Little Mother Meg

The Woolcots #3

by Ethel Turner

Little Mother Meg describes Meg becoming a mother and raising her own children and Peter(the General) and Essie(baby Esther)go on adventure when they explore their neighbours' garden through a hole in the fence.

Genres: Classics, Fiction, Childrens, Australia, Historical Fiction, Family

194 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1902

About the author

Born in England in 1870, Ethel Turner came to Australia with her mother and sisters when she was 10 years old. She showed a great love of literature while at school and in her late teens launched a literary and social magazine in Sydney with her sister Lilian Turner. Ethel kept diaries for a remarkable 62 years, recording the details of her full and eventful life. In January 1893 she recorded in her diary, "Night started a new story that I shall call Seven Little Australians." Later that year, she finished the book, parcelled it up and sent it off to a publisher in Melbourne. Since then the book has sold over 2 million copies in the English language and has been reprinted over 50 times. It has been translated into at least 11 languages, performed as a stage play, and been made into a film, a BBC television series in 1953, and a 10-episode television series for the ABC in 1973. Ethel Turner went on to write over 40 books in her lifetime, including children's stories, short stories and poems, many of which appeared in the Town and Country journal and in the Sun Herald newspaper. Seven Little Australians has been read and loved by children all over the world, and it has been continuously in print for over 100 years. Ethel Turner died in 1958, leaving as her memorial a book that is now regarded as a classic in children's literature. Her granddaughter Philippa Poole has published a book about her grandmother entitled The Diaries of Ethel Turner.

Reviews

[Nadia King · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book published in 1902. Turner gives us suspense, tragedy, romance and comedy in this story of Meg the oldest of the Seven Little Australians. I was really impressed and have ordered Turner's diaries.

[Kit · Rating 5 out of 5]

I could read about the seven little Australians again and again and never get tired of hearing of the things they do. I only wish that Ethel Turner had written sequels enough to finish up the stories of all the children, right down to Meg's little boy.

I'm glad I had the chance to read this book.

Favourite bits:

Bunty and Poppet are still very close and have grown up to be good friends and helpmates to each other.

Nellie has learned sense, to a degree, and gained and continues to gain wisdom and dignity.

Meg and the others realise what a big sacrifice it was for Esther to give up her happy life to come and try to be a mother to such an unruly mob of children.

A little bit of reflection about Judy, her story still has the power to make me cry. Little Judy! She should have been happy and running about, growing up in her energetic and passionate way. I still grieve for her and cannot agree with Esther's words.

So in conclusion, I hope you are able to find a copy and read this for yourself, perhaps it will be put on Gutenberg?

The only thing to complain about us that I was left wanting for more, but truly, would I ever be satisfied with any amount of stories about my seven little Australians?

[Marianne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Little Mother Meg is the third of the Woolcot Family series by Australian novelist Ethel Turner. It is set three years after The Family at Misrule, so Meg is now 24 and married to Dr. Alan Courtney, with a baby son. There has been a complete reversal of this small family’s fortunes, due to a mining failure and serious eye trouble, and they now live in a house/surgery near Misrule, struggling to make ends meet. The vehicle of choice for the Woolcots becomes a bicycle, so that by the end of the book, Pip, Nell, Bunty (John), Poppet, Peter and Essie all have one. New neighbours with unusual customs, Islander servants and a tragic secret buy the house next door and Poppet, Peter and Essie are fascinated by glimpses of children not allowed to play with them. Nell fancies herself in love with a man Bunty describes as a bounder, but retains her dignity in the face of disrespect and heartbreak. The younger children still get up to mischief; Esther still has trouble enforcing discipline; the older children are maturing and making wiser decisions. The now-promoted Major Woolcot is mostly absent from this tale. The November heatwave that sends the frailer members of the family over the mountains is told about mostly in the form of letters. Peter is now old enough to realise his debt to Judy in some tender moments at her grave. This has much of the magic and humour of the first book.

[Sam · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was always my least favourite of the stories about the Woolcots, simply because a coming of age story is less interesting when it's more about young adults being foolish (Pip) than about childhood 'scrapes'. Having said that, I still read it with nostalgic delight.

[Charise · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had a tear (or two) in my eye when Judy was remembered!
Such a good book, such a good series, and so much of Australia is captured without being forced down the throat. Love, love, love.

[joy · Rating 4 out of 5]

wasn't as good as the first one but still recommend

[Eden · Rating 3 out of 5]

I find this last book a bit less interesting than the rest of the series, I guess it's because they're older now and I like books better when the characters are more my age. Still a great read, though!

[Hanna Svensson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jag minns faktiskt inte denna bok. Men jag tror att jag måste läst den också. Det kanske var så att den inte fanns på Motala bibliotek. Den första i serien, sju syskon minns jag ju bestämt. Nu blir jag osäker även på andra delen.

Hursomhelst, gillar denna också. En del saker som väl kan ses som tidsenliga men som inte är ok i nutid. Jag tänker på andra folkslag, men även på sexism. Men samtidigt så får alla vara mänskliga med fel och brister. Man lär verkligen känna dem, för det är rätt många detaljer. Synd att det inte finns fler delar (vad jag vet).

Denna bok hade en annan översättare, undrar om det påverkat. Inget man annars tänkte på.

Mycket bra!

[Laura Walin · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book continued the series of two previous works, and was indeed a stedy continuum for them. Again there were some great sorrows and fears, some romance, and growing wisdom of the seven as they grow up. Nothing spectacular but still a very easy reading giving a nice glimpse into the life back then. I missed the witty language of the previous two books as I had to read this one in Swedish, the only language in which the book was available in the library.

[Lady Clementina ffinch-ffarowmore · Rating 4 out of 5]

The third instalment of the Woolcots’ adventures finds Meg married with a little baby while the others have grown up some more. Meg has to face a reversal of fortunes which she does both bravely and cheerfully while Misrule has new neighbours- a family with children but they have a secret! Once again an engaging read- sweet story and likeable characters (the Woolcot children, though children they are no longer).

[Lisa Rich · Rating 4 out of 5]

After reading Seven Little Australins and The Family at Misrule I just had to read Little Mother Meg and it didn't disappoint.

[Lizbet · Rating 3 out of 5]

See review for The Family at Misrule.

[Rlouiseg]

This book is no more about Meg than any of the others. I've found it the most interesting with all the mysteries of the neighbours. But of course it wouldn't be so exciting if you didn't know the characters already. It ended at a strange place. And I'm still wondering about what King Baby's actually name is. A great book which cost me some sleep.