"Boys are all horrid; but he's the horridest one I ever saw."
From author Louisa May Alcott comes An Old-Fashioned Girl, a story about a fourteen-year-old country girl caught up in city life for the first time. Polly Milton's friend, Fanny, has invited her to spend a couple months living with her and her family in the city. Fanny, Maud, and Tom live a relaxed life in a nice house with their parents and grandmother, three anchors that hold them together when these siblings step on each other's nerves. Poor Polly only wants to see and do everything she can in the time she has, and charges blindly into the rich, modern lifestyle of her friends with little to no regard for the "proper" values she was raised with. But it soon becomes clear that Fanny's world and Polly's are quite different, and if Polly is to survive in society she must choose between the old-fashioned life she knows and the temptingly beautiful world of the city.
Polly is such a lovely little creature. She starts her journey as a pleasant, well-mannered girl with strong morals and an innocence that ripples off her in every scene, affecting those around her without their knowledge. Fanny is constantly disobeying her parents and Tom is constantly pranking her and her sisters, and Polly's presence in these scenes greatly influences the way they turn out. She also has a great impact on little Maud, who is a terrible little girl when she wants to be but who learns to love and accept plain old Polly with all the adoration a young child can possess. Madam, as Fanny's grandmother is called, serves as a firm anchor in Polly's life, reminding her of her beliefs and modest, old-fashioned habits whenever she begins to waver. Grandmother is a lighthouse in the confusion Polly has been thrust into, holding her steady when no one else will.
Of course, Polly does not stay young forever. Her visit with Fran eventually ends, and she returns home to the country. When we next see her, she is a young lady intent on teaching music in the city. Now she must deal with living on her own, finding a job, and romance--for Miss Milton will go through much heartbreak and sorrow on her way to true love. Through it all, she sticks to her ideals and refuses to let them slip even once, much to the admiration of her friends. This means no cursing or otherwise inappropriate conduct, in public or in private; she is loved by all for her simple manners and pleasant personality. Alcott doesn't go over the top with her character, however; Polly has a temper as well, and struggles with it throughout the tale. This grounds her in reality in a way nothing else could, making her relatable and human in every possible way.
I would recommend this book to anyone interested in the trials of a kindhearted girl thrown into the "modern" world, where her old-fashioned ways keep her cemented in reality and better those around her. Polly is a very realistic character surrounded by a hundred beautifully depicted temptations, and her emotions are practically tangible. Her friends are flawed but lovable, and it is wonderful to see how her habits and morals rub off on them. When she finally falls for "the one", it is easy to see how good for each other they are. Louisa May Alcott's An Old-Fashioned Girl is a story for the ages, fully deserving of five brilliant stars.
Polly is such a lovely little creature. She starts her journey as a pleasant, well-mannered girl with strong morals and an innocence that ripples off her in every scene, affecting those around her without their knowledge. Fanny is constantly disobeying her parents and Tom is constantly pranking her and her sisters, and Polly's presence in these scenes greatly influences the way they turn out. She also has a great impact on little Maud, who is a terrible little girl when she wants to be but who learns to love and accept plain old Polly with all the adoration a young child can possess. Madam, as Fanny's grandmother is called, serves as a firm anchor in Polly's life, reminding her of her beliefs and modest, old-fashioned habits whenever she begins to waver. Grandmother is a lighthouse in the confusion Polly has been thrust into, holding her steady when no one else will.
Of course, Polly does not stay young forever. Her visit with Fran eventually ends, and she returns home to the country. When we next see her, she is a young lady intent on teaching music in the city. Now she must deal with living on her own, finding a job, and romance--for Miss Milton will go through much heartbreak and sorrow on her way to true love. Through it all, she sticks to her ideals and refuses to let them slip even once, much to the admiration of her friends. This means no cursing or otherwise inappropriate conduct, in public or in private; she is loved by all for her simple manners and pleasant personality. Alcott doesn't go over the top with her character, however; Polly has a temper as well, and struggles with it throughout the tale. This grounds her in reality in a way nothing else could, making her relatable and human in every possible way.
I would recommend this book to anyone interested in the trials of a kindhearted girl thrown into the "modern" world, where her old-fashioned ways keep her cemented in reality and better those around her. Polly is a very realistic character surrounded by a hundred beautifully depicted temptations, and her emotions are practically tangible. Her friends are flawed but lovable, and it is wonderful to see how her habits and morals rub off on them. When she finally falls for "the one", it is easy to see how good for each other they are. Louisa May Alcott's An Old-Fashioned Girl is a story for the ages, fully deserving of five brilliant stars.
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