4.5/5 🌟
After their father mysteriously leaves one night, three children and their mother move to the English countryside. While their mother is busy writing children’s books, the children gallivant across the English countryside filling their days with adventure and new friends. But the whole time, they can’t help but wonder…”Whatever happened to Father?”
Some of my favorite things about this book were
– its cozy, British feel
– fun sibling dynamics
– adventures in the countryside
– interesting side characters
– and a mystery sprinkled throughout
I had barely started reading this book when we watched the movie adaption from 2000. It was fun to compare the book and the movie, see which things they changed (like Roberta being a lot older and liking Jim) or left out (saving the baby from the burning barge…understandable 😅).
Each chapter is written to feel like it’s own separate adventure, but they all fall under the big banner of “Life While Wondering Why Father Had To Leave”. One one hand, I enjoyed this, but it also definitely drove home the “chapter book” feeling (sort of like Ramona or the Boxcar children. Ooh! I should do reviews on those! 😁). It’s a kids’ book that feels like a kids’ book, so if that’s what you’re looking for, it’s a fun one!
I think Peter was my favorite of the children. And I enjoyed their conversations of what they’d want their future spouses to be like 😂
Marissa Adams Books 