Dido and Pa

The Wolves Chronicles #7

by Joan Aiken

Readers who have followed Dido Twite’s escapades in Black Hearts in Battersea and Nightbirds on Nantucket will welcome her return in another wild adventure. Now back in print, Dido and Pa continues the Wolves Chronicles, the exhilarating and imaginative series that stemmed from Joan Aiken’s classic The Wolves of Willoughby Chase . Dido Twite is finally back home in London and reunited with her old friend Simon, now the Duke of Battersea and a favorite of King Richard. But no sooner does Dido start to settle in than her rascally father, Abednago, appears and drags her off into the night. Soon Dido finds herself caught up in the midst of another dastardly Hanoverian a plot involving a mysterious double for the king, the miraculous healing powers of music, and a spy network made up of abandoned street children called lollpoops. Meanwhile, out in the forest, starving wolves are closing in on the city . . .

Genres: Fantasy, Childrens, Fiction, Adventure, Historical Fiction, Historical, Young Adult

304 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1986

About the author

Joan Aiken was a much loved English writer who received the MBE for services to Children's Literature. She was known as a writer of wild fantasy, Gothic novels and short stories.

She was born in Rye, East Sussex, into a family of writers, including her father, Conrad Aiken (who won a Pulitzer Prize for his poetry), and her sister, Jane Aiken Hodge. She worked for the United Nations Information Office during the second world war, and then as an editor and freelance on Argosy magazine before she started writing full time, mainly children's books and thrillers. For her books she received the Guardian Award (1969) and the Edgar Allan Poe Award (1972).

Her most popular series, the "Wolves Chronicles" which began with The Wolves of Willoughby Chase, was set in an elaborate alternate period of history in a Britain in which James II was never deposed in the Glorious Revolution,and so supporters of the House of Hanover continually plot to overthrow the Stuart Kings. These books also feature cockney urchin heroine Dido Twite and her adventures and travels all over the world.

Another series of children's books about Arabel and her raven Mortimer are illustrated by Quentin Blake, and have been shown on the BBC as Jackanory and drama series. Others including the much loved Necklace of Raindrops and award winning Kingdom Under the Sea are illustrated by Jan Pieńkowski.

Her many novels for adults include several that continue or complement novels by Jane Austen. These include Mansfield Revisited and Jane Fairfax.

Aiken was a lifelong fan of ghost stories. She set her adult supernatural novel The Haunting of Lamb House at Lamb House in Rye (now a National Trust property). This ghost story recounts in fictional form an alleged haunting experienced by two former residents of the house, Henry James and E. F. Benson, both of whom also wrote ghost stories. Aiken's father, Conrad Aiken, also authored a small number of notable ghost stories.

Reviews

[Abigail · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the darkest entries in Aiken's Wolves Chronicles, and by far my favorite of the lot, Dido and Pa picks up exactly where The Cuckoo Tree left off, with the long-awaited reunion of Dido and Simon. But the friends' joys is cut short when Dido finds herself kidnapped by her father, Abednego Twite, and once again embroiled in a convoluted Hanoverian conspiracy. With a royal doppelganger, the discovery of a previously-unknown sister, and a reunion with a long-lost one; a horde of vicious wolves (*sigh*), a secret society of street children, and a suspenseful final escape sequence, Aiken once again offers a dizzying selection of narrative delights.

This novel, by far the most powerful and emotionally stirring work in the series, is dominated by the figure of Abednego Twite, who as Dido's negligent and sometimes menacing father-figure, is emblematic of Aiken's take on adults in the child's world. Simultaneously tragic and comical, brilliant, tawdry, completely unreliable, and wholly amoral, Twite is still somehow strangely appealing, perhaps because we see him through the veil of Dido's longing. Undoubtedly one of Aiken's masterpieces, Twite's demise is both richly deserved and deeply lamentable, and it is precisely this emotional ambiguity that speaks to the reader in a way not seen in precious titles.

As an aside, it is interesting to note that although Edward Gorey covers are now all but synonymous with Aiken's series, this was actually only the second novel (after The Wolves of Willoughby Chase ) that originally had Gorey cover illustrations.



Addendum: Because the reading order of this series is somewhat complicated, I have included this handy guide, which is organized by publication date, and which I recommend to prospective readers of the series, rather than the one offered here on Goodreads:

Reading Order for the Series:

1) The Wolves of Willoughby Chase

2) Black Hearts in Battersea

3) Nightbirds on Nantucket

4) The Whispering Mountain

5) The Cuckoo Tree

6) The Stolen Lake

7) Dido and Pa

8) Is Underground

9) Cold Shoulder Road

10) Dangerous Games

11) Midwinter Nightingale

12) The Witch of Clatteringshaws

A few notes:

-- Is Underground is the American name for the British original, Is . Similarly, Dangerous Games was originally published in Britain as Limbo Lodge .

-- The Wolves of Willoughby Chase features two characters that recur, but the two young heroines do not.

-- The Stolen Lake is the point at which the chronology becomes somewhat complicated, as it is the sixth book, but chronicles events that occur in between Night Birds on Nantucket (#3) and The Cuckoo Tree (#5).

-- Is Underground (or Is ) and Cold Shoulder Road both feature Is Twite, cousin to the main heroine, Dido. They occur alongside the other books, and their position in the series is not chronologically relevant.

-- Dangerous Games ( Limbo Lodge ) is another title that backtracks in the chronology...

--Although not technically part of the series, Aiken's Midnight Is a Place does occur in the same alternative timeline, and is set in Blastburn, the same imaginary city that features in the other books.

[Edith · Rating 5 out of 5]

A return to form after two (in my opinion) less that satisfactory entries in the Wolves Chronicles. Dido Twite is finally back in England and reunites with Simon and Sophie--and, unfortunately, her father, now known as Boris Breadalbane, chapel master to an evil Hanoverian margrave. Can Simon, Sophie, and their allies stop a nefarious plot to oust the newly crowned King Dick? (What a question!)

Aiken's Wolves Chronicles are formulaic, but when successfully constructed (which seems to be when they are set in England), what a formula! This particular novel is especially noteworthy because of its examination of the puzzling fact that there can be hugely redeeming qualities in even singularly unworthy people--like Dido's Pa. Truly touching at times.

This is a wonderful book full of scary things (like ravening wolves), so not for really little ones. Otherwise, highly recommended.

[Kirsten · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another volume in the wonderful series that began with The Wolves of Wiloughby Chase. Dido Twite is finally joyfully reunited with her old friend Simon, who is now the Duke of Battersea, only to be stolen away by her father before she and Simon can be properly reunited. Abednego Twite once again has a nefarious scheme to unseat King Richard, and he is determined that Dido will help him, like it or not. As always with the books in this series, Aiken neatly balances humor and grim reality, although this book isn't as fanciful as some of the others. One of the reviewers, in articulating why she thinks Dido is one of the finest female characters in children's literature, describes her as "resourceful, irreverent, intelligent, moral, funny, and completely unsanitized," which I think is perfectly accurate and does well at describing just what's so great about Dido. The other thing I love is that Dido has clearly grown and changed since her first appearance in Black Hearts In Battersea. She is still definitely the same girl, but older and wiser. Great stuff; I would give my eyeteeth to write half so well as Joan Aiken does.

[We Are All Mad Here · Rating 5 out of 5]

There is just something so endearing about this series, mainly (I think) due to the unsentimental practicality of Dido Twite. She never bothers to convince the unwilling to help her; she accepts things and people as they are and goes about her business in the best way she can at any given moment. I do not mind at all that this usually involves outrageous plot elements, unlikely coincidences and a good deal of luck. I am only sorry that I have so few Wolves Chronicles left to read.

Ideal version of heaven will be one where you can get as many new books out of your favorite authors as you feel like reading.

[Michael Fitzgerald · Rating 5 out of 5]

Definitely one of the top books in the series (that I have read so far). My recollection is that others aren't as clear in the alternative history explanations and can get a bit rambling. This one has a well-delineated plot, and it's easy to follow. My copy is the hardback with the Gorey cover, but I happened to peruse the UK Red Fox paperback and was surprised to see that it has illustrations (by Pat Marriott) as well as a preliminary note to the reader - these would both have been very worthy inclusions.

I was struck by Aiken's use of invented/reclaimed language and by her exquisite level of detail. I daresay that there are some authors (even quite good ones) who never use a single word not found in a simple collegiate dictionary. Aiken, on the other hand, will scatter these jewels with wild abandon. It is truly a joy to immerse oneself in this rich and subtle world. This website (by one far more well-versed in Aiken than I) https://calmgrove.wordpress.com/2015/... has some excellent stuff, but it's by no means the last word, since in addition to Cockney slang, there are the glorious Scots terms like "clamjamfry," as well as the slurred inebriations of Pa, such as "diggle-gression." Aiken also takes extra care to make her world fully rounded, for example with the creation of children's rhymes and songs, many of which don't add anything to the plot, but just make the world more real.

The relationship between Dido and Pa is remarkably complex, and it is handled so beautifully over the course of the book. It's hard to think of anything similar in the world of children's literature. The eventual resolution is both satisfying and sad. Aiken really puts it well in this passage:

"Oh I don't know what to think about Pa, she thought; he's a rancid liar, he don't reckon on nobody but himself, he was unkind to Ma and horrible to Mrs. B., he never done a thing for Penny or me, but there's nobody in the whole world can make up tunes like his? Maybe his tunes'll go on for ever? Maybe folk will remember them long after they've forgotten Pa, and the bad things he done? Maybe the tunes is what's important, not Pa?" (p.276)

That's quite a lot to think about, especially in our present time where cancel culture strives to rewrite and destroy the past.

[Cara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ah, just lovely. Quite subdued, and more adult feeling, and though elements of The Cuckoo Tree were far creepier, this one has a really dark atmosphere. You can do a lot with weird children’s rhyming games I guess. I remembered Pa as being a really well done character, and he is, charming and talented and amusing except that he’s also abusive and hateful, and the book doesn’t let you get away from any of that. And with more personal and institutional abuse of children I’m so glad both the lollpoops and Is got to be ANGRY too (Pa’s ending actually reminded me of a very very tame version of the end of Perfume).

[Bells Thompson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Number 7 in the series - evil plotting to take over the kingdom. Dido gets wind of it all and sets out to disrupt the plotters. Her father is deeply involved and she can’t trust him. Nice to see characters Simon and Sophie back as well as Dido’s sister. I’m sure this book wouldn’t be considered a great read for students today as the street jargon of Victorian England is nothing like we read/speak today so quite a lot won’t make sense and would be hard for younger readers to decipher, so many characters are killed off, and realistically Victorian era children are ill treated.

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

No sooner was Dido Twite back in London for the coronation of Richard IV (in The Cuckoo Tree) then she found herself back in rural West Sussex, and all this after long eventful years crisscrossing the globe. And now, no sooner has she met up with Simon -- the boy who had taken care of her when she was a Cockney guttersnipe -- then she is snabbled by no less a personage than her musical yet nefarious father ... back to London! What plans does he have for her, and for what purposes?

On the banks of the Thames, in London's East End, Dido is forced to associate with a rum lot of naffy coves, from the cigar-smoking slattern Mrs Bloodvessel via havy-cavy types with fungoid names to the slumguzzling nob the Margrave of Eisengrim, truly the most vulpine villain Dido has yet to meet. And then there are the fresh waves of wolves coming through the tunnel under the English Channel, overrunning Kent and nearing London with every day...

