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Elsie Dinsmore #12
Elsie's Kith and Kin
While the rest of the family winters at Viamede, Edward and Zoe tend to affairs at Ion and endure an unwelcome guest. Later, while on a business trip, Edward is injured in a train wreck, and the rest of the family returns from Viamede to be with him. At sea, Captain Raymond receives news of a financial windfall and resigns from the Navy to be at home with Violet and his children. He arrives in time to learn that Lulu has accidentally injured her baby sister, Elsie, during a fit of anger. The baby recovers, and Lulu learns how much trouble an uncontrolled temper can be. The captain and Violet purchase Woodburn as their new home, and the family settles down to enjoy its first Christmas there.
253 pages, Paperback
First published December 1, 1996
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161 people want to read
About the author
Martha Finley
508 books159 followersMartha 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/
For more information, please see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martha_F... or, http://marthafinley.wordpress.com/
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
March 28, 2012
ELSIE'S KITH AND KIN is #12 in the Elsie Dinsmore series and one of the best. The main plot revolves around quick-tempered Lulu Raymond, who does something quite terrible in a fit of rage. There's much psychological realism in Lulu's reaction, her subsequent remorse and guilt. The book marks a turning point for her, in fact. Hereafter she will try harder, put more faith in God and ultimately develop more self-control. The question is, are there still going to be tragic consequences to what she did?
Another storyline deals with happily married Edward and Zoe, whose home is invaded by an unwelcome guest. This is a lady who flirts with Edward, mainly to spite Zoe, and who gets her comeuppance in the end. The Edward-Zoe scenes are lighter-hearted and better written than one would expect, with less moralizing. Elsie herself makes only a few cameo appearances in KITH AND KIN. A new generation of younger characters is now monopolizing the stage.
Another storyline deals with happily married Edward and Zoe, whose home is invaded by an unwelcome guest. This is a lady who flirts with Edward, mainly to spite Zoe, and who gets her comeuppance in the end. The Edward-Zoe scenes are lighter-hearted and better written than one would expect, with less moralizing. Elsie herself makes only a few cameo appearances in KITH AND KIN. A new generation of younger characters is now monopolizing the stage.
December 25, 2020
4.5 stars & 5/10 hearts. Sigh. Again, this started out good but then went a little south.
I love Edward & Zoe! They have a lovely relationship and they're both so nice and so natural, and learn such amazing lessons. I really loved the first 25% of the book.
...enter Lulu & Rosie.
The spirit moves me to utter a few yowls about Lulu. First off, everyone is decided that she is a throughly bad girl and gives her very little grace. They also take no steps whatsoever to prevent outbreaks; only deal severely with them when they arrive. And everyone is very outspoken to say Gracie is the best and Lulu is bad, and always compares her unfavourably against her older siblings.
Added to all that, Rosie is really awful to Lulu, and no one does anything about it! And why is Zoe the only one who understands Lulu and Rosie's issue and tries to deal with it?!
Also, why is Vi not allowed to be their mother but they have to act like she is their mother??
Lulu has, of course, a very bad temper and is a foolish and stubborn girl. But she could be treated with more love and kindness, and if she were, things wouldn't be so hard.
The episode with the baby was really awful, and yet perhaps it was a good thing, for It really helped Lulu. I wish it hadn't had to happen, though! Raymond does very well in this book--he does speak very unkindly at one point, but he partly apologizes.
Overall, I enjoyed the book--it just was a little hard at times. But there were lots of good lessons, especially about parents.
A Favourite Quote: “It will be a good while before I can feel at all sure of myself,” she answered humbly.
“I hope it will,” he said; then, as she looked up in surprise, “The apostle says, ‘When I am weak, then am I strong.’ When we feel our own weakness, and look to God for help, then we are strong with a strength far greater than our own; but when we grow self-confident, and trust in our own strength, we are very apt to find it but weakness.”
A Favourite Humorous Quote: “I think," he said, "I'll have you order the carriage for about the time you are likely to be done there, and we'll have a drive together."
She shook her head gravely. "You are not fit for any such exertion."
"Uncle Ben and Solon shall help me down the stairs and into the carriage, so there need be no exertion about it."
"I won't consent," she said. "The doctor left you in my charge; and his orders were, that you should keep quiet for the next few days." ...
"What a little tyrant you are developing into!" he remarked, knitting his brows. "Will you order the carriage, and take a drive in my company?"
"No."
"Then what will you do?"
"Go by myself, or stay at home with you, just as you bid me."
"What a remarkable mixture of tyranny and submission," he exclaimed, laughing[.]"
I love Edward & Zoe! They have a lovely relationship and they're both so nice and so natural, and learn such amazing lessons. I really loved the first 25% of the book.
...enter Lulu & Rosie.
The spirit moves me to utter a few yowls about Lulu. First off, everyone is decided that she is a throughly bad girl and gives her very little grace. They also take no steps whatsoever to prevent outbreaks; only deal severely with them when they arrive. And everyone is very outspoken to say Gracie is the best and Lulu is bad, and always compares her unfavourably against her older siblings.
Added to all that, Rosie is really awful to Lulu, and no one does anything about it! And why is Zoe the only one who understands Lulu and Rosie's issue and tries to deal with it?!
Also, why is Vi not allowed to be their mother but they have to act like she is their mother??
Lulu has, of course, a very bad temper and is a foolish and stubborn girl. But she could be treated with more love and kindness, and if she were, things wouldn't be so hard.
The episode with the baby was really awful, and yet perhaps it was a good thing, for It really helped Lulu. I wish it hadn't had to happen, though! Raymond does very well in this book--he does speak very unkindly at one point, but he partly apologizes.
Overall, I enjoyed the book--it just was a little hard at times. But there were lots of good lessons, especially about parents.
A Favourite Quote: “It will be a good while before I can feel at all sure of myself,” she answered humbly.
“I hope it will,” he said; then, as she looked up in surprise, “The apostle says, ‘When I am weak, then am I strong.’ When we feel our own weakness, and look to God for help, then we are strong with a strength far greater than our own; but when we grow self-confident, and trust in our own strength, we are very apt to find it but weakness.”
A Favourite Humorous Quote: “I think," he said, "I'll have you order the carriage for about the time you are likely to be done there, and we'll have a drive together."
She shook her head gravely. "You are not fit for any such exertion."
"Uncle Ben and Solon shall help me down the stairs and into the carriage, so there need be no exertion about it."
"I won't consent," she said. "The doctor left you in my charge; and his orders were, that you should keep quiet for the next few days." ...
"What a little tyrant you are developing into!" he remarked, knitting his brows. "Will you order the carriage, and take a drive in my company?"
"No."
"Then what will you do?"
"Go by myself, or stay at home with you, just as you bid me."
"What a remarkable mixture of tyranny and submission," he exclaimed, laughing[.]"
January 31, 2017
This is number 12 in the series written for girls in the late 1880s, which made it rather confusing since I had only previously read a couple of the much earlier books, five years ago. There are many people in Elsie's family who all seem to live in or around the same location, and I regularly lost track of who was whom.
Elsie herself, now a grandmother, does not come into this much. The earlier part of the story is taken up with her son Edward and his wife Zoe who have a disagreement about a friend who stays with them. I thought that was fairly interesting, if rather long-winded and, in places, moralistic.
The second part of the story features Elsie’s daughter Violet and her step-children. One of them has a hot temper has been threatened with boarding school. The various subplots have potential, but the style is not just old-fashioned but full of stilted and long-winded conversations and descriptions.
I can see that, for the era, the adults are in fact quite liberal and loving; maybe the author was trying to show the importance of fathers being involved in their children’s lives. There's some rather too overt Christian content, too. But the hot-tempered child Lulu is really the only interesting person in the book.
If anyone is curious, or would like to read these books from a social history point of view, they are available freely as Google Books or at Project Gutenburg, as well as published in paperback form.
I can't say I would recommend this, though, and doubt if I'll read any of the others in the lengthy 'Elsie' series.
Elsie herself, now a grandmother, does not come into this much. The earlier part of the story is taken up with her son Edward and his wife Zoe who have a disagreement about a friend who stays with them. I thought that was fairly interesting, if rather long-winded and, in places, moralistic.
The second part of the story features Elsie’s daughter Violet and her step-children. One of them has a hot temper has been threatened with boarding school. The various subplots have potential, but the style is not just old-fashioned but full of stilted and long-winded conversations and descriptions.
I can see that, for the era, the adults are in fact quite liberal and loving; maybe the author was trying to show the importance of fathers being involved in their children’s lives. There's some rather too overt Christian content, too. But the hot-tempered child Lulu is really the only interesting person in the book.
If anyone is curious, or would like to read these books from a social history point of view, they are available freely as Google Books or at Project Gutenburg, as well as published in paperback form.
I can't say I would recommend this, though, and doubt if I'll read any of the others in the lengthy 'Elsie' series.
June 30, 2017
Faith and family are primary
While this series is very old fashioned, I still enjoy reading it. The values expressed in this book are seldom heard anymore. Respect for parents and loving discipline for children. Our children would be a great deal wiser if they were truly raised this way.
While this series is very old fashioned, I still enjoy reading it. The values expressed in this book are seldom heard anymore. Respect for parents and loving discipline for children. Our children would be a great deal wiser if they were truly raised this way.
May 31, 2014
As the family is on vacation, Edward and Zoe have Ion to themselves. Violet must constantly deal with Lulu's anger outbursts.
This book is written well, though it seams to go on to long on certain subjects.
This book is written well, though it seams to go on to long on certain subjects.
May 17, 2023
I found this book in an antiques store and was curious about a novel published in the late 1880s, one that is not one of the well-known classics. I read the first sentence of the book, "There, there, little woman!", so I knew the book would be maddeningly sexist, but I was not prepared for just how offensive the book would be.
The dialogue written for the Black "servants" was difficult to read due to the heavy dialect and the heavy racism. This was such a turnoff, I almost quit reading, but since my OCD compels me to finish reading what I start, I kept reading. Thankfully, there wasn't too much of that dialogue in the book.
The term "girl-wife" used to describe Zoe had me wondering just how young she was. The book never revealed her age, but the pedophile-adjacent insinuations were troubling.
The father whipping his daughter with a horse whip was particularly awful. And to make it worse, the girl then sits on his lap and thanks him for beating her. That whole scene was disgusting. The fact that girls were (and some probably still are) being taught that men know best and are permitted to beat them (for the girls' edification) and then the girls are expected to THANK them for being beaten is mind-blowing.
There was definitely a running theme of men being in charge of women and children, and women only being allowed autonomy or authority if the man in charge permitted it.
A thoroughly disgusting book.
The dialogue written for the Black "servants" was difficult to read due to the heavy dialect and the heavy racism. This was such a turnoff, I almost quit reading, but since my OCD compels me to finish reading what I start, I kept reading. Thankfully, there wasn't too much of that dialogue in the book.
The term "girl-wife" used to describe Zoe had me wondering just how young she was. The book never revealed her age, but the pedophile-adjacent insinuations were troubling.
The father whipping his daughter with a horse whip was particularly awful. And to make it worse, the girl then sits on his lap and thanks him for beating her. That whole scene was disgusting. The fact that girls were (and some probably still are) being taught that men know best and are permitted to beat them (for the girls' edification) and then the girls are expected to THANK them for being beaten is mind-blowing.
There was definitely a running theme of men being in charge of women and children, and women only being allowed autonomy or authority if the man in charge permitted it.
A thoroughly disgusting book.
August 10, 2024
Well despite some naysayer's biased criticism that doesn't change the fact that everyone and I mean everyone's got problems. Regardless whether you believe in something or not. After all the world is full of problems.
Rosie's a horrible brat, but Lulu's super careless and losing her temper could've have easily cost a life. Harsh? Sadly it doesn't matter how old or young we are, actions have consequences.
Rosie's a horrible brat, but Lulu's super careless and losing her temper could've have easily cost a life. Harsh? Sadly it doesn't matter how old or young we are, actions have consequences.
June 26, 2024
this series of books is so so good.
Captain Raymond has decided to retire after receiving news
of the value of land he owned.
Lulu is attempting unsuccessly to curtail her anger which
gets her into trouble.
The captain is looking for a home for his family.
Captain Raymond has decided to retire after receiving news
of the value of land he owned.
Lulu is attempting unsuccessly to curtail her anger which
gets her into trouble.
The captain is looking for a home for his family.
June 15, 2016
This series is a bit Calvinistic in its theology, and it's also a bit uber-Christian; i.e., the Christians are really, really good and the non-Christians are really, really bad.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews