Philomena

My daughters enjoyed having me read this book aloud to them. It is a wholesome page turner for early elementary age, e.g., 6-9 year olds. Following Philomena on her adventures in the big city is interesting and suspenseful. Her relationship with her deceased grandmother is particularly poignant and instructive. Reading it can lead to geography questions--"Where is Prague?"-- which provide an opportunity for learning about the world beyond the United States. Highly recommended.

We discovered this little gem after falling in love with two of the author's other books: The Good Master and The Singing Tree. I was thrilled to recently discover that Bethlehem Books is bringing this back into print. The story begins in a small village near Prague in the early 1900s. In this village, young girls leave home and work as servants in the big city during their early teen years; returning home at the age of sixteen, with experience in all manner of household service and ready to start their own families. Philomena is an orphaned young girl who was raised by her "Babushka". When the gentle old lady dies, she travels to Prague to seek employment in her aunt's household with complete confidence in her Babushka's guidance from Heaven - which comes through in humorous ways (that generally require a LOT of patience). Her adventures and the journey to find her missing aunt make for a lovely and entertaining story for all ages. A story of simplicity and trust, the writing is lovely and engaging, and is greatly enhanced by the author's vibrant, spirited illustrations.

We discovered this little gem after falling in love with two of the author's other books: The Good Master and The Singing Tree. I was thrilled to recently discover that Bethlehem Books is bringing this back into print. The story begins in a small village near Prague in the early 1900s. In this village, young girls leave home and work as servants in the big city during their early teen years; returning home at the age of sixteen, with experience in all manner of household service and ready to start their own families. Philomena is an orphaned young girl who was raised by her "Babushka". When the gentle old lady dies, she travels to Prague to seek employment in her aunt's household with complete confidence in her Babushka's guidance from Heaven - which comes through in humorous ways (that generally require a LOT of patience). Her adventures and the journey to find her missing aunt make for a lovely and entertaining story for all ages. A story of simplicity and trust, the writing is lovely and engaging, and is greatly enhanced by the author's vibrant, spirited illustrations.

My mother found a copy of this book at a library book sale and after growing up with The Good Master, The Singing Tree and The White Stag, this is another wonderful Kate Seredy book! It's all about a young girl in Poland that must leave her village and go to the big city to earn money for her family. She relies completely on the spirit of her grandmother to lead her to make the right decisions, some of which are very unusual but lead to the right ending for the book. If you can find it, it's another great Seredy to add to your collection.