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Brentwood
Marjorie Wetherill had always known she was an adopted child; her adoptive parents, the Wetherills, whom Marjorie loved deeply, had made no secret of it. Their death leaves Marjorie well provided for but terribly lonely. Soon she is consumed with the desire to find the family she has never known. But how can she find them when she knows nothing about them--and when Evan Brower, her handsome, wealthy neighbor, seems determined to make her forget about her unknown family entirely?
Then Marjorie finds a letter from Mrs. Wetherill, written shortly before her death, in which she tells Marjorie her real father's name and last known address! And so Marjorie's search begins--a search for a family to call her own; a search that will ultimately change her life and bring her a love more wonderful than anything she has ever known.
Then Marjorie finds a letter from Mrs. Wetherill, written shortly before her death, in which she tells Marjorie her real father's name and last known address! And so Marjorie's search begins--a search for a family to call her own; a search that will ultimately change her life and bring her a love more wonderful than anything she has ever known.
310 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1937
79 people are currently reading
253 people want to read
About the author
Grace Livingston Hill
609 books573 followersalso 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
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
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 48 reviews
April 27, 2009
I have never met a Grace Livingston Hill I DIDN'T like - however I like some a great deal more than others. This one and The Honor Girl are my top faves, but there are a good fifty more that tie for second place! Her style is strongly flavored, so many won't like it, but I find her views and morals very consistant with the time in which she wrote. Her stories made a significant impact in my life, as I read them first as a young teen. Above and beyond the romance aspect, the heart and soul of her work is about lives of faith. I do find several persistant details a bit annoying - such as the incredibly frail, ancient, and white-haired mothers and aunts who are around forty years old -- but I'm willing to overlook these details in the enjoyment of the tales themselves.
May 4, 2021
This was not my favorite GLH book. The whole thing is basically just the sister coming in and solving all their problems with money. It doesn't have nearly as much substance as her other books.
March 30, 2023
Rating: 5+ / 5
I'll admit, I wasn't expecting much going into this, both based on the cover and the summary at the back. I'm not sure why, but it just didn't seem interesting to me to read about a girl who had found her "long lost family" at last and then had gone looking for them to fit in once more.
So often, it is the unexpected things in life that we end up liking the most, and that end up surprising us.
That is very much the case with me and this story--kind of similarly to how I at first didn't think I would like Re-Creations, but then I ended up loving it for everything that it provided! There are some similarities between the stories as well, such as how the house in which the family lives is quite decrepit and they seem to be on their last legs of survival; and, similarly, all of the siblings are just charming and so loveable!
Then again, The Enchanted Barn also has that same motif of a family down on their luck and with a lot of charming siblings, so maybe this is a form that does just work for me from Grace Livingston Hill stories, and therefore I should accept it as such!
Anyway, this is also a Christmas tale, as it turns out, which you can't blame me for not guessing, as it isn't really hinted at that either in the summary or the cover. Still, it's definitely a cozy Christmas read that I need to keep in mind for the future.
From start to finish, it's full of true heart and good cheer, as Marjorie, the heroine, quite literally forces her way into her family's lives, despite the protest of the family based on their pride of not wanting to take help--especially Marjorie's twin sister, Betty--and her parents' guilt over having let her get adopted in the first place, never mind the trying situation in which they found themselves. It's a story of a family getting together and learning to live their lives together with a new addition, and then it's also a story of finding faith as a handsome minister and doctor are both involved for a romance element with each of the twin sisters.
Add in the faith-driven brother Ted, the charming kid Bud, and the two baby siblings Sunny and Bonnie, and you've got a lovely family whose tale to follow as they go to reclaim their home at Brentwood--which is as lovely as it seems and as it looks on the cover!
Yet again, I'm charmed by Ms. Hill's works and am happy to add it to my shelves, to be revisited again and again and again in the future.
This is a message of hope, faith, family, and love that never ceases to delight me. A lovely, perfect book!
I'll admit, I wasn't expecting much going into this, both based on the cover and the summary at the back. I'm not sure why, but it just didn't seem interesting to me to read about a girl who had found her "long lost family" at last and then had gone looking for them to fit in once more.
So often, it is the unexpected things in life that we end up liking the most, and that end up surprising us.
