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Margaret Thursday #2
Far to Go
Margaret Thursday becomes a famous actress and the evil Matron, the woman who runs the orphanage where Margaret once lived, vows to punish her for running away
161 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1976
About the author
Noel Streatfeild
165 books623 followersMary Noel Streatfeild, known as Noel Streatfeild, was an author best known and loved for her children's books, including Ballet Shoes and Circus Shoes. She also wrote romances under the pseudonym
Susan Scarlett
.
She was born on Christmas Eve, 1895, the daughter of William Champion Streatfeild and Janet Venn and the second of six children to be born to the couple. Sister Ruth was the oldest, after Noel came Barbara, William ('Bill'), Joyce (who died of TB prior to her second birthday) and Richenda. Ruth and Noel attended Hastings and St. Leonard's Ladies' College in 1910. As an adult, she began theater work, and spent approximately 10 years in the theater.
During the Great War, in 1915 Noel worked first as a volunteer in a soldier's hospital kitchen near Eastbourne Vicarage and later produced two plays with her sister Ruth. When things took a turn for the worse on the Front in 1916 she moved to London and obtained a job making munitions in Woolwich Arsenal. At the end of the war in January 1919, Noel enrolled at the Academy of Dramatic Art (later Royal Academy) in London.
In 1930, she began writing her first adult novel, The Whicharts, published in 1931. In June 1932, she was elected to membership of PEN. Early in 1936, Mabel Carey, children's editor of J. M. Dent and Sons, asks Noel to write a children's story about the theatre, which led to Noel completing Ballet Shoes in mid-1936. In 28 September 1936, when Ballet Shoes was published, it became an immediate best seller.
According to Angela Bull, Ballet Shoes was a reworked version of The Whicharts. Elder sister Ruth Gervis illustrated the book, which was published on the 28th September, 1936. At the time, the plot and general 'attitude' of the book was highly original, and destined to provide an outline for countless other ballet books down the years until this day. The first known book to be set at a stage school, the first ballet story to be set in London, the first to feature upper middle class society, the first to show the limits of amateurism and possibly the first to show children as self-reliant, able to survive without running to grownups when things went wrong.
In 1937, Noel traveled with Bertram Mills Circus to research The Circus is Coming (also known as Circus Shoes). She won the Carnegie gold medal in February 1939 for this book. In 1940, World War II began, and Noel began war-related work from 1940-1945. During this time, she wrote four adult novels, five children's books, nine romances, and innumerable articles and short stories. On May 10th, 1941, her flat was destroyed by a bomb. Shortly after WWII is over, in 1947, Noel traveled to America to research film studios for her book The Painted Garden. In 1949, she began delivering lectures on children's books. Between 1949 and 1953, her plays, The Bell Family radio serials played on the Children's Hour and were frequently voted top play of the year.
Early in 1960s, she decided to stop writing adult novels, but did write some autobiographical novels, such as A Vicarage Family in 1963. She also had written 12 romance novels under the pen name "Susan Scarlett." Her children's books number at least 58 titles. From July to December 1979, she suffered a series of small strokes and moved into a nursing home. In 1983, she received the honor Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE). On 11 September 1986, she passed away in a nursing home.
She was born on Christmas Eve, 1895, the daughter of William Champion Streatfeild and Janet Venn and the second of six children to be born to the couple. Sister Ruth was the oldest, after Noel came Barbara, William ('Bill'), Joyce (who died of TB prior to her second birthday) and Richenda. Ruth and Noel attended Hastings and St. Leonard's Ladies' College in 1910. As an adult, she began theater work, and spent approximately 10 years in the theater.
During the Great War, in 1915 Noel worked first as a volunteer in a soldier's hospital kitchen near Eastbourne Vicarage and later produced two plays with her sister Ruth. When things took a turn for the worse on the Front in 1916 she moved to London and obtained a job making munitions in Woolwich Arsenal. At the end of the war in January 1919, Noel enrolled at the Academy of Dramatic Art (later Royal Academy) in London.
In 1930, she began writing her first adult novel, The Whicharts, published in 1931. In June 1932, she was elected to membership of PEN. Early in 1936, Mabel Carey, children's editor of J. M. Dent and Sons, asks Noel to write a children's story about the theatre, which led to Noel completing Ballet Shoes in mid-1936. In 28 September 1936, when Ballet Shoes was published, it became an immediate best seller.
According to Angela Bull, Ballet Shoes was a reworked version of The Whicharts. Elder sister Ruth Gervis illustrated the book, which was published on the 28th September, 1936. At the time, the plot and general 'attitude' of the book was highly original, and destined to provide an outline for countless other ballet books down the years until this day. The first known book to be set at a stage school, the first ballet story to be set in London, the first to feature upper middle class society, the first to show the limits of amateurism and possibly the first to show children as self-reliant, able to survive without running to grownups when things went wrong.
In 1937, Noel traveled with Bertram Mills Circus to research The Circus is Coming (also known as Circus Shoes). She won the Carnegie gold medal in February 1939 for this book. In 1940, World War II began, and Noel began war-related work from 1940-1945. During this time, she wrote four adult novels, five children's books, nine romances, and innumerable articles and short stories. On May 10th, 1941, her flat was destroyed by a bomb. Shortly after WWII is over, in 1947, Noel traveled to America to research film studios for her book The Painted Garden. In 1949, she began delivering lectures on children's books. Between 1949 and 1953, her plays, The Bell Family radio serials played on the Children's Hour and were frequently voted top play of the year.
