Ever since I listened to The Penderwicks on audio book for the first time one November I have fallen in love with the books. They are charming, sweet, funny, and everything a good book should be. If you are looking for an entertaining book to finish off the summer these are a great choice!
Narrated by the amazing Susan Denaker, I listed them in my post 9 Great Audio Books for Family Road Trips, because of how sweet and family friendly they are. So if the audio books happen to be available to you, this would be a great choice for reading them. This past reread I traded off between reading and listening to them. 🙂
My Reading Experience
I found the Penderwicks when I was fourteen. At the time I was in need of a good audio book to listen to while I worked on a crochet project, and my mom suggested these. I loved them right away! Jeanne Birdsall’s writing style is lovely, with such a sweet touch. They still remain to this day some of my very favorite audio books, and I was thrilled to receive them as a birthday gift a few years ago.
My personal favorite of the five books in the series is book three (The Penderwicks at Point Mouette). But I truly love all of them. I would say they are very appropriate for all ages, but I do know of some people who aren’t allowed to read them because of some mild romance mentioned in the books. If that’s the sort of thing you avoid completely, I would take note of it before picking these books up. But like I said, for the most part they are very family friendly.
Meet the Characters
Oh, where to start? There are so many wonderful characters in this book. I have tried to pick a favorite, but have never quite been able to make up my mind. Just when I think I like one sister the best I learn a little bit more about another and am undecided again!
The oldest of the sisters is Rosalind Penderwick. She is responsible, mature, and has looked after her younger sisters ever since her mother died. Her love for Batty is extra special, and she is like a mother to her.
Skye is the next oldest. The sisters like to say, “Blue sky, blue eyes,” to help people remember she is the only one of the sisters with blond hair and sky blue eyes. Her personality is strong willed and sometimes a little sarcastic. She teaches herself algebra for fun, and is thrilled to have her very own room with two beds for the summer.
Jane is the third sister, and she might be my favorite, with her creative mind that floats to unknown places at any given moment. She is a writer, working on yet another novel about her brave heroine, Sabrina Starr. In this story of her own creation, Sabrina Starr is rescuing a real live boy for the very first time (having before been limited to groundhogs and turtles).
Batty is the youngest, only four years old. She is never without a pair of orange butterfly wings on her shoulders, and her best friend in the entire world is their dog Hound. Batty tells Hound everything, even secrets which aren’t supposed to be repeated at anyone.
I can’t go without mentioning Mr. Penderwick. He is one of the best written literary fathers I have ever read. While many books portray parents as either perfect or unsympathetic (making the characters extremely unbelievable), Jeanne Birdsall does neither. Mr. Penderwick is a lovable, Latin speaking, and all together wonderful father.
Of course, there is one more person I have to mention, and that is Jeffery. Though not a Penderwick by blood, Jeffery quickly becomes an honorary member of the family when several events bring him into close friendship with the sisters. Although he is the son of the awful Mrs. Tifton, he has a few passions under his sleeve that he shares with the sisters.
There are so many other strongly written characters in the book. Take sour Mrs. Tifton, for example. Or lovable Churchie. Not to mention Caegny, Harry, and of course, the awful Dexter. But I have to stop somewhere, so you will just have to read the book and uncover these enjoyable (and not so enjoyable) characters for yourself. Believe me, it’s worth it.
The Story
As I’ve probably said a hundred times, this is one of the most charming stories there ever was. The characters are unique and fun, and the writing is sweet and every scene is written in a lovely, easy to read but absolutely enjoyable style. With all these things, I would be more than happy to read this book even if it was just a random collection of adventures. The book doesn’t need a plot, and I would probably still be writing it a blog post even if it didn’t have one.
But as I was rereading The Penderwicks last week I realized what an important plot it has. Although you almost don’t realize it’s happening, by the end of the book we are eagerly reading to find the result of the plot that has been developing over the whole book. Without you even realizing it was happening, Jeanne Birdsall wove an emotional plot into the chapters about birthday parties, bunny escapes, and brownie baking.
When the Penderwicks arrive in the place called Arundel, they are determined not to get on the nerves of Mrs. Tifton, owner. But of course, that doesn’t quite happen. Before long every sister finds her own way into mishap and adventure, pulling Jeffery along with them. But in the end are they able to help him when he needs their friendship the most, or are they really nothing more than a bad influence as his mother insists they are?
The Penderwicks vs. Little Women
If you have read both of these books before or know anything about them you will probably be able to guess what it’s about. The Penderwicks are very obviously alike to Little Women in a handful of ways. For the sake of spoilers I will keep this discussion vague, but I do want to mention it because I think it is very interesting!
Both books are about four sisters. Even the personalities of the Marches sisters are spread out among the Penderwicks. For example, both Jo (March) and Jane (Penderwick) love to write. Both sets of sisters become good friends with a boy in their book, and they both have one parent for the majority of the book (in Little Women their father is at war, so he isn’t mentioned as much as their mother. And in The Penderwicks their mother has died). The conclusion to The Penderwicks (book five) is much like that of Little Women’s as well.
With these obvious similarities it seems right to assume that Jeanne Birdsall was greatly influenced by Louisa May Alcott’s famous work. But there are differences in the way the two writers wrote their stories as well. While Alcott holds a more serious, solemn tone in her book, Birdsall keeps a lighthearted voice that keeps you laughing for the whole book. And although Alcott’s characters are indeed very relatable, her narrator is more at a distance, allowing us to watch and learn from their mistakes. On the other hand, Birdsall brings us in close, showing us the quirks and craziness of the sisters close up.
In conclusion, I love both The Penderwicks and Little Women in different ways. Although they do share a few characteristics, both have a unique story that is all its own. I view the similarities as a way to add another layer of enjoyment to the story, and not to force me to compare and critique.
Final Thoughts
The Penderwick books are without a doubt, five out of five stars! If you have not read them before please do, and enjoy the perfect combination of laughter and trouble. The Penderwicks are a set of sisters you will not forget easily.
As a wonderful coincidence, Sarah Mackenzie at the Read Aloud Revival is interviewing Jeanne Birdsall next month as a part of her summer book club! If you’re part of RAR make sure to check that out, and if you’re not you should totally look into it anyway (because anything with books and authors is amazing, right? 😉 ). I’m really looking forward to that!
Have you read The Penderwicks before? Do you have a favorite sister? Favorite book? Let me know your opinions in the comments!
For the Love of Stories 