That is very much the case with me and this story--kind of similarly to how I at first didn't think I would like Re-Creations, but then I ended up loving it for everything that it provided! There are some similarities between the stories as well, such as how the house in which the family lives is quite decrepit and they seem to be on their last legs of survival; and, similarly, all of the siblings are just charming and so loveable!
Then again, The Enchanted Barn also has that same motif of a family down on their luck and with a lot of charming siblings, so maybe this is a form that does just work for me from Grace Livingston Hill stories, and therefore I should accept it as such!
Anyway, this is also a Christmas tale, as it turns out, which you can't blame me for not guessing, as it isn't really hinted at that either in the summary or the cover. Still, it's definitely a cozy Christmas read that I need to keep in mind for the future.
From start to finish, it's full of true heart and good cheer, as Marjorie, the heroine, quite literally forces her way into her family's lives, despite the protest of the family based on their pride of not wanting to take help--especially Marjorie's twin sister, Betty--and her parents' guilt over having let her get adopted in the first place, never mind the trying situation in which they found themselves. It's a story of a family getting together and learning to live their lives together with a new addition, and then it's also a story of finding faith as a handsome minister and doctor are both involved for a romance element with each of the twin sisters.
Add in the faith-driven brother Ted, the charming kid Bud, and the two baby siblings Sunny and Bonnie, and you've got a lovely family whose tale to follow as they go to reclaim their home at Brentwood--which is as lovely as it seems and as it looks on the cover!
Yet again, I'm charmed by Ms. Hill's works and am happy to add it to my shelves, to be revisited again and again and again in the future.
This is a message of hope, faith, family, and love that never ceases to delight me. A lovely, perfect book!
August 28, 2016
Like many of Grace Livingston Hill’s, not much romance in this one, partly because the relationships between the two couples who pair at the end go pretty smoothly. There’s more romantical stuff between the heroine and the guy who wants to marry her than there is between the heroine and the hero. Although she does end up engaged at the end, the book is more about the heroine reconciling with her birth family (and with God, I suppose) than about romance.
I particularly enjoyed that the heroine gets to play a “fairy godmother” role. After her adoptive parents die, she reads a letter her adoptive mother left explaining the dire circumstances her birth parents were in that led them to allow her to be adopted. Their situation had improved but by the time she tracks them down they’re struggling again so she gets to have the fun of helping them.
GLH shared a lot of the eugenical ideas of her generation, meaning her treatment of adoption can be really annoying, but in this one the heroine’s birth family and adoptive family were similar enough that it’s not a big deal. The heroine does fit back into the birth family ridiculously quickly, but that can be dismissed as GLH’s usual idealizing routine if you’re so inclined. Which I am, being a GLH fan and all.
I particularly enjoyed that the heroine gets to play a “fairy godmother” role. After her adoptive parents die, she reads a letter her adoptive mother left explaining the dire circumstances her birth parents were in that led them to allow her to be adopted. Their situation had improved but by the time she tracks them down they’re struggling again so she gets to have the fun of helping them.
GLH shared a lot of the eugenical ideas of her generation, meaning her treatment of adoption can be really annoying, but in this one the heroine’s birth family and adoptive family were similar enough that it’s not a big deal. The heroine does fit back into the birth family ridiculously quickly, but that can be dismissed as GLH’s usual idealizing routine if you’re so inclined. Which I am, being a GLH fan and all.
June 5, 2009
This did not turn out to be my favorite GLH book, but it was sweet. It was difficult to relate to the adoption theme in the book. I realize that in that day, adoption was very different than it is today, but I couldn't get my head around how the main character could bond so quickly to her biological family, all of whom she had never known.
Other than that, this was a sweet book. I liked that the main character was so generous and used her resources to help this struggling family. I think I am more drawn to the books where all the characters have more limited financial resources and have to be more creative, but this one was satisfying also.
Other than that, this was a sweet book. I liked that the main character was so generous and used her resources to help this struggling family. I think I am more drawn to the books where all the characters have more limited financial resources and have to be more creative, but this one was satisfying also.
August 10, 2023
3.5 stars. As the novel opens, Marjorie Wetherill is knocking around her huge family home in Chicago all by herself. It's a week before Christmas and her mother has just died, leaving her an orphan. She is an adult (having graduated college, so likely ~22 years old), but no matter what your age, losing your parents hurts. Marjorie is dealing with another bombshell on top of this loss. She's always known that she was adopted, but never knew anything about her birth family - until now. Her adoptive mother left her one last letter, detailing all she knows about the family, including their last known address. She more or less implores Marjorie to look them up, because they have always regretted their decision to give her up for adoption and long to see her, even now - especially now, because the Wetherwills have always refused to let them see her.
Marjorie is at a loss about what to do. She's always yearned for her birth family, but she fears all the same. They didn't want her as a baby, so why would they want her now? Would they resent her for growing up in the lap of luxury, now an heiress worth millions, when their lifestyle was much more modest? She knows that her mother is still alive, and that she has a twin sister, but basically knows nothing else.
Her childhood friend and neighbor, Evan Brower, actively discourages her from reuniting with her birth family. He's convinced that they would take advantage of her wealth and basically mooch off her, because what else could they be but lazy and spoiled? He's decided that he wants to marry Marjorie, even though he hasn't really shown her any romantic attention ever, and he's bullheaded enough to believe he can bend her to his will simply by wanting her bad enough.
Mercifully, Marjorie has a will of her own, and when she decides to seek out her birth family, she goes right ahead and does it, without telling anyone beforehand or seeking out anyone's permission. She travels to the tiny, shabby house where her family lives and is appalled by the conditions. Her family has fallen into deep poverty, as her father lost his job and they lost their beloved house, the titular Brentwood. They are so poor and hungry that they've sold all of their belongings, save one chair, and are living in the cold, snowy Midwest without gas or coal or food, saving all of their money to buy medicine for the mother, who has taken to her sickbed.
Marjorie immediately springs into action: she pays off the family debts, has the gas turned back on, buys two tons of coal to heat the house, brings in a doctor for her mother (whom she hasn't even seen yet), and buys nutritious food. The first person she meets is her twin sister, Betty, who is actively hostile towards her. One by one she meets the rest of her family: her oldest brother, Ted (about 19), and the younger kids Bud, Sunny, and Bonnie. They are all half-starved and sick, and they are all slow to warm up to Marjorie, but she powers through it, happy to know that she has the means to help them. She meets her father that same evening, but its a few days before she can see her mother - though when she does, it is a joyous reunion!
The family slowly but surely warms up to her and begins to accept her: first as their fairy godmother, then as their sister/daughter. Betty is the longest holdout; she is wary and bitter and jealous, and she struggles with these feelings for the entire story. Ted quickly takes to Marjorie, as they have church-going in common; the younger kids take to her because she is kind to them. Marjorie decides to spend the holiday season with them, leaving her hotel that very first day and moving into their tiny house, sharing a bed with her twin and helping out as much as she can.
She learns of Brentwood from Ted, who still attends a chapel near the house. She makes up her mind to restore her family to their rightful home for Christmas, and goes about it quite smartly. She also helps her siblings and parents in their current abode, especially with food, medicine, and the doctor for mother, and the various sick children. They are coming together and enjoying the holidays; Marjorie meets Gideon Reaver, the young minister that Ted absolutely adores and she is also smitten.
Meanwhile, Evan is simmering with rage in Chicago. Marjorie left no forwarding address, and she went to her heretofore unknown family, against his explicit wishes! Practically the moment he learns where she is, he goes after her, stomping into the Gay family house on Christmas day and demanding that she return to Chicago with him. He's just a complete ass to everyone. Marjorie holds her line, though, refusing to leave with him that day, or any day. She's still deciding what she wants to do for the rest of her life, but his sudden and unwelcome appearance makes one thing crystal clear.
Her family insist that she return to Chicago after the New Year for some time and space to make her decision, whether she wants to come live with them at Brentwood or carry on by herself in the social and luxurious whirlwind to which she is accustomed. Marjorie already knows what she wants even before she returns to the Wetherill mansion, but she abides by their wishes. She dumps Evan for good in an extremely satisfying scene that only gets better because he is as stubborn as he is assholish, and he keeps coming around because he thinks he can change her mind. Haha, joke's on him! This is one GLH heroine who knows her own mind and isn't afraid to assert herself.
In the end, Marjorie is happily reunited with her birth family at Brentwood, and they all live happily ever after :)
The romance is rather blink-and-you'll-miss-it between Marjorie and Gideon. Betty also has a romance with the doctor who's tending them all. We kinda spend equal time with both twins, and it really highlights their differences in their outlooks on life as well as how they fit into the family. I think GLH did a great job exploring the feelings from all sides around the issue of adoption and how it affects everyone involved: the birth parents, the adoptive parents, the child herself and the other siblings.
The "God stuff" is of the born-again variety, which is not my thing, but it wasn't laid on too terribly thick. The fact that this is set at holiday time disguises some of this, too, given the customs around going to church in the Depression era. I enjoyed the entire cast of characters and their interactions, and it was a very happy ending all the way around!
Marjorie is at a loss about what to do. She's always yearned for her birth family, but she fears all the same. They didn't want her as a baby, so why would they want her now? Would they resent her for growing up in the lap of luxury, now an heiress worth millions, when their lifestyle was much more modest? She knows that her mother is still alive, and that she has a twin sister, but basically knows nothing else.
Her childhood friend and neighbor, Evan Brower, actively discourages her from reuniting with her birth family. He's convinced that they would take advantage of her wealth and basically mooch off her, because what else could they be but lazy and spoiled? He's decided that he wants to marry Marjorie, even though he hasn't really shown her any romantic attention ever, and he's bullheaded enough to believe he can bend her to his will simply by wanting her bad enough.
Mercifully, Marjorie has a will of her own, and when she decides to seek out her birth family, she goes right ahead and does it, without telling anyone beforehand or seeking out anyone's permission. She travels to the tiny, shabby house where her family lives and is appalled by the conditions. Her family has fallen into deep poverty, as her father lost his job and they lost their beloved house, the titular Brentwood. They are so poor and hungry that they've sold all of their belongings, save one chair, and are living in the cold, snowy Midwest without gas or coal or food, saving all of their money to buy medicine for the mother, who has taken to her sickbed.
Marjorie immediately springs into action: she pays off the family debts, has the gas turned back on, buys two tons of coal to heat the house, brings in a doctor for her mother (whom she hasn't even seen yet), and buys nutritious food. The first person she meets is her twin sister, Betty, who is actively hostile towards her. One by one she meets the rest of her family: her oldest brother, Ted (about 19), and the younger kids Bud, Sunny, and Bonnie. They are all half-starved and sick, and they are all slow to warm up to Marjorie, but she powers through it, happy to know that she has the means to help them. She meets her father that same evening, but its a few days before she can see her mother - though when she does, it is a joyous reunion!
The family slowly but surely warms up to her and begins to accept her: first as their fairy godmother, then as their sister/daughter. Betty is the longest holdout; she is wary and bitter and jealous, and she struggles with these feelings for the entire story. Ted quickly takes to Marjorie, as they have church-going in common; the younger kids take to her because she is kind to them. Marjorie decides to spend the holiday season with them, leaving her hotel that very first day and moving into their tiny house, sharing a bed with her twin and helping out as much as she can.
She learns of Brentwood from Ted, who still attends a chapel near the house. She makes up her mind to restore her family to their rightful home for Christmas, and goes about it quite smartly. She also helps her siblings and parents in their current abode, especially with food, medicine, and the doctor for mother, and the various sick children. They are coming together and enjoying the holidays; Marjorie meets Gideon Reaver, the young minister that Ted absolutely adores and she is also smitten.
Meanwhile, Evan is simmering with rage in Chicago. Marjorie left no forwarding address, and she went to her heretofore unknown family, against his explicit wishes! Practically the moment he learns where she is, he goes after her, stomping into the Gay family house on Christmas day and demanding that she return to Chicago with him. He's just a complete ass to everyone. Marjorie holds her line, though, refusing to leave with him that day, or any day. She's still deciding what she wants to do for the rest of her life, but his sudden and unwelcome appearance makes one thing crystal clear.
Her family insist that she return to Chicago after the New Year for some time and space to make her decision, whether she wants to come live with them at Brentwood or carry on by herself in the social and luxurious whirlwind to which she is accustomed. Marjorie already knows what she wants even before she returns to the Wetherill mansion, but she abides by their wishes. She dumps Evan for good in an extremely satisfying scene that only gets better because he is as stubborn as he is assholish, and he keeps coming around because he thinks he can change her mind. Haha, joke's on him! This is one GLH heroine who knows her own mind and isn't afraid to assert herself.
In the end, Marjorie is happily reunited with her birth family at Brentwood, and they all live happily ever after :)
The romance is rather blink-and-you'll-miss-it between Marjorie and Gideon. Betty also has a romance with the doctor who's tending them all. We kinda spend equal time with both twins, and it really highlights their differences in their outlooks on life as well as how they fit into the family. I think GLH did a great job exploring the feelings from all sides around the issue of adoption and how it affects everyone involved: the birth parents, the adoptive parents, the child herself and the other siblings.
The "God stuff" is of the born-again variety, which is not my thing, but it wasn't laid on too terribly thick. The fact that this is set at holiday time disguises some of this, too, given the customs around going to church in the Depression era. I enjoyed the entire cast of characters and their interactions, and it was a very happy ending all the way around!
July 17, 2020
I have read nearly all of Grace Livingston Hill's books, and this is one of my favorites! It includes a family loving each other through hard (tragic) times, generous giving and while the main love in the story is that of the family, it does include a little romance as well. Perhaps not very realistic, but this is what I call a "Cinderella story" ... sort of a fairy tale that ends happily ever after.
Another re-read, and I loved this book all over again! It's great to be back to reading some of my old favorites!
July 2020 ... re-read of one of my favorites. A fairy tale, for sure but also a tale of God's love for us.
Another re-read, and I loved this book all over again! It's great to be back to reading some of my old favorites!
July 2020 ... re-read of one of my favorites. A fairy tale, for sure but also a tale of God's love for us.
January 2, 2013
I really HATED the first boyfriend, Evan.
May 31, 2017
This is one of my top 3 GLH books!
I was first introduced to Grace Livingston Hill as a young reader. She was my first foray into Christian or Inspirational Fiction. I enjoy her simplistic writing style, her ability to speak on lifestyle purity in away that is completely foreign today and may have even been foreign in her own time, her ability to bring redemption in a dark world, and for her simplistic preaching within the story lines.
Marjorie loses a mother and gains a family in this story! While searching through the things left after her mother's passing, Marjorie discovers she was adopted and not by the cleanest of means. She seeks out her biological family and finds them in dire straights. Despite their protests, she uses her newly gained inheritance to get things back to a more normal existence. She gets a doctor for those who are ill, food on the table and in the pantry, bedding, and so much more. Despite the reluctance and expected pride, the family welcomes her back into their arms and allows her to assist them. During this time, Marjorie meets Gideon, a young pastor, who helps her come to a realization of being saved and opens her eyes to the truth found in the Scriptures. Their story isn't the main focus, but rather the relationships and discoveries among the family and their "new" sister. I quite enjoy that it was written that way.
Please read this story! It is such a wonderful story of love, family, generosity and biblical truth.
I was first introduced to Grace Livingston Hill as a young reader. She was my first foray into Christian or Inspirational Fiction. I enjoy her simplistic writing style, her ability to speak on lifestyle purity in away that is completely foreign today and may have even been foreign in her own time, her ability to bring redemption in a dark world, and for her simplistic preaching within the story lines.
Marjorie loses a mother and gains a family in this story! While searching through the things left after her mother's passing, Marjorie discovers she was adopted and not by the cleanest of means. She seeks out her biological family and finds them in dire straights. Despite their protests, she uses her newly gained inheritance to get things back to a more normal existence. She gets a doctor for those who are ill, food on the table and in the pantry, bedding, and so much more. Despite the reluctance and expected pride, the family welcomes her back into their arms and allows her to assist them. During this time, Marjorie meets Gideon, a young pastor, who helps her come to a realization of being saved and opens her eyes to the truth found in the Scriptures. Their story isn't the main focus, but rather the relationships and discoveries among the family and their "new" sister. I quite enjoy that it was written that way.
Please read this story! It is such a wonderful story of love, family, generosity and biblical truth.
August 30, 2017
Having only read a few books by Grace Livingston Hill, I wasn't sure what to expect since my mom had liked it, but my sister thought it was just okay. I did enjoy it. There were some missing words and commas that bugged me, but I liked the characters and had to keep reading. While the message of Christ was shared, it didn't come until the second half of the book which left the first half almost completely devoid of prayer, or anything Christian.
There is one chapter with several drunk, course men, and one of the main characters in a night club which I didn't really like, but the rest was good.
There is one chapter with several drunk, course men, and one of the main characters in a night club which I didn't really like, but the rest was good.
January 2, 2021
Classic Christian holiday story, written in 1937, set in Philadelphia. I think Brentwood is a suburb of Philly. Slight romance, but more about family relationships. Heartwarming. Destitute family at Christmas. No heat in the house. Sick mother. No food. Hungry children. Kind doctor. Lonely, too. Local pastor takes an interest. Theme includes adoption corruption, depression-era America, family, romance, fixing up / furnishing a home.
The preachiness factor is not high in this book, but there are Bible verses and Christmas carols. Heartwarming Christmas themes.
The story offers a good blend of plot, characterization, and setting. Grace Livingston Hill always creates a vivid setting.
The preachiness factor is not high in this book, but there are Bible verses and Christmas carols. Heartwarming Christmas themes.
The story offers a good blend of plot, characterization, and setting. Grace Livingston Hill always creates a vivid setting.
November 1, 2012
well this was a rather beautiful story of humility and the importance if intimacy in a family. their was hardly any romance..im not sure why its classified as such.
to add, the book got very predictable in so much that i knew what the next chapter would be about. one thing i didnt like is how the main characters male friend was described. i didn't think it was necessary to have him so haughty and self absorbed especially in the light of the fact that he was mentioned to be a good friend. overall a feel good book.
to add, the book got very predictable in so much that i knew what the next chapter would be about. one thing i didnt like is how the main characters male friend was described. i didn't think it was necessary to have him so haughty and self absorbed especially in the light of the fact that he was mentioned to be a good friend. overall a feel good book.
March 18, 2013
As a young girl, I read a lot of Grace Livingston Hill books and can say that Brentwood was one of my favorites. By today's standards and expectations Grace's books may not get a great review, but I rated them as I would have many years ago. Anytime a book leaves an impression, it gets a great rating from me. All Grace's books inspired me to be very selective about the man I would one day choose to marry. That inspiration served me well and I've always been thankful for her main characters who wanted to do the right things.
October 18, 2015
I have read this book many, many, many times and each time I feel as though I could set the world on fire. I have in my growing up years cut my teeth on reading these books and each one always make me want to go forth and conquer whatever life puts forth for me. I have not been able to get hold of these books until recently and desire to read them all. We had 103 of them in our own personal library but the years have taken them out of my hands and I am too old to start purchasing them Strange Proposal next and I can't say which would come next but want to read them all.
November 21, 2019
My former mother-in-law started my love for Grace Livingston Hill's books. They are clean romance stories with the gospel presented in each book. As they were written in the early 1900s, they give a glimpse of a simpler time. Brentwood is one of three Christmas books and I read it every year. It doesn't seem like Christmas to me if I don't read Brentwood, The Christmas Bride, and The Substitute Guest.
June 30, 2016
Smile
Another vehicle for the sweet gospel message, although heroine in this story confronts no real conflicts. But it is a delightful story nonetheless, for who wouldn't smile at the thought of lavishing gifts on loved ones if it was in their power to do so?
Another vehicle for the sweet gospel message, although heroine in this story confronts no real conflicts. But it is a delightful story nonetheless, for who wouldn't smile at the thought of lavishing gifts on loved ones if it was in their power to do so?
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January 22, 2008Hill, Grace Livingston
July 21, 2012
Just did not care for her writing style.
February 7, 2020
This is one of my favorite Grace Livingston Hill books. A great read for Christmas. Forgiveness and placing your faith and trust in God are prominent themes.
September 2, 2016
I found this book for free, otherwise I wouldn't bother. I am not a fan of her writing. Too preachy and rather boring.
January 6, 2018
Brentwood review
This is my favorite book by Grace Livingston Hill. I have read all her books. This one is full of memorable characters, and
Inspiration.
This is my favorite book by Grace Livingston Hill. I have read all her books. This one is full of memorable characters, and
Inspiration.
November 11, 2023
Pretty much a "what would I give to my loved ones if I were rich" story, which means it was fun and sweet.
August 12, 2015
I love simple, homey books like this.
December 8, 2023
3.5 stars
This is a Christian romance written and set in the Great Depression. Marjorie is a young woman who grew up in a wealthy home in Chicago but has always known she was adopted. After her mother’s illness, she becomes an orphan and inherits a large sum of money. Ten days before Christmas, while sorting through her mother’s desk, Marjorie finds a letter written to her by her mother that explains the circumstances surrounding her adoption and includes the address of her biological family. She feels compelled to go meet them so she packs her bags and takes a train. When she arrives, she meets her twin Betty and discovers that her “own family” has been hard hit by the Depression. She brought cash and immediately sets off to fix all of their problems with it.