Early in 1960s, she decided to stop writing adult novels, but did write some autobiographical novels, such as A Vicarage Family in 1963. She also had written 12 romance novels under the pen name "Susan Scarlett." Her children's books number at least 58 titles. From July to December 1979, she suffered a series of small strokes and moved into a nursing home. In 1983, she received the honor Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE). On 11 September 1986, she passed away in a nursing home.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews
March 1, 2022
Margaret Thursday's story continues in this sequel to Thursday's Child. Margaret is as engaging as ever in this second book and acting in a play in London. Things are really falling into place as she is able to share a governess and has some pretty nice digs to stay in with her chaperone, Sarah. Then there are rumors of the Matron lurking about. Will Margaret be safe, or will that nasty Matron get her revenge? I do love the glimpses into early 20th century theater in Noel Streatfeild's books. The new covers on these classics invite a new generation to jump right in.
Thank you to HarperCollins and Edelweiss+ for a DRC in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you to HarperCollins and Edelweiss+ for a DRC in exchange for an honest review.
March 3, 2026
1 star ⭐️ Secular/Classic - Middle-Grade - Historical
Trigger warning: probably not a good series for adoptees, those who were/are in foster care, and/or lived an in orphanage.
Oh boy. I wanted to like this one, but I’m honestly not sure what the point of it was! The first book “Thursday’s Child” ended very abruptly like the author had to submit an unfinished book on a deadline and then this one picks up shortly after to continue the story. Which really didn't need to be continued. Margaret is now an actress and starts at a new theatre, but the evil matron hears about her success and is after Margaret. I’m honestly not sure what in the world the author was thinking with this book—there was no lessons as Margaret is still her stubborn self, and there was barely any joy in the story and then that’s taken away because of the evil matron.
Perhaps some readers wouldn’t be bothered by these elements and would still enjoy Margaret’s adventures, but I found it very disappointing and honestly concerning. I could see this causing nightmares and anxiety for those who have lived through abuse (especially if in an orphanage setting) and fearing their abuser will come back to get and harm them. There’s no justice at the end of the book regarding the evil matron and it feels like Margaret went through more abuse just for the sake of the story and I did not like it at all. (I know that can unfortunately be life and reality, but in a middle-grade fictional book, I want to see justice prevail.)
As an additional note: obviously adoption was treated much more relaxed with way less paperwork in this early 1900s time-period than present day, but it’s said that Margaret was “adopted” by two old ladies, but because they “got old” and the money stopped coming to care for Margaret, she was sent to an orphanage. This could be distressing for adoptees fearing they will be sent away if something changes in their family.
Main Content-
Christian-
Two beds have texts of “God is Love” and “Thou, God, see’st me” written above them.
A new side character is the daughter of a vicar and she takes her charge and Margaret to church on Christmas morning.
Mentions of a parson/rector and a High Priest (in a play); A few mentions of God & thanking Him in your prayers; A mention of praying to God for something to never happen; A mention of a man praying to hear the answer from a person that he wants to hear (but no mention of Whom he is praying towards); A mention of a christening; A mention of a story being the “Bible truth” because a trustworthy source telling it; A mention of an orphanage for children of a Christian background.
Spiritual-
A woman is called a “witch” and a side character warns Margaret what people say about witches is that they “never die, but once they’ve ‘ad you in their clutches they come back!”; Margaret shudders and thinks that the matron at the orphanage was a witch; Others describe a woman as looking “like a witch” and that scares another woman to think about; Margaret recalls what the other character said about witches and wonders if the matron is one because of behaving like one, but hopes there aren’t witches and tells another child that there are no such things as witches and the woman is “just a wicked old woman”; When a woman suddenly disappears, a rumor goes around that she vanished on a broomstick.
A woman comments on there being a “lot of evil people in the world” and how you can never be too careful.
Margaret recalls the rector visiting a mad woman and him saying that he “doesn’t do any good, but” wants her to “feel she has a friend”.
Mentions of a character in ‘The Tempest’ being a spirit; Mentions of luck & being lucky.
Language + Attitude-
Margaret and others call the matron and others a “beast” a few times.
Margaret blushes when caught in a lie, but she thinks of it as “exaggerated to make a better story”; Margaret avoids embellishing a story because she thinks the woman she is telling it to would notice it; Margaret lies to a woman about food to help feed a mistreated child.
Due to education laws, children have to receive permission from a magistrate to be able to work and one child actress lies a multiple times to officials to get around the rules (including telling her siblings to lie to cover for her); This child lies to another adult, but it ends up helping others and everything works out.
A teacher who had an “extremely honest” father (who was a parson) wouldn’t eat anything that was not honestly come by, so the woman and her sisters had been skilled in “explaining the unexplainable”.
Margaret can be quite stubborn (sometimes to the point of cutting off her nose to spite her face), rude to adults, lashes out in anger, and talks back to authority figures (this was more obvious to me with the audiobook than reading the actual book); Margaret gives the cold shoulder to a woman when upset with her, but shortly after feels ashamed of herself because of the sacrifices the woman has done for Margaret and while she doesn’t actually apologize, she tells the woman she loves her and how she doesn’t want to be “a beast” like she just was, so if she is, to please scold her because she has a “difficult nature”; Later, Margaret is upset at her again and while the woman thinks Margaret came to apologize, she actually came to explain her thought on what caused her thoughts to be different (and thus come across as demanding).