Joan Aiken's wonderful imagination has purloined memes and motifs, facts and fictions from all over the place, making this instalment of the Wolves Chronicles as complex and colourful as any of the preceding ones. The context is an alternative Dickensian London in the 1830s, still recognisable but reflected in a distorting mirror. There are street children and wintry conditions, confidence tricksters and forbidding warehouses, and contrasts between the obscenely rich and the disadvantaged poor. But just as the novel exhibits a degree of social commentary so does it include the sparkling wit we expect from the author's depiction of this world.

There’s so much one can say about this novel but here I want to concentrate on the figures who feature in its title, Dido and her father. Dido, as we now know, has a heart of gold tempered by pragmatism and experience, so while she doesn't trust Pa in the least she recognises he has just one redeeming feature, and that's to produce exquisite music that's a delight to hear as well as a balm to both soul and body. Appointed as Kapellmeister to the Margrave, who for all his wickedness has recognised the intrinsic worth and beauty of Abednego Twite's compositions and performing, Dido's Pa keeps up a steady stream of lyrical and lively pieces with titles like Calico Pie, Three Herrings for a Ha'penny and Black Cat Coming Down Stairs. Dido remembers and treasures these melodies and remains entranced as she listens to them.

However, she cannot forget or forgive his callous treatment of her, family members (like her new-found half sister, Is) and acquaintances, nor can she ignore his naked ambition to become Master of the King's Musick, come what may, up to and including murder. Can his artistic achievements make up for the loss of innocent lives and the continuance of social evils? How will it all be resolved? However it's wrapped up Aiken fans will know that Dido and Pa's finale will be preceded by a rollercoaster ride, not just for our heroine (now around eleven or so years old) but for all those associated with her: her friends Simon and his sister Sophie, the new King Richard IV, the little mite designated 'the Slut' by Abednego, and of course all the lollpoops of London.

Lollpoops? The 1811 Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue tells us the term lollpoop designated a 'lazy, idle drone' and naturally this is how Mrs Bloodvessel and Twite regard them, but actually they were poor working London children, some of the "ten thousand homeless orphans" Dido is told are found in the capital. Joan Aiken balances the cruel treatment and utter misery many of these will in reality have suffered with the songs and games enjoyed by groups of them, and by their institution the Birthday League, a force for social cohesion and communication for lollpoops across London.

When Joan Aiken completed this she no doubt envisioned a natural pause in Dido's globetrotting and a cessation in the constant flow of vile adversaries she had to encounter. However, clearly the slight figure of 'the Slut' (in the original sense of "a dirty, slovenly or untidy woman") appealed to her, leading her in due course to write Is (also known as Is Underground) and Cold Shoulder Road. We weren't to be entertained again by the inimitable Dido for a good many years yet; perhaps the melancholy theme of a distant and deeply disappointing father which gives Dido and Pa such a poignant core was too uncomfortable for her to revisit Dido's existence in a hurry.

[Christine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Aiken's Dido Twite adventures. Aiken always brings the right amount of historical authenticity and vivid world building. Her books make me dive into an alternate Victorian England where James III reigned. This is a world where kids grind carrots into coffee to sell it for cheap on the streets, create bands to help fend for themselves, and live at the mercy of the adults around them. (but give as good as they get). Aiken includes details that lend credence to her world; for instance, some of the street kids pay a small fee to sleep in-doors in a cellar, but specifically to rent a loop of hanging rope from which they can hang their upper body. They sleep with this large noose under their shoulders, their feet dragging on the floor, never quite standing but certainly not lying down, and it's the most respite any of them receive. Aiken doesn't use this for pathetic effect. She just shows the situation as it was and uses it to inform the characters' personalities and decisions.

In this novel, Dido finally confronts the difficult binary of an abusive, horrible person/father and gifted musician. She has trouble reconciling the two, and in fact, she never does. The music is beautiful, and Dido wonders if someday, the music will outlive the memory of her father, leaving only his better part (the music itself and nothing else). It's a moving portrayal of a child who has grown to see the real extent of her father's faults (to say the least) and accepts, with some disappointment, that there was nothing left to salvage in her relationship with her father, regardless of what used to be.

The plot, by the by, will not let you put down the book, and I read this in basically one sitting. I couln't help it, and I loved every moment. I want more of Dido and hope this isn't the end, but if it is, there are plenty of other Aiken books to explore, and many more installments left in the Wolves Chronicles.

Recommended for anyone who enjoys Victorian England fiction, adventures yarns that span London end to end, and royal plots that would make Alexandre Dumas grin and turn the page.

[Carrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm still following that Died o'Fright around. Each adventure saves the king, this time it's King David Jamie Charlie Neddie Geordie Harry Dick Tudor-Stuart. The best part about this one is that we are reunited with Simon and Sophie, who we haven't seen since book two.

[Priscilla King · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dido Twite, the Cockney super-kid heroine who took over the Wolves Chronicles, is back in London with her father. There's always been some father-daughter feeling between them; despite this she's always known he was a weak, mostly bad character. (Readers didn't see much of Dido's early life at home but it was easy to see her as the stereotypical "caretaker" child of an alcoholic.) His weakness drew him into the violent and desperate Hanoverian Party, who are still obsessed with replacing good King James III and his son with a Prince George of Hanover. Several of Dido's family disappeared, and Dido herself was believed to have died, in a Hanoverian plot to kill King James.

But Dido's Pa has survived, and come into enough money to feel able to stay in London, changing only his first name. (He was Abednego; now he's Desmond Twite, with a hope of becoming Sir Desmond.) A musician by profession, he used to sing a silly little song to Dido, "Oh, how I'd like to be Queen." Now he has an income--from his horrible laudanum-addict second wife's boardinghouse, where she rents out straps from which poor child laborers can hang while the maximum number are packed into a room--and Dido is a teenager who's been taught "proper" English as a second language.

His latest scheme is to have Dido tutor, and possibly marry, the German prince the Hanoverians want to set on the throne of England, or maybe his double. After all the young man Dido teaches English is not too bad; shy, intelligent, only about twice Dido's age, probably modelled on Prince Albert. Dido and Pa aren't close enough for Pa Twite to have any idea that (a) Dido's not interested in men yet, and (b) when she is, she'll only ever consider one.

While discovering a little half-sister who's more abused even than Dido was, but destined to be just as tough and clever, Dido survives another adventure in which her friends mistakenly imagine she's been killed (and, this time, eaten by winter-starved wolves).

This is arguably the most poignant of the Wolves Chronicles. If the plot and adventures had been less preposterous, the depiction of Dido's mixed feelings for her father would have qualified for a Newbery Medal. If The Cuckoo Tree stirred your sense of beauty, and The Stolen Lake evoked a feeling of horror, Dido and Pa may move you to tears of compassion for people who really live with parents like that.

[Sandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one picks up right where "The Cuckoo Tree" left off, with the happy reunion between Dido and Simon. As always, Aiken is a delightful storyteller, filled with adventure, danger, scoundrels, and heroics. Once again, Dido and friends must thwart a Hanoverian plot to remove the king from the throne, and once Dido's father is deeply involved. The real depth in the story is Dido's conflicted feelings about her father. He is self-absorbed, ruthless, and heartless, yet he creates music that lifts the soul and inspires. She both loathes and admires him.

This story also introduces the character "Is" -- a young girl who is treated like a slave by Dido's reprobate father and his repulsive female companion. It was a bit jarring to have not only Dido's father refer to Is as "the slut" but to also have the narration frequently refer to her that way. But the archaic definition is a "dirty, slovenly woman," so I have to assume that was the intended meaning. (I'm not as sure that would be clear to a young reader.)

As with all the books, there is a satisfying ending, but just enough of a hint of adventures to come for these characters to lead the reader on to the next book in the series.

[Sarah Leavesley · Rating 4 out of 5]

My son loved this one. We've reached the point in the series where I haven't actually read these before so the twists and turns of the narrative are new to me as well as him and it's a joy getting to experience them together. Dido remains as delightful and sparky as in her first appearance, the plot is twisty enough to keep you engaged while being easy to follow for a younger reader like my son and Aiken has some beautiful descriptive passages and an ear for dialect that makes reading this aloud a joy.
We're already excited to read the next one.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

All my favourite books in this series were first read when I was still a child, except for the The Stolen Lake which was published later. So maybe that colours my appreciation of the later books and they haven't been seared into my imagination as the earlier ones are. Anyway this one is enjoyable but a bit formulaic and less imaginative for me.

[Lindsay · Rating 5 out of 5]

A return to form with London, Sophie, Simon and the Hanoverians all back in the action. Dido makes some choices about who she wants to be as she’s thrown back together with her ne’er-do-well Pa. The beautiful language and attention to detail always make these books worth reading.

[Tammie Groeneman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not as good as The Wolves of Willoughby Chase or Black Hearts in Battersea but there are some great parts. The “lollpoops” as well as some other interesting names and words make this story delightful, but, overall, the storyline doesn’t flow as well as the others in the series.

[Elizabeth Brush · Rating 5 out of 5]

all the weirds--also, the entrance of Is!

[Winkle W. Nemeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful fun

Another delightful adventure for Dido, Simon and new friends. Aiken's wit and breakneck plotting guarantee a charming experience from this addition to the series.

[Cora · Rating 4 out of 5]

Still my favorite of this weird series!

[Sophie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Didos Pa is not a friendly person and has gone lost several times. Here he is back for good - and bad

[Books Kids Like · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to Dido and Captain Hughes, King Richard’s coronation goes off without a hitch. Dido carries the king’s train during the ceremony, and Simon is excited to see his friend Dido back in London after a long time. He never knew what happened to her after the Dark Dew burned to the ground. (see Black Hearts in Battersea). Later that day, Simon and Dido reunite in a pasture along the Chichester-to-London road. As they catch up, Dido finds out that Simon is sixth Duke of Battersea, heir to Bakerloo House in Chelsea, Loose Chippings Castle in Yorkshire and a sizable amount of Battersea real estate. Dido tells Simon about her many adventures on her journey home (see Nightbirds on Nantucket, The Stolen Lake, and Dangerous Games). She learns that her father and his mate blew up Battersea Castle in an effort to kill King James III. Many of her family members dies in the explosion. Dido tells Simon how she stopped her pa and a “passel o’ jammy-fingered coves” from stopping the coronation (see The Cuckoo Tree). That same day, Margrave Wolfgang von Eisengrim, first cousin to Prince George of Hanover, eats lunch while he watches a boat sink into the Thames carrying three prominent men to their death. He plots the death of more well-known citizens- anyone who may stand in the way of Eisengrim’s plan to replace the newly crowned King Richard IV with an imposter named Van Doon. Shortly after Dido and Simon’s reunion, Abednego Twite kidnaps Dido and takes her to the margrave’s house where she is forced to teach Van Doon the king’s speech and mannerisms. Abednego calls himself Boris Breadalbane and works as the margrave’s music master. During the lessons, Dido tells Van Doon about the margrave's deception. Meanwhile, the Margrave sends for Simon- one of the king’s men slated for death. Simon is away hunting the wolves threatening the countryside, so Sophie, Simon's twin sister, takes his place. When Sophie's true identity is discovered, the margrave kidnaps her. Earlier, Dido and Van Doon befriended an orphan named Is. Figgin, Is' cat, enters the margrave's house through a chimney and finds Sophie in the Margrave's dungeon. After Sophie's rescue, they go to Podge Greenway’s house where they are reunited with Simon. The group, aided by spy network of street children, hatches a plan to thwart the margrave. While Van Doon escapes to Penelope Twite's house in the woods, Dido and her friends take care of the Hanoverians in London.
©2024 Kathy Maxwell at https://bookskidslike.com

