that God doesn't always answer our prayers when and how we expect or want, but to keep on praying.
I love the characters! Louise is so sweet and loving even in a home like she had to live in. I loved watching the growth of the characters and the changes that came about because of the prayers and witnessing for Christ. It's also a good reminder that God doesn't always answer our prayers when and how we expect or want, but to keep on praying.
January 14, 2022
I loved the book although I had to often refer to my dictionary to understand what the author was talking about. It was written in the 1800s and I was unfamiliar with the author's style of writing. It would be wonderful if someone would rewrite the book in today's modern language. Most people probably wouldn't enjoy reading it because of the style of writing. But it's a very inspirational story. It made me want to read some of Pansy's other books.
September 25, 2017
This was an interesting story written by a writer originally published in 1880. Brought back again in 1992. Its about a son marrying a well to do city girl and he a farm boy. His mother had hoped he would find a girl of their "sorts" so was not too pleased when he brings her home to the farm. Its about her farm life and adjusting to it and trying to trust her husband.
February 23, 2021
Mildly interesting story line for most of the book, and then suddenly the author decided to jump years ahead and finish the book as fast as possible. It was hard to follow and I'm surprised that the author's editor didn't insist on a rewrite.
January 1, 2018
Only for research.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews