The Obsession of Victoria Gracen

by Grace Livingston Hill

The straitlaced, conservative little town of Roslyn was shocked when Victoria Gracen opened her home to young Dick Gracen. Oh, they understood that he had just lost his mother and he needed a home… but everyone knew that Dick was a hopeless case—a reckless troublemaker who they were sure would bring gentle, lovely Victoria nothing but grief.
Victoria ignored their dire predictions. Instead, she set about to tame the boy’s wild ways with tenderness and faith. Everyone knew she would fail… but they hadn’t counted on one It would take a heart of stone to resist Victoria Gracen!

Genres: Christian Fiction, Fiction, Christian, Romance, Classics, Christian Romance, Historical

288 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1914

About the author

also wrote under the pseudonym Marcia MacDonald
also published under the name Grace Livingston Hill Lutz

A popular author of her day, she wrote over 100 novels and numerous short stories of religious and Christian fiction. Her characters were most often young female ingénues, frequently strong Christian women or those who become so within the confines of the story.

niece to Isabella MacDonald Alden

Reviews

[Lady Tea · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rating: 5 / 5

This book was MUCH sweeter and MUCH better than what I thought. To be honest, this was a book that I bought and put on my to-read list just because it's a Grace Livingston Hill novel, not so much because I was interested in the plot. Heck, I don't think that I even read the plot summary before buying it! Just the cover looked appealing enough, and I thought, "Hey, there might be some romance as well as some faith somewhere in there, right?"

Er...well, there is romance of a sort, but it's more familial and friendship love rather than romantic love.

And that's just what I needed to read right now.

The story centres around Dick Gracen, a teenage (I'm guessing) boy whose mother has just passed away and now he seems to be doomed to live with his uncle's poor family, working in a slaughter-house.

But then his aunt, from whom he was estranged because his father (her brother) married against the family's wishes, so they've been separate, hears about what happened and decides to invite him to live with her. Victoria Gracen is the said aunt, and she and Dick start out as strangers to each other, but then slowly and surely, they worm their way into each others' hearts--and bring in a lot of other boys who need help and love as well.

It's just such a sweet, uplifting, lovely story to read, and I was surprised by how captivated I was by the characters and how much I wanted everything to work out in the end. If anyone had told me to care about this type of book with this type of plot, I might've just ignored them.

Now though, after reading it, I can definitely say that I love it!

[Karol · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this sweet Christian/inspirational story about a middle-aged woman reaching out to an estranged nephew in love and kindness . . . and what it led to. Parts of the story were perhaps unrealistic, but the underlying theme of the impact love and acceptance can have on those who are disenfranchised in some way was sound. I am encouraged by this book to take a second look at people - to exercise less judgment and more acceptance.

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

If I hadn't known better, I might've said that this book was written by Hill's aunt and one of my favorite authors, "Pansy" (Isabella MacDonald Alden). It held a lot of similarities to her writing. I loved the faith of the aunt that evidenced itself by her life. She had an child-like trusting faith that followed God's call in simple obedience regardless or whether it was in line with social norms or not. (a characteristic in many Pansy books) I loved the way she reached out to the broken and rejected, not in a forced or hypocritical way, but in genuine love and respect. (another characteristic in some Pansy books) It was a beautiful story with beautiful values that causes you to look at your own life and wonder if you're living our faith before and to others genuinely and in Christ-like love to everyone.

[Linda Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Victoria Gracen opened her home to her brother's orphaned teenage boy, Richard. She got much more than she bargained for yet she was able to make adjustments.

This is a lovely story about transformations - not only Victoria's, but also Richard's life had big changes and so many more.

Richard was only sixteen and was living in Chicago when his mother passed away. His maternal uncle made a place for him in his family's home, and even found a job for Richard, but it was not what Richard wanted.

This story takes us from busy Chicago streets to a rural town in Pennsylvania. I enjoyed it very much and appreciated the Christian lessons given.

The world would be a better place if all Christians had an obsession like Victoria Gracen's!

[Kathleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Free kindle version. The typos or graphical misfires are free, too. 3.75 stars, rounded up for its historic and heartwarming appeal. Written in 1915, this is not a romance, despite the cover illustration. It's a Dickensian Christian-inspirational story about Victoria Gracen, a wealthy, aging spinster in Roslyn, Pennsylvania. She sets out to raise her newly orphaned nephew, Richard (Dick), age 16. Victoria has never met her nephew Dick before. He's a bit rough around the edges, having grown up in inner city Chicago, but he has a loving nature. He accepts her train fare to come visit...and stays forever. Soon enough, he makes some friends, and his Aunt Vic befriends them, too, even though they are judged by society as "bad" boys. Victoria sees the potential and the hunger for love in these four adolescents -- Dick, Tom, Harold, and Wayne. Despite societal pressure to shun them, she invites them into her home frequently; the four boys become her "obsession" (hence the title).

