Linnets and Valerians Author:Elizabeth Goudge When Nan, Robert, Timothy, and Betsy s father went off to explore in Egypt, he left the children with their grandmother — who lived in the English countryside. Unfortunately she did not much like children, much less their dog, Absalom. So the children ran away to stay with their Uncle Ambrose, an eccentric, strict, and loveable retired school tea... more »cher who was determined to give them an Education, but in addition to Greek, Latin, and Literature, the Linnet children learned much more about nature and magic, the power of the past and Pan, and, of course, the importance of the bees. They used their knowledge to find the lost Valerians, undo some very wicked, ancient spells, and reunite a divided family. The word enchanting is overused, but in this case it applies.
As this world becomes increasingly ugly, callous and materialistic
it needs to be reminded that the old fairy stories are rooted in truth, that imagination is of value, that happy endings do, in fact, occur, and that the blue spring mist that make an ugly street look beautiful is just as real a thing as the street itself. Elizabeth Goudge
An American Library Association Notable Book.« less