Margaret enjoys hearing praise and wants to make her name famous; When Margaret says she’ll look beautiful in a dress for the play, the woman taking care of her doesn’t hold to that kind of talk and says “pride comes before a fall…beauty is as beauty does” (but Margaret doesn’t care because she thinks if she knew who she was (family-heritage wise) it’s the kind of dress she would wear); Margaret says that if she starts to think about having a real home she’ll go backwards and still has a long way to go on making herself famous.
Margaret and an adult woman who has been taking care of her in the theatre group sneak off in the night to audition for another company (Margaret says that she doesn’t think they are doing wrong because the theatre’s owner she was at couldn’t have stopped her, but supposes she can’t leave when she wants to because of signing a paper (the woman says the man wouldn’t call the police on them).
Negative + Dangerous Situations-
Being kidnapped, tied-up and gagged, slapped and smacked on the face, and threatened (up to a couple sentences).
Margaret reads a play where a daughter sees her father in shot and killed in front of her (It’s described as “Then there was a pistol shot and the King fell. The Queen flung herself on him and said he was dead. Anastasia clung to the banister frozen (so the script said) with terror”.)
Margaret is told that the matron is after her, so everyone around Margaret takes precautions for her safety, *Spoilers, but about a kidnapping and abuse*
A woman called “Ma Mud” will take in orphans for a few gold coins, but mistreats them (Margaret says she doesn’t know why anyone would pay for her to look after their child, but one of the children says that “when you don’t want a child you are glad of anybody you can shift them on to”).
A side character says it’s her motto that it’s “better [to] scream than her your throat cut”.
Mentions of events from the prior book (including Margaret and the boys running away from the orphanage due to Margaret believing the police will be after one of them for stealing/borrowing, the awful orphanage with punishments from the matron (such as beatings), & a boy nearly being beaten by a grown man; Mentions of a boy being beaten to the point that he can’t walk; Mentions of a woman mistreating and abusing orphans in her care & the rumor that she feeds the children “dead cats and rats”; Mentions of a kidnapping; Mentions of “mad” (insane) women; Mentions of gossip & rumors; Mentions of adults drinking & alcohol; A few mentions of hatred; A few mentions of Margaret’s hair being dyed with peroxide; A couple mentions of deaths; A couple mentions of a play featuring a murder; A couple mentions of children working in sweat shops.
Time-period notes-
(Some things that worked for the time period this book was written in, but might raise eyebrows now)
“gay” (happy) is used twice.
Margaret says she was adopted by two old ladies, but because they “got old” and the money stopped coming to care for Margaret, she was sent to an orphanage.
A woman is described to be “so short she was almost a dwarf”.
A character in ‘The Tempest’ is described as being “a spirit, neither child nor adult, neither boy nor girl”.
Trigger warning: probably not a good series for adoptees, those who were/are in foster care, and/or lived an in orphanage.
Oh boy. I wanted to like this one, but I’m honestly not sure what the point of it was! The first book “Thursday’s Child” ended very abruptly like the author had to submit an unfinished book on a deadline and then this one picks up shortly after to continue the story. Which really didn't need to be continued. Margaret is now an actress and starts at a new theatre, but the evil matron hears about her success and is after Margaret. I’m honestly not sure what in the world the author was thinking with this book—there was no lessons as Margaret is still her stubborn self, and there was barely any joy in the story and then that’s taken away because of the evil matron.
Perhaps some readers wouldn’t be bothered by these elements and would still enjoy Margaret’s adventures, but I found it very disappointing and honestly concerning. I could see this causing nightmares and anxiety for those who have lived through abuse (especially if in an orphanage setting) and fearing their abuser will come back to get and harm them. There’s no justice at the end of the book regarding the evil matron and it feels like Margaret went through more abuse just for the sake of the story and I did not like it at all. (I know that can unfortunately be life and reality, but in a middle-grade fictional book, I want to see justice prevail.)
As an additional note: obviously adoption was treated much more relaxed with way less paperwork in this early 1900s time-period than present day, but it’s said that Margaret was “adopted” by two old ladies, but because they “got old” and the money stopped coming to care for Margaret, she was sent to an orphanage. This could be distressing for adoptees fearing they will be sent away if something changes in their family.
Main Content-
Christian-
Two beds have texts of “God is Love” and “Thou, God, see’st me” written above them.
A new side character is the daughter of a vicar and she takes her charge and Margaret to church on Christmas morning.
Mentions of a parson/rector and a High Priest (in a play); A few mentions of God & thanking Him in your prayers; A mention of praying to God for something to never happen; A mention of a man praying to hear the answer from a person that he wants to hear (but no mention of Whom he is praying towards); A mention of a christening; A mention of a story being the “Bible truth” because a trustworthy source telling it; A mention of an orphanage for children of a Christian background.
Spiritual-
A woman is called a “witch” and a side character warns Margaret what people say about witches is that they “never die, but once they’ve ‘ad you in their clutches they come back!”; Margaret shudders and thinks that the matron at the orphanage was a witch; Others describe a woman as looking “like a witch” and that scares another woman to think about; Margaret recalls what the other character said about witches and wonders if the matron is one because of behaving like one, but hopes there aren’t witches and tells another child that there are no such things as witches and the woman is “just a wicked old woman”; When a woman suddenly disappears, a rumor goes around that she vanished on a broomstick.