I liked it. Heartwarming. These four boys were such true-blue friends, and the author really "got" their code of loyalty. Plus, everyone needs a Victoria Gracen to believe in them, befriend them, mother them. I liked her quiet dignity when the gossipy old harridan butted in. For a while, the whole town was talking about her unwholesome obsession with teenage delinquents. As one boy said, "You're not Miss Gracen anymore, you're Dis-Gracen."

The PK dynamic (preacher's kid) was handled nicely, too.

There is a Christian message about not judging others, and about forgiveness, with scripture verses, hymns, and prayers. It felt like it belonged in this plot and time period (yet it also felt like evangelizing, to some extent).

There is also an interesting side story about how college football was sweeping the nation (in 1915 some folks looked askance at it) and how ragtime music was popular, with some humorous lines from those irreverent songs.

Written in 1915, with phrases like "she's an old stick, she's a peach, I gotta "dope up" on that problem," etc. Horse-drawn-buggies, trains, a few cars. High school curriculum included Latin. Some folks have telephones, but not many. Life is centered around church -- in this case the Presbyterian church. The author describes it as filled with well-to-do and scholarly folk. Still true today.

Minor Quibbles:

A little too much of a Christian focus for me.

The boys totally adored Miss Gracen. Their devoted relationship to her felt fairly solid, given her loneliness and their hunger for approval and acceptance, but it needed more development.

I found it difficult to fully accept the sweet, fun-loving personality emerging in Miss Victoria Gracen, wise champion of underdog adolescents, because she was first introduced as a snobby elitist, shunning her brother's vulgar, common wife (Dick's mom, who died at the beginning of the story).

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

This novel is among the most endearing of Hill's works. I just adore how a woman takes in her nephew and finds that there is such a need to minister to the boys and give them something to do with their time.

I remember my dad reading this one aloud to us. Yes, some of the things in this novel are dated, but I think it only adds to its charm.

[Lisa Blair · Rating 5 out of 5]

An unmarried Aunt raises her nephew. As she works with him and his ill-reputed new friends, everyone gains perspective on love, Christ and life's purpose.

{Negative: This kindle update is riddled with typos. Sigh.} But it's still worth reading!

This book is very encouraging! Especially for those who have influence with children.
Highly recommended!

[Challice · Rating 5 out of 5]

"As she settled herself to the reading of the latest chapter of her favorite serial, she was conscious of a sense of restless dissatisfaction and of an almost unreasonable longing to have a companion to enjoy with her the story she was about to read."

And from those few words, we have a story most moving and precious. Victoria Gracen, a wealthy lady Christian lady, takes in her orphaned and "wayward" nephew. Soon, Victoria finds herself the talk of gossip for her step down into the world of rough and uncouth boys. Victoria sees something beyond their mischievous behavior. She sees in the eyes of these boys, who would do anything for her, a love that her Savior has for His children, misunderstood boys that just needed someone to believe in them.

This book was instrumental in my younger years, and now as I see more of our youth I have sense of yearning to be a modern Miss Victoria Gracen to these teens that just want a voice, someone to enjoy their humor and someone to encourage their better half to grow more into the likeness of Christ.

This will always be a favorite of mine.

[Katt Hansen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ah, can one never escape one's reputation?

Dick is seen as a bad boy, a terrible influence, and trouble from the start. When Victoria Gracen opens her home to the troubled lad, it seems she's asking for trouble. Especially when the first friend he makes is the wild son of the local pastor. But Victoria's gentle influence wins the day and as she becomes more and more involved in mothering this lost soul, she finds herself mothering a lot of boys who likewise need her influence.

This is an absolutely beautiful story, and one of my favorites. I love books about second chances, even more when we're shown so eloquently just how much of an influence we have on those around us. As usual, Grace makes me want to live a better life, and do better by my own family. This is one of the reasons why I love her books so very much, even more so now as I grow older.

