Linnets and Valerians [Paperback]

Elizabeth Goudge (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 1, 1992

When the four Linnet children are sent to live with their strict grandmother, they cannot bear her stiff rules and humorlessness, so they run away, traversing the English countryside and meeting eccentric characters. Reprint. NYT.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Four children sent to live with their starchy grandmother in Edwardian England run away and encounter a host of eccentric characters. Ages 10-14.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Paperback
• Publisher: Yearling (February 1, 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0440405904
• ISBN-13: 978-0440405900
• Product Dimensions: 7.4 x 5.1 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (24 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,727,599 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

24 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars uplifting and wonderful fantasy for kids of all ages, September 23, 2000

By 

Mary Gibson - See all my reviews

This review is from: Linnets and Valerians (Paperback)

The phrasing and descriptions may be from another era, but the charm remains forever! The idea that children and adults can work together with respect and politeness is, I fear, completely foreign to today's society. It has become an "us" vs. "them" proposition. Won't you do your children a favor and read this book, or another of Goudge's, aloud to them one night?

I have yet to find any "contemporary" books that can compare to the innocent spirit and adventure of this, and other, Elizabeth Goudge books. It is a tragedy that they are so difficult to find today--I had to do an inter-library loan to get a copy to read.

Delightful escape from the brutal reality of our lifestyle of today, do yourself a favor and try to track down a copy. It will lift your spirits and make your day brighter every time you read it.

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Rich World of Childhood Enchantment, March 25, 2000

By 

Librarian (Vancouver, B.C.) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Linnets and Valerians (Paperback)

I first read this enchanting book as a child, and over the years have read it many more times with my daughters. Linnets & Valerians is a magnificent story about the adventuring spirit of childhood and the restorative power of the natural world. In a lush, appealing, way it presents the empowering advantages of higher learning and the great moral value of living an honest and kind life. Linnets and Valerians is also a deeply romantic story about the mystery of family lost and family found. From the first reading I thought this book would one day stand next to J. M. Barrie's Peter Pan and Aurther Ransom's Swallows and Amazons series. And while I found Harry Potter a delightful read, that recent best seller certainly pales next to the world of Goudges's Linnets & Valerians; a place in which good relationships between children and adults foster the growth of those children into wise and responsible adults themselves. I own one copy of this book but had hoped to obtain newer copies for my daughters when they were grown. I have found, to my grief, that this book is out of print. I would love to see Linnets & Valerians rediscovered in my library as Aurther Ransome has been, thanks largely to new paperback edtions with appealing cover illustrations. With the many glowing reviews on this site, won't some publisher consider re-issuing this book soon!

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars delightful and fun for kids, adults and pets, November 19, 2006

By 

bluetwilight - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Linnets and Valerians (Paperback)

Okay I'm not sure about the pets. But this is a great story, I love kids stories like Wolves of Willoughby Chase, books by Edith Nesbit (The Enchanted Castle) and Tom's Midnight Garden. I especially love old fashion books like this one. The children are charming, their adventures full of wonderful characters like the grouchy uncle and the cheery gardener. Their search for a missing family is touching and sweet, and in the best of traditions, ends well with a hint of sadness.

I love the beautiful passages in this book - "It was a small silver bell, but it rang out in a marvellous manner, clear and sweet and loud, as though it were ten times its size, and echoes woke up in the house and answered it, ringing and ringing away and away like birdsong in the wood." The whole book is not like this, obviously, it's quite readable. But there are enough gorgeous passages with beautiful descriptions - I especially love the old-fashioned food and frequently force my husband to listen to my ravings about it.