A woman comments on there being a “lot of evil people in the world” and how you can never be too careful.
Margaret recalls the rector visiting a mad woman and him saying that he “doesn’t do any good, but” wants her to “feel she has a friend”.
Mentions of a character in ‘The Tempest’ being a spirit; Mentions of luck & being lucky.
Language + Attitude-
Margaret and others call the matron and others a “beast” a few times.
Margaret blushes when caught in a lie, but she thinks of it as “exaggerated to make a better story”; Margaret avoids embellishing a story because she thinks the woman she is telling it to would notice it; Margaret lies to a woman about food to help feed a mistreated child.
Due to education laws, children have to receive permission from a magistrate to be able to work and one child actress lies a multiple times to officials to get around the rules (including telling her siblings to lie to cover for her); This child lies to another adult, but it ends up helping others and everything works out.
A teacher who had an “extremely honest” father (who was a parson) wouldn’t eat anything that was not honestly come by, so the woman and her sisters had been skilled in “explaining the unexplainable”.
Margaret can be quite stubborn (sometimes to the point of cutting off her nose to spite her face), rude to adults, lashes out in anger, and talks back to authority figures (this was more obvious to me with the audiobook than reading the actual book); Margaret gives the cold shoulder to a woman when upset with her, but shortly after feels ashamed of herself because of the sacrifices the woman has done for Margaret and while she doesn’t actually apologize, she tells the woman she loves her and how she doesn’t want to be “a beast” like she just was, so if she is, to please scold her because she has a “difficult nature”; Later, Margaret is upset at her again and while the woman thinks Margaret came to apologize, she actually came to explain her thought on what caused her thoughts to be different (and thus come across as demanding).
Margaret enjoys hearing praise and wants to make her name famous; When Margaret says she’ll look beautiful in a dress for the play, the woman taking care of her doesn’t hold to that kind of talk and says “pride comes before a fall…beauty is as beauty does” (but Margaret doesn’t care because she thinks if she knew who she was (family-heritage wise) it’s the kind of dress she would wear); Margaret says that if she starts to think about having a real home she’ll go backwards and still has a long way to go on making herself famous.
Margaret and an adult woman who has been taking care of her in the theatre group sneak off in the night to audition for another company (Margaret says that she doesn’t think they are doing wrong because the theatre’s owner she was at couldn’t have stopped her, but supposes she can’t leave when she wants to because of signing a paper (the woman says the man wouldn’t call the police on them).
Negative + Dangerous Situations-
Being kidnapped, tied-up and gagged, slapped and smacked on the face, and threatened (up to a couple sentences).
Margaret reads a play where a daughter sees her father in shot and killed in front of her (It’s described as “Then there was a pistol shot and the King fell. The Queen flung herself on him and said he was dead. Anastasia clung to the banister frozen (so the script said) with terror”.)
Margaret is told that the matron is after her, so everyone around Margaret takes precautions for her safety, *Spoilers, but about a kidnapping and abuse*
A woman called “Ma Mud” will take in orphans for a few gold coins, but mistreats them (Margaret says she doesn’t know why anyone would pay for her to look after their child, but one of the children says that “when you don’t want a child you are glad of anybody you can shift them on to”).
A side character says it’s her motto that it’s “better [to] scream than her your throat cut”.
Mentions of events from the prior book (including Margaret and the boys running away from the orphanage due to Margaret believing the police will be after one of them for stealing/borrowing, the awful orphanage with punishments from the matron (such as beatings), & a boy nearly being beaten by a grown man; Mentions of a boy being beaten to the point that he can’t walk; Mentions of a woman mistreating and abusing orphans in her care & the rumor that she feeds the children “dead cats and rats”; Mentions of a kidnapping; Mentions of “mad” (insane) women; Mentions of gossip & rumors; Mentions of adults drinking & alcohol; A few mentions of hatred; A few mentions of Margaret’s hair being dyed with peroxide; A couple mentions of deaths; A couple mentions of a play featuring a murder; A couple mentions of children working in sweat shops.
Time-period notes-
(Some things that worked for the time period this book was written in, but might raise eyebrows now)
“gay” (happy) is used twice.
Margaret says she was adopted by two old ladies, but because they “got old” and the money stopped coming to care for Margaret, she was sent to an orphanage.
A woman is described to be “so short she was almost a dwarf”.
A character in ‘The Tempest’ is described as being “a spirit, neither child nor adult, neither boy nor girl”.
December 13, 2022
After the sparkle of ‘Thursday’s Child,’ this sequel feels surprisingly flat and laborious. Margaret Thursday becomes more tiresome as the novel progresses, the Matron saga is frankly unbelievable and there’s little of the magic or strong character development that propelled its predecessor. Disappointing as Streatfeild isn’t known for resorting to these lengths to entertain.
September 5, 2016
Takes me back to childhood! I wish it was longer, but I loved seeing Margaret Thursday again and getting to see what happens to her after the end of Thursday's Child. Cute and fun. Worthwhile read for fans of Noel Streatfeild.
December 15, 2024
Set at the start of the 20th century, there’s a realistic backdrop to this story with horse-drawn carriages, pea-souper smogs, and a strongly demarcated class system. It's a sequel to 'Thursday's Child' which introduces the intrepid Margaret Thursday, but can be read as a stand-alone.
I often find that Streatfeild’s books end a bit abruptly after the resolution of a dramatic climax, and this is no exception. Indeed, it’s not a long book at all; just over 125 page in paperback, I read it in a little over an hour.
Definitely recommended if you’ve read ‘Thursday’s Child’, or are a fan of Noel Streatfeild. The writing is good and the social history aspect - as well as the insights into the theatre of the era - adds some general interest that might make it appeal to boys as well as girls.
Fluent readers of about eight or nine would be most likely to enjoy this, although it was originally intended for children of about ten to fourteen.
Three and a half stars, really.
Latest longer review here: https://suesbookreviews.blogspot.com/...
I often find that Streatfeild’s books end a bit abruptly after the resolution of a dramatic climax, and this is no exception. Indeed, it’s not a long book at all; just over 125 page in paperback, I read it in a little over an hour.
Definitely recommended if you’ve read ‘Thursday’s Child’, or are a fan of Noel Streatfeild. The writing is good and the social history aspect - as well as the insights into the theatre of the era - adds some general interest that might make it appeal to boys as well as girls.
Fluent readers of about eight or nine would be most likely to enjoy this, although it was originally intended for children of about ten to fourteen.
Three and a half stars, really.
Latest longer review here: https://suesbookreviews.blogspot.com/...
April 29, 2009
Sequel to Thursday's Child, not as awesome but still a must-read for any Streatfeild fan.
May 18, 2008
This is the sequel to Thursday's Child, and I liked it, but it's not as well written.
April 10, 2020
Noel Streatfeild! What a comfort in dark times. Margaret Thursday and then this sequel will cheer you up proper!
March 18, 2024
Far to Go
Noel Streatfeild
Hello Margaret Thursday, my little hero! In this second book, Margaret, who has become famous as an actress is kidnapped by the evil Matron who seeks revenge for her faults. Margaret never gives up and is finally rescued by the people who now love her.
What a great children's story.
5 stars
Happy Reading!
Noel Streatfeild
Hello Margaret Thursday, my little hero! In this second book, Margaret, who has become famous as an actress is kidnapped by the evil Matron who seeks revenge for her faults. Margaret never gives up and is finally rescued by the people who now love her.
What a great children's story.
5 stars
Happy Reading!
February 14, 2022
The sequel to Thursday's Child, Far to Go continues Margaret Thursday's journey to make herself a name and establish herself. I love the older style that this book is written in! I was trying to explain it to my sister, but it usually involves a 3rd person semi-omniscient narrator, a certain phrasing, that I can't explain, and a sort of space for the audience. For me it creates a sense of nostalgia because I read a lot of books written that way growing up! The story is continuing her actress journey as she lands a role at a famous London theatre. Suddenly famous, the news reaches the matron of her old orphanage, who is out to get revenge. Margaret is focused on the play, but she will need to keep her wits about her and enlist the help of friends to keep herself safe.
Margaret is so fun! She is very focused on her career and establishing herself. She is not particularly rambunctious, but she knows her mind and her goals. It is also fun to read about all the new characters! They are all interesting and fun to read about.
Overall, this is a fun read that continues the story. So definitely this is a book where you probably should read the first book! It is a lovely story that I think is suitable for older elementary readers and up, because of some scenes that could be frightening. However, it may differ depending on the person, of course! It is an older style, so be prepared too!
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the publisher through Netgalley. All views expressed are only my honest opinion, a positive review was not required.
Margaret is so fun! She is very focused on her career and establishing herself. She is not particularly rambunctious, but she knows her mind and her goals. It is also fun to read about all the new characters! They are all interesting and fun to read about.
Overall, this is a fun read that continues the story. So definitely this is a book where you probably should read the first book! It is a lovely story that I think is suitable for older elementary readers and up, because of some scenes that could be frightening. However, it may differ depending on the person, of course! It is an older style, so be prepared too!
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the publisher through Netgalley. All views expressed are only my honest opinion, a positive review was not required.
July 27, 2021
At first it was okay, but then it morphed into this weird Oliver Twist meets A Little Princess thing. The wrap was a little too coincidental for me, as if Streatfeild was past her deadline or just tired of writing. At least she didn't turn out to be the daughter of an Earl or something.
July 19, 2018
Margaret is tired of playing with a small theater company, so when the opportunity arises for her to go to an audition in London, she jumps at the chance. Things seem to be going well for Margaret, until the evil Matron from Margaret's old orphanage is seen skulking around the theater, searching for Margaret in order to take her revenge.
I loved this charming book about a young stage actress at the turn of the century. The characters are vivid and interesting, and I enjoyed the engaging plot. There are a few twists and turns in the plot, but most of its charm comes from the sweetness of the characters, and their close ties to the theater.
I especially liked the details of Margaret's clothes and costumes, and how she got her schooling, and the obstacles between her friendships with the various children around the theater. Those things added an interest and reality to the story.
The ending was rushed, and I wish there had been a few more chapters of denouement, but other than that, I enjoyed the story!
I loved this charming book about a young stage actress at the turn of the century. The characters are vivid and interesting, and I enjoyed the engaging plot. There are a few twists and turns in the plot, but most of its charm comes from the sweetness of the characters, and their close ties to the theater.
I especially liked the details of Margaret's clothes and costumes, and how she got her schooling, and the obstacles between her friendships with the various children around the theater. Those things added an interest and reality to the story.
The ending was rushed, and I wish there had been a few more chapters of denouement, but other than that, I enjoyed the story!
January 4, 2016
Another one with a lot of plot, and also a bit of theatre, and I still like Margaret Thursday, but ... it's another one not for the faint-hearted. Life was grim for most children in those days, so if you add in someone with a penchant for cruelty it can become quite hard to read. There is of course a happy ending (and I do wish we knew more about what happened to Margaret, surely she should have turned up at Madame Fidolia's or been an elderly grand-dame during Pauline Fossil's first days on stage?) but we go through the wringer to get there. It's almost trash fiction, but it's Noel Streatfeild, so of course it isn't really.
December 29, 2016
I have always loved Noel Streatfeild's books and as a child I got my library to ILL them for me or hunted through second hand book stores to find all of them. She tells the perfect "girls stories". I was always able to find one character in each book that was my favorite. They definitely stand up to re-reads.
July 14, 2015
I have loved Noel Streatfeild's novel from being young but still have to catch up with one of them. I have just read this one and still really enjoyed it.
March 3, 2022
Streatfeild was a part of my childhood. I particularly enjoyed her Gemma books, which did not get as much play in the U.S. as the “Shoe” books. It’s good to see reissues of these classic works of children’s literature.
That said, they probably are not for every modern child. They are set more than 100 years ago, and sometimes that time and place context can be a challenge for today’s young readers. Likewise, the language in books of that era is often more complex. However, for those children who are willing to tackle those things, these books are wonderful fun, with their plucky heroine and colorful supporting cast. These books are fairly short and the pacing is quick, so they are not a daunting read otherwise.
Margaret lives with loving foster parents, but when the financial support she has received yearly stops coming, they no longer have the means to care for her. Her life in the orphanage is miserable, but she is bright and courageous, and makes her escape. The adventures that come next help her to become stronger—physically and emotionally. She finds good people. She also finds not-so-good ones. The first book resolves tidily, but wait…there’s more!
The second book focuses on Margaret’s work in a London theatre company. I find her desertion of the theatre troupe from the previous book to be a bit abrupt. Margaret finds a large “family” in the theatre. Her intelligence and flair for the dramatic serve her well. But her adventures are not yet over, simply because she’s found stability! No, a baddie from her past is on her trail.
Possible Objectionable Material:
Lying, running away, deception, perilous situations.
Who Might Like These Books:
Those who like books set in the past, plucky heroines, and adventurous stories. Definitely appropriate for the suggested age range, given the caveats I mention above.
Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for providing ARCs in exchange for my opinion. It was fun to revisit these stories!
These books also reviewed at https://biblioquacious.blogspot.com/2...
That said, they probably are not for every modern child. They are set more than 100 years ago, and sometimes that time and place context can be a challenge for today’s young readers. Likewise, the language in books of that era is often more complex. However, for those children who are willing to tackle those things, these books are wonderful fun, with their plucky heroine and colorful supporting cast. These books are fairly short and the pacing is quick, so they are not a daunting read otherwise.
Margaret lives with loving foster parents, but when the financial support she has received yearly stops coming, they no longer have the means to care for her. Her life in the orphanage is miserable, but she is bright and courageous, and makes her escape. The adventures that come next help her to become stronger—physically and emotionally. She finds good people. She also finds not-so-good ones. The first book resolves tidily, but wait…there’s more!
The second book focuses on Margaret’s work in a London theatre company. I find her desertion of the theatre troupe from the previous book to be a bit abrupt. Margaret finds a large “family” in the theatre. Her intelligence and flair for the dramatic serve her well. But her adventures are not yet over, simply because she’s found stability! No, a baddie from her past is on her trail.
Possible Objectionable Material:
Lying, running away, deception, perilous situations.
Who Might Like These Books:
Those who like books set in the past, plucky heroines, and adventurous stories. Definitely appropriate for the suggested age range, given the caveats I mention above.
Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for providing ARCs in exchange for my opinion. It was fun to revisit these stories!
These books also reviewed at https://biblioquacious.blogspot.com/2...
March 24, 2022
I received a digital copy of the reprint of Far To Go by Noel Streatfeild originally published in 1976 and re-released 3/8/22 in exchange for an honest review.
Set in London and the surrounding area this is a historical older elementary school age style book. I had not read anything by this author but it reminded me somewhat of Stuart Little in that it is a fantastical series of adventures that do not shy away from large vocabulary words.
I requested this book primarily because You’ve Got Mail is one of my favorite movies - unsurprising for a bookworm I know and when I saw this book on netgalley I was immediately transported to the scene where Meg Ryans character visits the big box book store that put her shop out of business and a customer asks for The Shoe Books and the employee has no idea and she has to spell the authors name while trying not to cry.
I’m a boy mom to to 5 and 8 year olds. I do not think the 5 year old would have the attention span for this and while the cover is pink and our main character is a girl the adventure of it makes it accessible to boys though there is some talk about being proud to own underthings that have lace on them because it means they’re of high quality and I can see mine thinking that weird and lame but we’re I to read it aloud I would just skip over that part. Obviously this book has stood the test of time. I hope everyone that reads it googles jellied eels half way through like I had to. 5/5
Set in London and the surrounding area this is a historical older elementary school age style book. I had not read anything by this author but it reminded me somewhat of Stuart Little in that it is a fantastical series of adventures that do not shy away from large vocabulary words.
I requested this book primarily because You’ve Got Mail is one of my favorite movies - unsurprising for a bookworm I know and when I saw this book on netgalley I was immediately transported to the scene where Meg Ryans character visits the big box book store that put her shop out of business and a customer asks for The Shoe Books and the employee has no idea and she has to spell the authors name while trying not to cry.
I’m a boy mom to to 5 and 8 year olds. I do not think the 5 year old would have the attention span for this and while the cover is pink and our main character is a girl the adventure of it makes it accessible to boys though there is some talk about being proud to own underthings that have lace on them because it means they’re of high quality and I can see mine thinking that weird and lame but we’re I to read it aloud I would just skip over that part. Obviously this book has stood the test of time. I hope everyone that reads it googles jellied eels half way through like I had to. 5/5
February 9, 2022
A Victorian street & stage adventure starring a daring young girl with (as the title suggests) far to go.
Despite being a sequel to another Noel Streatfeild book, "Far to Go" makes for a great stand-alone novel about Margaret Thursday, a young girl who flees an acting troupe to join a professional theatre in London. Orphaned and armed with a charming story about having been found in a basket filled with the best baby supplies, Margaret is ready to tackle any obstacle if it gets her on stage.
I think I would have loved this plot as a kid, even if it seems a little old fashioned and a tad contrived. The antagonist hasn't got much of a motive to sabotage Margaret, nor do we get to see much of Margaret with the large and entertaining cast of characters. Streatfeild's prose and voice are the real key to this book's charm. They're what brings Victorian London--with its lovely facets and life-threatening danger--to life in just a few pages.
Recommended for anyone who likes that slightly retro charm of mid-20th century British literature in the vein of Enid Blyton and Joan Aiken, only with the overall lighter tones and happy ending that suits Frances Hodgson Burnett.
Thank you to Harper 360 and Netgalley for giving me an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Despite being a sequel to another Noel Streatfeild book, "Far to Go" makes for a great stand-alone novel about Margaret Thursday, a young girl who flees an acting troupe to join a professional theatre in London. Orphaned and armed with a charming story about having been found in a basket filled with the best baby supplies, Margaret is ready to tackle any obstacle if it gets her on stage.
I think I would have loved this plot as a kid, even if it seems a little old fashioned and a tad contrived. The antagonist hasn't got much of a motive to sabotage Margaret, nor do we get to see much of Margaret with the large and entertaining cast of characters. Streatfeild's prose and voice are the real key to this book's charm. They're what brings Victorian London--with its lovely facets and life-threatening danger--to life in just a few pages.
Recommended for anyone who likes that slightly retro charm of mid-20th century British literature in the vein of Enid Blyton and Joan Aiken, only with the overall lighter tones and happy ending that suits Frances Hodgson Burnett.
Thank you to Harper 360 and Netgalley for giving me an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
January 27, 2022
First, I love this cover of the book. Minor suggestion but maybe upload this cover page to GoodReads. I believe GoodReads has an older edition of the cover. This one seems more appealing.
I gave this book three stars. Main reason is that since this is a children's book, it seemed to be a lot of depth to it. On Amazon, it says the age range is 9 to 12 years. Issues were brought up such as child abuse (the children in the orphanage being abused) and kidnapping. It could be trigger warnings for some adults.
I also had a hard time understanding a few things that Lizzie said. I understand that she had limited schooling but I had to reread sentences twice to comprehend what she said.
Overall, I enjoyed the character build up. As you can see, I favored some characters over another. My favorites were Margaret, Katie and Sarah.
If a child is doing a book report on this book, perhaps have them take notes on all the characters (you will learn about the characters, as you continue to read it). Also, discuss any questions they have about the book.
Thank you for the opportunity to read this on NetGalley.
I gave this book three stars. Main reason is that since this is a children's book, it seemed to be a lot of depth to it. On Amazon, it says the age range is 9 to 12 years. Issues were brought up such as child abuse (the children in the orphanage being abused) and kidnapping. It could be trigger warnings for some adults.
I also had a hard time understanding a few things that Lizzie said. I understand that she had limited schooling but I had to reread sentences twice to comprehend what she said.
Overall, I enjoyed the character build up. As you can see, I favored some characters over another. My favorites were Margaret, Katie and Sarah.
If a child is doing a book report on this book, perhaps have them take notes on all the characters (you will learn about the characters, as you continue to read it). Also, discuss any questions they have about the book.
Thank you for the opportunity to read this on NetGalley.
February 4, 2022
The Margaret Thursday books are a lesser-known series by Noel Streatfeild. More popularly known by many will be his Shoes series which include Ballet Shoes and Theater Shoes.
Far to Go is the sequel to Thursday's Child and continues Margaret Thursday's journey as an actress at the turn of the century. Margaret continues to make a name for herself, although this is a new release of an old classic, I will refrain from spoilers.
Streatfeild gives us vivid and exciting characters with an engaging plot. There is charm and little twists and turns that keep the reader turning the page. The attention to detail and focus on characters adds to the interest. When I am left, as a reader, wanting more chapters and more story, although I am a bit sad in the end, it is the way I like a story to be left.
For any fans of Streatfeild, this series is a must-read and this new edition does not disappoint. BUT read the first in the series first!
Thank you @netgalley and @harper360 for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.
4/5 ⭐️
Far to Go is the sequel to Thursday's Child and continues Margaret Thursday's journey as an actress at the turn of the century. Margaret continues to make a name for herself, although this is a new release of an old classic, I will refrain from spoilers.
