Peppermints in the Parlor

When I first saw the cover of this book I thought it would be one of those trashy, dull mysteries (Who stole the peppermint candy from the christmas feast?!?) then I saw the sequal, with it's pretty, intresting cover, and began to reconsider buying the first one (if only so I could understand the sequal). I started to read it and was amazed. It has an amazing plot, and is definatly one of the best books I have ever read, and I've read a lot of books. It is completely Dickensian without the slow-moving plot, and hard to understand language that most children find boring and discouraging. It is a wonderful Victorian Melodrama! I LOVE THIS BOOK!

"Peppermints in the Parlor" is one of those books you never forget. The characters creep into your heart, curl up there, and won't leave. Emily, the little girl who finds herself in frightening and inexplicable distress at the beginning of the book, has become more like a real little girl to me each time I've read the book. In fact, she becomes more like ME every time I read her story. Last summer some people in Alexandria, Virginia, produced the novel as a musical and I realized after seeing the characters on the stage that the book is so vivid it really needs no dramatization (although the musical version was a lot of fun and I liked the songs.) I can hear the characters talking as I read. I have favorite scenes that are fresh every time I read them: an incident regarding a tea bag that never fails to shock me; the day when a kitten arrives at Sugarhill Hall bringing with it tremendous hope for the old people. I feel bad for Emily and the other characters as they struggle with the miseries at the beautiful old house, but I know that things will work out in the end just as I would have them do. I'm looking forward to the audio version.

I have not read this book in a long time and have been searching for it. I think it is an excellent piece of literature that isn't read enough. When I was in 4rth grade my teacher read it to the class. It has been one of my favorite books since! This book brings to my mind the story of A Little Princess! I think that Peppermints in the Parlor is alot like A Little Princess in many different ways. One way they are alike is that both young girls are orphaned(or so they think). Both are treated poorly and still are very polite-like girls. I enjoyed the personalities of the characters as much as the plot which was truly amazing. It is a book that is still read to the students in my old teachers class today because it is something you can learn from and enjoy. Read it, you won't regret it!

Emily's parents have been killed and now she has been left an orphan to live with her aunt and uncle at the cheery old mansion known as Sugar Hill Hall. But when she arrives she discovers the mansion to be dark, eerie, and full of questions. Who and why are the old people sitting silently in the chairs? What has happened to Emily's uncle? What happened to the ballroom? Who can emily trust? And why is there a bowl of peppermints in the parlor that are forbidden to touch?