Not a terrible read but it got tedious hearing Betty whine about Marjorie spending her inheritance on this new family she just met.
If this were written today, her Chicago lawyer would be fired for revealing her whereabouts to that gold-digger Evan who acted like Marjorie was his personal property. In no uncertain terms, “don’t tell anybody where I am.” It’s not that difficult.
This is a Christian romance written and set in the Great Depression. Marjorie is a young woman who grew up in a wealthy home in Chicago but has always known she was adopted. After her mother’s illness, she becomes an orphan and inherits a large sum of money. Ten days before Christmas, while sorting through her mother’s desk, Marjorie finds a letter written to her by her mother that explains the circumstances surrounding her adoption and includes the address of her biological family. She feels compelled to go meet them so she packs her bags and takes a train. When she arrives, she meets her twin Betty and discovers that her “own family” has been hard hit by the Depression. She brought cash and immediately sets off to fix all of their problems with it.
Not a terrible read but it got tedious hearing Betty whine about Marjorie spending her inheritance on this new family she just met.
If this were written today, her Chicago lawyer would be fired for revealing her whereabouts to that gold-digger Evan who acted like Marjorie was his personal property. In no uncertain terms, “don’t tell anybody where I am.” It’s not that difficult.
December 19, 2020
This was a sweet story about a young lady being reunited with her birth family. I must admit that if I had seen this cover instead of the one from the library (a winter snow scene with a cottage in the background), I wouldn't have read it. This cover makes it out to be a 90s romance novel, but I would have labeled it a Christian Fiction with a touch of romance. Also, it's set in the 1920s or 30s, not the 90s. I didn't realize it was Christian Fiction when I started it, but I loved the real way she portrayed the character's growing relationship with God throughout the book as well.
July 11, 2018
Charming! A wonderful tale of loss and restoration. The realization of the things that the heart longs for the deepest - to be loved and to belong. Marjorie has always known that she was adopted, but it is not until after the death of her adoptive parents that she learns the truth behind the circumstances. Alone and confused, she seeks out her birth family, not knowing whether her harbored resentments have foundation, or if she will discover instead a place to call home.
May 10, 2020
Enchanting story, full of hope & love!
Marjorie, adopted as an infant, is now seeing her birth parents & family for the very first time! Emotions run strong as preconceived ideas are righted & everyone comes to love this new sister & the sister, them.
This is my third reading of this precious book. It's so full of the most important things in life! Like family, faith, strong convictions & of course, love. So many lessons learned by all. It's one ill read again!
Marjorie, adopted as an infant, is now seeing her birth parents & family for the very first time! Emotions run strong as preconceived ideas are righted & everyone comes to love this new sister & the sister, them.
This is my third reading of this precious book. It's so full of the most important things in life! Like family, faith, strong convictions & of course, love. So many lessons learned by all. It's one ill read again!
January 10, 2024
Kind of a Reverse Fairytale--Charming and Suspenseful
Brentwood is another wonderful book that could have duel purposes as you read. All wrapped in a down to earth tale, anyone can learn about being saved and enjoying life in Christ as sincere worshippers. Makes clear the long proven fact that money is surely useful, but it certainly can't buy happiness.
Brentwood is another wonderful book that could have duel purposes as you read. All wrapped in a down to earth tale, anyone can learn about being saved and enjoying life in Christ as sincere worshippers. Makes clear the long proven fact that money is surely useful, but it certainly can't buy happiness.
November 24, 2018
Nauseating sweet at times
Nauseating sweet at times to show how cute the kids are.... and pages and pages of preaching to the choir and very predictable. I skipped many pages to get back to the actual story. Story without the annoying parts would have been okay.
Nauseating sweet at times to show how cute the kids are.... and pages and pages of preaching to the choir and very predictable. I skipped many pages to get back to the actual story. Story without the annoying parts would have been okay.
April 6, 2019
ⓒ 1937. An uphill story (things get better from beginning of book to end). A little too materialistic, but still positive. An adopted child gets in touch with her birth parents after adopted parents die. Once all characters are introduced, not many surprises. A light, pleasant read.
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