[Classic reverie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved Grace Livingston Hill's "The Obsession of Victoria Gracen" which is a story that shows God's work in this middle aged aunt by coming out of her comfort zone and showing her that the narrative of certain characters can be redeeming to not just them but those around them. This is not a romantic read but religious centered. I didn’t like Victoria at first because of her family’s attitude towards her brother’s wife who was not from her family’s class but a lowly class, but respectable.

Story in short- Victoria sends for her disgraced brother's son after his mother's death, leaving him by himself, though his mother's family reluctantly accept him. Victoria starts to see what it really means to live a Christian life through her nephew's new friends.



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Mr. Miller, tall and heavy, with a thick, red neck and a coarse, red face, got out first, followed by his sharp- faced aspiring wife in borrowed mourning,—because of course one wouldn't want to wear mourning after the funeral for a mere sister-in-law who left nothing behind but a mortgage and a good-for-nothing son. The three little Millers, Elsa, Carlotta, and Alexander, in black hair-ribbons
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ribbons and black hat-bands, who had gone along solely for the ride to the cemetery, spilled joyfully out, glad to be back home again; and finally the only mourner the carriage contained, Richard, the son of the dead woman, stepped awkwardly forth from his cramped position, and looked gloomily about him.
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The sister who had married above her station into a family who never received her or took any notice of her child; whose husband had the ill grace to die young and leave her to struggle on alone with their house only half paid for and a handsome, lazy boy whom she had allowed to grow up to have his own way, was not deeply mourned by any of them. They looked upon her son as almost irretrievably spoiled, but they intended to do their sensible best to make a man of him in their own way, though they felt that for his good his mother should have died ten years earlier.
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He had always kept out of her way as much as possible. She knew he disliked her. He had once come upon her while she was in the midst of giving his mother some wholesome advice about his upbringing; and he had loomed darkly in the doorway and told her to go about her business, that his mother knew how to manage her own affairs. He had looked so big and fierce, with his fine, black brows drawn and his dark eyes blazing, that she had gone away, deferring her further advice until a more convenient season when he should not be by, but she knew that since then he had never liked her.
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"His ma always let him have the second helping," she explained portentously to her sisters, as if it had been a habit of the dead woman much to be deplored. Richard declined the piece of pie curtly. The soul within him was at the boiling-point. He had never been outwardly a very loving son to his mother, but it frenzied him to hear her spoken of in his aunt's contemptuous tone. "Richard goes to work at the slaughter-house tomorrow morning,"
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"None of your airs, young man! I'm your guardian now. You'll do as I say, and I don't intend to have you loafing about the streets smoking cigarettes and learning to drink.
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"Home!" thundered the uncle. "You have no home but this. Don't you know that the old house you called home was mortgaged to more than its worth, and that I hold the mortgage? Your mother was deep in debt to me when she died, and there wasn't even enough left to pay her funeral expenses. It's high time you understood how matters stand, young man. You have no home! You will have to come down off your high horse now, and get right down to business. A boy that can't even pay his mother's funeral expenses
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has no room to walk around like a fine gentleman and talk about going home."
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Oh, he had not been a model son by any means, but neither had she been a model mother. She was well- meaning and loving, but weak and inefficient; and the boy, loving her in his brusque way, while he half despised her weakness, had "guarded" her from a lot of what he considered "unnecessary worry" about himself. He was all right, he
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reasoned; and none of the dreadful things, like drowning, or getting drunk, or being arrested, that his mother feared, were going to happen to him. He would look out for that. He could take care of himself, but he was not going to be tied to her apron-string. There was something wild in him that called to be satisfied, and only by going out with the boys on their lawless good times could he satisfy it. There was nothing at home to satisfy.
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But he was young, and had not felt the fulness of temptations that were to come. His character was yet in the balance, and might turn one way or another; though most people would have said the probabilities were heavily in favor of the evil.
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Now he understood how his father had picked her out from her uncomely family, and been willing to alienate his own people for her sake. He felt a passing thrill of pride in his father that he had stuck to her for the two years until his death, in spite of the many temptations of his wealthy relatives, though it meant complete alienation from all he had before held dear.

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I absolutely loved how theses young town boys deemed irredeemable show Victoria how her Christian ways bring changes in the boys. Her friend Miss Bypath, acting like a bitter Pharisees who looks to see the bad and want to reject these boys, refusing to see the good. I loved in the end how she finally was able to open her eyes to her own wrong doing to them and her gossiping ways. I thought Dick would put up more of a rebellion at his new home, his aunt's understanding of his troubled friends brought a love that grows, especially her unconditional love to her nephew who has never had such love displayed before, though he knew his mother's love.

[Chandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

AUTHOR: Grace Livingston Hill was an amazing Inspirational fiction writer. She also wrote under the pseudonym Marcia MacDonald. I give her my STANDING OVATION.

GENRE: Historical, Inspirational fiction, Christian fiction

SETTING: Victorian era from Chicago to Roslyn, NY

CENTRAL FEMALE CHARACTER: Victoria Gracen

CENTRAL MALE CHARACTER: Richard Pierson Gracen

SYNOPSIS: His parents were from opposite sides of the track. His father died years ago. Now his mother is gone leaving him at the mercy of his mother’s brother and a future working in the slaughterhouse until Aunt Victoria reaches out.

WHAT I LIKED: Dick + boy #1 + boy #2 + boy #3 = 4 boys and Aunt Gracen on a snow sled.

WHAT I DID NOT LIKE: OH MAN I LOVE THIS BOOK. What is there “not” to like. If I could really rate this I would give it a 100 star rating or higher rather a 5 star rating

This book gets (5) stars because there is no sacrifice in true giving. You Really Have To Read This Book regardless of the fact that you do not read Inspirational Fiction. Does not matter just READ IT !!!!

[Chambodia · Rating 2 out of 5]

I randomly selected this off my kindle without context having downloaded it from Project Gutenberg a while ago (along with many other old books). The title lead me to believe it was a mystery novel, but I was disabused of this notion fairly quickly, which was fine. I liked the beginning and was interested to see how this boy's life would be altered by the offer of his aunt.

What I didn't like was that all of the challenges that he and the other boys faced were so easily resolved without any real effort on anyone's part. Oh, this is a bad boy, and another and another, but they are all just misunderstood. We'll just love them into good behavior and will never have to actually work through any problem. Maybe the audience for this book was meant to be younger children, I don't know, but if it had treated the boy's problems with more seriousness, I think the message would have hit its mark better for me.

[Karen B · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this inspirational book and its characters. During some of t he lovelypassages, I might have thought I was reading Dickens as it was that descriptive and endearing. The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars was that the storyline got a bit repetitive at times.

[melissa lingle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Always a pleasure

Great books for teens and tweets who are looking for good wholesome stories with encouraging and interesting storylines. Christian parents will especially appreciate the Gospel message so simply and gently intertwined in each of these tales.

[Pearl · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a free book on my Kindle and I absolutely loved this book. It shows you the difference one person can make in the life of a child.

[Ronda Caldwell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Listen with love, not condemnation.

You are never too old to help guide a young person. They need our encouragement and a listening heart. Amen.

[Pamela Nicolls]

This is my favorite Grace Livingston Hill book. It is not a romance, but about a women who wanted to see older boys come to Christ by reaching out to them with her home and resources.

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Among these sat Victoria Gracen, too filled with deep joy to do aught but smile and thank her heavenly Father; for she had learned to love every one of these four boys as if he had been her very own.
Sitting with her four boys later, [she] beheld as it were the gate of heaven opened, and caught a glimpse of her Savior's face. There were others present of the boys who frequented her house; but they had not presumed to sit with her that day, not counting themselves to have yet attained to the privilege, but sitting thoughtful, wistful, half-decided; trying to make out what had come over their comrades to make them willing to surrender their lives, their fun, their liberty, everything, thus, before the world, to an idea. They had not as yet seen the whole vision...
"It is wonderful, wonderful!" said the senior elder, brushing a film from his eyes and clearing his throat. "How did she do it?"
"She did it by giving herself," said the minister softly. "She never saved herself for anything else but those boys. They said she was 'obsessed' by boys...and do you know I've been thinking that, if the whole church could have such an obsession, we should be able to gather them all into the Kingdom?"

[Anna Jackson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an adorable story about an older woman who takes in her orphaned teenage nephew and how her desire to help direct his life towards paths of righteousness changes the entire town.

While the premise was a little far fetched (I mean, would teenaged boys really want to hang out with an older woman?) the thought was nice, and honestly, I think that even today a lot of young people really want to be seen and appreciated by older people they look up to and admire. I loved each character study on the individual boys and really enjoyed getting to know each and every one of them throughout the novel. Plus, the old busy-body of a story villain was hilarious!

Overall, this was a great read and I enjoyed it immensely! I will probably re-read it, but it might not be as much of a re-read as some other, lighter novels just because the morals were perhaps a tad high handed (and it was more of a moral story as opposed to an adventure novel). Definitely would recommend to others though!