[Hessie · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was really hard for me to decide between 4 and 5 stars for this one. It really was fantastic in so many ways! The reunion between Dido and Simon was wonderful! Old and new characters become even more endearing and the plot is engaging. This book is also dark and deep. I have read other reviewers who called Dido's pa one of the best written villains of all time and I agree with them! Mr. Twite is anything but flat and Dido's internal conflict about his true character is very thought provoking. Ultimately, I think Dido shows incredible character by trying to give her pa a chance but still standing up to him and getting out when things get really bad. The story was much darker but not as gruesome as The Stolen Lake. I would highly recommend if in spite of a few flaws in the plot and the lack of s perfect resolution for Dido.

[eve]

my favorite book in the series, probably because i read it later, in my twneties instead of in middle school. the tone and themes are definitely darker and more complicated. The most interesting part is Dido's relationship with her father and her very conflicted feelings toward him. She knows he's never up to any good, is neglectfully cruel, and a drunk, but she loves his music and can't forget that he is after all her father.

Contains my favorite Dido line ever: "Simon! We thought as you was galloping twenty different ways inside of a pack of wolves! The papers said as you'd hopped the twig!"

[Celeste Ng · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the things I like best about Joan Aiken's Wolves Chronicles is that none of the books feel alike: each deals with a completely separate world (Nantucket at the height of the whaling era; South American jungles crossed with Arthurian legend; rural England crossed with Carribean voodoo), and the plots and characters are so outlandish, that each book feels completely fresh. This was the first book where I realized that good people could die, which may be why it's stayed in my memory so clearly and is one of my favorites.

[Windy2go · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love Joan Aiken. This little paperback was in the guest room bookshelf at my parents' house, so I picked it up. Joan is a quick read, zingy characters, fun plots. I had a good time reading Dido and Pa (and was sorry to discover that we did always mis-pronounce Dido's name -- it rhymnes with "Died-Oh" because the other characters occasionally called her "Died-Oh Fright". I was actually reading this book in the car on the way to the airport and didn't get the last few pages done! So I'm not entirely sure how everything was resolved.

[Jenn Estepp · Rating 4 out of 5]

further adventures of dido twite. in this volume, she has barely made it back to london when her irascible father abducts her and involves her in the newest hanoverian plot. which of course must be thwarted, along with the help of simon, sophie and a host of homeless street urchins. slightly darker, in some ways, but also genuinely moving, dwelling in some deeper emotional territory than others in the series. neck and neck with "nightbirds" as my favorite in the series.

[Liana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Probably my favorite of the whole series. Has all of the characters, humor, darkness, quirky language, and mystery of all the others, but the bittersweet, complicated relationship between Dido and her father accompanies the intriguing plot like a secondary melody in one of Mr. Twite's masterfully-described musical compositions.

[Jane · Rating 3 out of 5]

Who knew that Joan Aiken's Wolves of Willoughby Chase had ELEVEN pendant stories? I remember loving Black Hearts in Battersea nad Nightbirds on Nantucket, but what treasures I missed! Chugging happily through them all now. Dido Twite joins Madeline, Eloise, Nancy Drew and Harriet the Spy in the Pantheon of girl heroes.

[Colette · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't enjoy this one as much as the earlier books in the series, but Dido sure has an adventurous life. These later books are more dark, have more horrific deaths, characters taking the Lord's name in vain. They seem to be for a little older audience than the first few, which were written in the 1960s.

[Callie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was just pure fun. It's very weird/British in a Doctor Who-sort of way.