The Penderwicks

Winner, National Book Awards 2005 for Young People's Literature

The Penderwicks by Jeanne Birdsall book cover, 2005
ISBN 9780375831430
Alfred A. Knopf
Jeanne Birdsall author photo, Photo credit: Robin Platzer/Twin Images, 2005
Jeanne Birdsall

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A lighthearted story of four girls and their father, a gentle, widowed botany professor who allows his daughters their freedom but is always nearby when they need comfort or support.

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Four sisters and their widowed father spend three enchanted weeks at a summer cottage: Rosalind experiences the poignancy of first unrequited love; Skye confronts a tyrannical, aristocratic neighbor; Jane writes a new book about her favorite detective heroine; and little Batty befriends two rabbits. This enormously heartwarming and satisfying novel honors and enriches the beloved tradition of the classic children's family story. The Penderwicks are worthy companions to Alcott's March sisters or Nesbit's Bastables—endearing and enduring characters whose company we can cherish.

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