Where The Heart Is

Christy Drayton #1

by Janet Lambert

Fourteen-year-old Christy lives in the beautiful country around New Hope, Pennsylvania. She and her young friends enjoy all the fun, friendliness, and simplicity of country living.

192 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1948

About the author

Janet Lambert, born in Crawfordsville, Indiana, was a popular girls' story author from 1941 through 1969 (and beyond to today). She wrote 54 books during that time about a number of different girls and their families. Her most popular series were about the Parrishes and the Jordons. These stories, and many of her other series, became entwined as the various characters met each other, married, and then had children of their own!

Janet, having an interest in both the theater and writing, decided to write her own plays in which to act. She did achieve her goal and appeared on Broadway. When she married a career Army officer, her life on stage came to a close, but her stories were still flowing. Knowing well the "life of the Army," many of Ms. Lambert's books are set on Army posts throughout the United States.

Legend has it that her stories started as bedtime stories for her children while they were overseas. Each night, the author would tell the next "installment" of the series. Later, after her kids were grown, she penned one of her stories (Star Spangled Summer) and—according to legend—it was sold to a publisher the very day after she sent it to them.

Reviews

[Linda]

This is definitely an oldie but goodie. Janet Lambert was a prolific author who wrote many series about families that eventually got intertwined. Most of her stories were about Army families. "Where the Heart is" is the first book of a mini series about Christy Drayton that does not concern a military family. There's just something about the book that is endearing.

The Draytons moved from Indiana to Philadelphia because Mr. Drayton got a new job in advertising only to find that they couldn't move into the house he bought because the people who live there can't move out. After exhausting the hotels, they get the idea to move in with a cousin, Edwin Coddington, who lives in the old family estate in the country. But Edwin is away and his lawyer had received instructions not to let anybody in. The boy next door, who is caring for the gardens and horses lets them move into the barn on the Coddington estate. When Edwin comes home he is angry- he's a mean bitter man. But Christy is ever cheerful and it's hard to snub her. I can't wait to read book #2.

[J.M.]

I loved it, of course. Christy Drayton is a lovable heroine, and her family and friends are distinctive and fun. Janet Lambert books remind me of the best old movies (without the bursting into song), with sweet teen friendship/romance, plucky and realistic heroines who make mistakes but learn from them, and strong family relationships. This one was published in 1948, and it reflects the time period, but I found nothing about it offensive.
Love the horses and parties and old-timey fun.

[Rebekah Morris]

It was such a delight to reread this book! I just love Christy and her enthusiasm for life. No, not everything always goes her way and yes, she does get disappointed and have to deal with things she doesn't want to, but she looks on the bright side and decides to make the best of situations. Jonathan and Roger were great.

[Christine McCann]

Fun story of Christy Drayton and her family, adapting to living in a converted barn due to a housing shortage in Philadelphia. Christy herself is cheerful and adapts readily to the situation. Her sunshiny attitude helps as she goes about making friends, and the rest of her family is well-crafted as well, particularly her mother and brother Jonathan. Dramatic tension is mainly found in the strained relationship with a cousin and owner of said barn! There's only very mild romance, since our heroine is just fifteen. Another reviewer said the book was reminiscent of a 1940s musical, and I can see why. I kept envisioning Jane Powell in Rich, Young, and Pretty, as Christy.

[Kristin]

Originally published in 1948