[Lucinda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Old book, New favorite.

An orphaned boy. Long estranged from his father's family. A spinster aunt, still grieving the loss of her brother. The two, brought together by circumstances beyond their control, work together to heal their losses. Miss Vic collects stray boys from all walks of life as they come to know her nephew, Dick. She fills their bellies with food, their hearts with song, and teaches them the love of God. Of course it wouldn't be a good story without a little angst and drama, just enough to make one cheer a little when an obstacle is moved aside. It's a book that will make you smile long after you close the cover.

[Tuesdayschild · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought, with the initial way the story was being set up, that the book was going to have more of a mystery feel to it ( with the bad uncle involved), nothing doing.
This is, instead, a yesteryear book that is about the going-wild-boys being saved from their downward spiral into rejection based trouble with love, acceptance, and the gospel.
The getting elderly, at 45, single woman in this story is a bit too perfect, though I liked that the author had Victoria willing to shed her prejudices and change to be able to create a home for her nephew, and a welcoming space for his new friends and associates.
Not my favourite Livingston book though, so I’m gifting it 2.5 - 3 stars.

[Tirzah · Rating 4 out of 5]

As much as I enjoy Grace Livingston Hill's romances, I also appreciate the stories focused on love between children and their elders - I suppose we could consider that a variation of filial love. The Obsession of Victoria Gracen reminded me of Cloudy Jewel and Aunt Crete's Emancipation in that respect, but thankfully, there was no boisterous, annoying relatives trying to "run" the single woman's life. I did slip a couple of times into the modern mindsight and thought the boys' interest in Victoria's lessons and churchgoing a bit unrealistic. Then I scolded myself, remembering I was in 1914 NOT 2024. While there are temptations in every era to lure youth from the straight and narrow, 1914's youth had a whole lot less accessible temptations than 2024's youth, so I think the boys responding fervently to Victoria and her virtuous lifestyle would be more likely in that era.

This is one of my favorite Hills, though I am not sure of the exact ranking (The Best Man still holds first place, mainly because it was my first Hill).

[Rebecca Lewitt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not the usual, but interesting and enjoyable

I've read many Grace Livingston Hill novels, so I pretty well know what to expect, usually. This one was different for sure. Not a lock of romance whatsoever. And yet it was actually a pretty fascinating story. My only complaint is that it ended too abruptly. I would have liked to follow these characters for a great deal longer. Possibly some of her best drawn characters, I think. And, as usual with GLH, quite inspirational.

[CG · Rating 5 out of 5]

This has been my third or fourth reread of this book and I love it just as much as I ever did! The love and self-sacrifice evident in the story as well as the growth of the characters is so heart warming to experience. And the underlying message is so important! Too often we judge others based on prejudice or past mistakes, and too often we're unwilling to change our opinion or see beyond their flaws to the soul underneath.

[Joan Nicholson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this so much

I enjoy this book and re-read it frequently. The escape of young Dick from his awful relatives in Chicago to the warmth and love of his aunt's home is so heartwarming. The story of the gathering of the boys, their transformation and triumph over local disapproval and prejudices keeps me returning every year. However, I wish that there had been more attention paid to editing. This version is riddled with typos.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is quite possibly my favorite Grace Livingston Hill book, probably because it does not follow the usual formulaic romances in her book. Instead a socialite single lady takes on the responsibility of caring for her orphaned, teenage nephew who is full of angst. The way she goes about it is unconventional but effective.

[Leti806 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful loving story.

It is uplifting and genuine. A great way of telling truths in a way of living the life Jesus wants us to live. Readers of inspiring stories will enjoy this book. It is a wonderful story of loving one another. I highly recommend it.

[Ness Kingsley · Rating 4 out of 5]

On rereading, I found myself to be rather cynical - no teenage lad would EVER say some of the things that Hill has them saying. Nopppeee.

However, when you view this book as an inspirational fairytale, it's easier and indeed, enjoyable, to read.

[Amber · Rating 4 out of 5]

I still must admit myself baffled as to how the Noodle Soup Rag could be in any way offensive, but in spite of that and the many typos in the digital edition I had...I quite liked the story and find its message has remained pertinent.

[Sandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Obsession

I will always love Grace Livingston Hill stories for their Christian message and influence that touches the heart, soul and mind of the reader. HIGHLY RECOMMEND to any and all.