Streatfeild gives us vivid and exciting characters with an engaging plot. There is charm and little twists and turns that keep the reader turning the page. The attention to detail and focus on characters adds to the interest. When I am left, as a reader, wanting more chapters and more story, although I am a bit sad in the end, it is the way I like a story to be left.
For any fans of Streatfeild, this series is a must-read and this new edition does not disappoint. BUT read the first in the series first!
Thank you @netgalley and @harper360 for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.
4/5 ⭐️
March 29, 2022
In this continuation of Thursday's Child by Noel Streatfield, Margaret Thursday pursues her dream of stardom, landing a part in a well-known London theater. Unfortunately, word travels quickly and she soon finds herself being followed by an old enemy. Will Margret and her friends be able to outwit Matron before it's too late? Or will Margaret's dreams be taken away from her?
I was thrilled to see this book being published after reviewing the first title in the series. Streatfield has a wonderful talent for writing well-paced novels. The characters are believable and endearing. The story is filled with adventure and twists. The plot is clean while still being engaging. I just love the style of this author. In a market saturated with ill-formed characters and low morals, Streatfield's writing stands above and beyond. I wouldn't hesitate to share this one with any of my kids from ages 9 to early teens. This will be a title that we'll enjoy again and again.
*Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book for review. All opinions are my own.
I was thrilled to see this book being published after reviewing the first title in the series. Streatfield has a wonderful talent for writing well-paced novels. The characters are believable and endearing. The story is filled with adventure and twists. The plot is clean while still being engaging. I just love the style of this author. In a market saturated with ill-formed characters and low morals, Streatfield's writing stands above and beyond. I wouldn't hesitate to share this one with any of my kids from ages 9 to early teens. This will be a title that we'll enjoy again and again.
*Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book for review. All opinions are my own.
June 26, 2024
An enjoyable sequel to Thursday's Child. I wonder if one day anyone will produce a collected edition of the complete novels of Noel Streatfeild (or of any prominent twentieth century children's writer) or if the days of large collected sets are long past – unsaleable and unprofitable in this day and age when new books are so expensive and many people don't read or prefer to read on their electronic devices. But Streatfeild's books do feel like they would be worthy of being reprinted in full, being of such a consistently good standard. From a literary standard they are not deep or complicated and don't always feel quite grammatical, but she just managed to create engaging plots and strong characters, and while the plots are often just variations on a theme, you never grow tired of them. And in this particular instance there were aspects of the book which are quite different (darker) than any of her other books which I have read.
February 16, 2022
I really enjoyed the first one in this series and was really looking forward to this one - thankfully, it lived up to my expectations.
When we last left Margaret Thursday, she was playing in a little tent theater and enjoying life. Enter Sarah, the costume mistress, who believes that Margaret is destined for bigger things and off they go to London, where Margaret earns a part in a big play. Friendships are made, adventures are had and an old adversary makes themselves known, looking for revenge. All in all, an utterly delightful story. It was a wonderful way to spend an afternoon [IF you are able, get the audiobook for this and the first book - the narrator is just lovely and really adds to the story].
Thank you to NetGalley, Noel Streatfeild, and Harper 360/HarperCollins Childrens Books for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
When we last left Margaret Thursday, she was playing in a little tent theater and enjoying life. Enter Sarah, the costume mistress, who believes that Margaret is destined for bigger things and off they go to London, where Margaret earns a part in a big play. Friendships are made, adventures are had and an old adversary makes themselves known, looking for revenge. All in all, an utterly delightful story. It was a wonderful way to spend an afternoon [IF you are able, get the audiobook for this and the first book - the narrator is just lovely and really adds to the story].
Thank you to NetGalley, Noel Streatfeild, and Harper 360/HarperCollins Childrens Books for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
April 10, 2026
This book was less nice. Margert kind of bragged a lot and didn't accept help much, even though you really need it when you have an evil matron on the hunt for you. The plot was pretty nice, and the kidnapping added a whole twist to the story. But this book was kind of boring compared to the first one, because nothing exciting really happened at all, except when Matron kidnapped Margret. I don't know, it just didn't keep me hooked.
April 2, 2025
This second book of Margaret Thursday was not as interesting as the first. It seemed like not a lot happened compared to the first book. It wasn’t really until the last hour that it captured my attention. Overall, I would say you could skip reading the second book and just be content with the first, “Thursdays Child”.
October 23, 2021
It simply did not have the same feel as the first book, it was a little too simplified and a little bit too unrealistic, especially at the end. Still an enjoyable read but the first one is much better.
June 20, 2022
This one seemed a bit short (it's half the length of Thursday's Child and perfunctory, but I enjoyed what there was. If it had been longer, perhaps the mystery of Margaret's origin might have been dealt with.
February 25, 2025
It’s a thing, when you realise the author of a beloved children’s book wrote other ones using very similar themes before they wrote the one. I’ve had it with Frances Hodgson-Burnett, and here we have a very similar orphans on stage vibe to Ballet Shoes. But it doesn’t have the spark.
March 19, 2025
A fun short sequel to Thursday's Child in which the intrepid Margaret embarks on her career on the London stage. Enjoyed the historical theatre details. But life isn't always smooth sailing for our heroine and she is forced to confront a nemesis from her past.
September 19, 2025
Half as long and half as good as Thursday's Child.
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