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The Kitchen Madonna
Marta is unhappy. For quietly aloof Gregory and his sister Janet, Marta, with her thick Ukrainian accent, her good cooking, and her stories, is the anchor of the house. Mother and Father, both busy architects, are gone all day and sometimes at night.
Marta is always there; and the children, sensing her unhappiness, do not want her to go away. When they find out that Marta desires a good place in the kitchen, nine-year-old Gregory, with precocious young Janet in tow, sets out to find her a Ukrainian icon in busy, modern London.
Marta is always there; and the children, sensing her unhappiness, do not want her to go away. When they find out that Marta desires a good place in the kitchen, nine-year-old Gregory, with precocious young Janet in tow, sets out to find her a Ukrainian icon in busy, modern London.
89 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1967
3 people are currently reading
652 people want to read
About the author
Rumer Godden
153 books553 followersMargaret Rumer Godden was an English author of more than 60 fiction and non-fiction books. Nine of her works have been made into films, most notably Black Narcissus in 1947 and The River in 1951.
A few of her works were co-written with her elder sister, novelist Jon Godden, including Two Under the Indian Sun, a memoir of the Goddens' childhood in a region of India now part of Bangladesh.
A few of her works were co-written with her elder sister, novelist Jon Godden, including Two Under the Indian Sun, a memoir of the Goddens' childhood in a region of India now part of Bangladesh.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 101 reviews
December 30, 2015
This was required reading for grade 8 I believe in Mother of Divine Grace when we used to homeschool. But it shouldn't be relegated to the children's bookshelf. It's a wonderful book about family, friendship, welcoming, art and artistic talent. A Polish maid comes to live with a British family and the young boy sets about acquiring the materials and skills necessary to create a kitchen Madonna icon to make her feel at home in her new country and family. Lovely!
May 17, 2016
Selflessness learned. A children's tale which reflects the repeated theme that Rumer Godden has used in several of her fiction works. This is a scenario in which a child learns emotive closeness and love actions of nuance from a servant, rather than from a parent, or sibling. Similar to the other children in her adult novels, this child (Gregory)holds it "in" and he is one who seems, or is, physically different, or for some reason doesn't seem to "fit" easily into the larger family interchanges.
This servant and the artwork are both 5 star. It's short and I loved the graphics in my copy.
This servant and the artwork are both 5 star. It's short and I loved the graphics in my copy.
April 20, 2025
This was a perfect Palm Sunday to Easter read. Thank you Dominika! It’s a simple story of the surface with luminous depths. The ending made me cry with happiness, just like Mother.
September 5, 2007
Today I read The Kitchen Madonna by Rumer Godden. It is one of those books that has been languishing in my “to read” pile.
Initially, I picked up Shopaholic & Baby, which has been neglected while I finished my paper. However, within the first few pages, Becky Bloomwood was back to her lying ways, and I thought, “She drives me crazy. And I don’t have to put up with it.” So down went Becky and up came The Kitchen Madonna.
This is a delightful little book. Gregory, a nine-year-old boy, has a deep love and respect for his family’s Ukrainian maid, Marta. When he discovers that Marta is sad because she does not have an icon in the kitchen, he commits to doing something about it.
Gregory, initially, is confused by Marta’s desire for an icon. However, I was not surprised. I discovered that many Ukrainians—like other nationalities, I’m sure—are obsessed with their icons.
Almost every taxi or bus driver has a miniature icon attached to his (I am not being sexist here—they really are all male) visor. Almost every home I entered had an icon on the wall—even the homes of people who no longer claimed allegiance to Orthodox or Catholic religions. For Ukrainians, icons have a deep, significant meaning that I could not comprehend.
And neither does Gregory. He does not understand Marta’s need for an icon, nor that the icon also represents the loss of her family, home, and religion to war and Communism. Yet Gregory, with the help of his seven-year-old sister, Janet, sets out to procure—and ultimately to create—an icon for Marta.
As Gregory makes the icon, he changes—the dour boy becomes sociable. The text is not overtly religious, but clearly the icon transforms Gregory and those around him.
Initially, I picked up Shopaholic & Baby, which has been neglected while I finished my paper. However, within the first few pages, Becky Bloomwood was back to her lying ways, and I thought, “She drives me crazy. And I don’t have to put up with it.” So down went Becky and up came The Kitchen Madonna.
This is a delightful little book. Gregory, a nine-year-old boy, has a deep love and respect for his family’s Ukrainian maid, Marta. When he discovers that Marta is sad because she does not have an icon in the kitchen, he commits to doing something about it.
Gregory, initially, is confused by Marta’s desire for an icon. However, I was not surprised. I discovered that many Ukrainians—like other nationalities, I’m sure—are obsessed with their icons.
Almost every taxi or bus driver has a miniature icon attached to his (I am not being sexist here—they really are all male) visor. Almost every home I entered had an icon on the wall—even the homes of people who no longer claimed allegiance to Orthodox or Catholic religions. For Ukrainians, icons have a deep, significant meaning that I could not comprehend.
And neither does Gregory. He does not understand Marta’s need for an icon, nor that the icon also represents the loss of her family, home, and religion to war and Communism. Yet Gregory, with the help of his seven-year-old sister, Janet, sets out to procure—and ultimately to create—an icon for Marta.
As Gregory makes the icon, he changes—the dour boy becomes sociable. The text is not overtly religious, but clearly the icon transforms Gregory and those around him.
September 9, 2019
Spare and unsentimental, Rumer Godden's The Kitchen Madonna is a short children's novel of astonishing emotional power. Isolated and withdrawn, Gregory's own family find him cold, but buried beneath his reserve is a heart capable of being touched, and a spirit of compassion waiting to be awakened. When his new nanny Marta, a Ukrainian refugee, longs for a "good place" - a space in which to keep an altar and an icon of the Virgin and Child - Gregory sets out to provide her with one.
This is a deeply satisfying story, on so many levels. Gregory's ingenuity in creating a home-made icon will appeal to anyone who has ever felt that "where there's a will, there's a way." His gradual emotional awakening, and growing sense of connection to those around him, is a joy to observe. Never didactic or overdone, Godden's gentle narrative invites the reader to consider the connections between respect and compassion, and the fact that we do not need to share (or even understand) the spiritual beliefs of others in order to enter into their feelings. A beautiful, beautiful book.
This is a deeply satisfying story, on so many levels. Gregory's ingenuity in creating a home-made icon will appeal to anyone who has ever felt that "where there's a will, there's a way." His gradual emotional awakening, and growing sense of connection to those around him, is a joy to observe. Never didactic or overdone, Godden's gentle narrative invites the reader to consider the connections between respect and compassion, and the fact that we do not need to share (or even understand) the spiritual beliefs of others in order to enter into their feelings. A beautiful, beautiful book.
March 10, 2016
This book, folks. THIS BOOK. I didn't know exactly what to expect when I read it--and I was completely blown away. It's absolutely gorgeous. And it's incredibly deep, too; I mean, yeah, it's technically a "kid's book" but it has SO MUCH MEANING. I loved it. To sum it up (pretty inadequately), it's about two things: relationships and creativity. It's about the joy of making things, and how sharing that joy with others can make the world a happier place. But it gets even better than that, because it's told from the point of view of a lonely, misunderstood boy with artistic talent that nobody in his family really recognizes and . . . JUST GO READ IT. PLEASE.
January 14, 2016
Where exactly has Rumor Godden been my whole life?
November 12, 2023
a lovely book, I think my favorite of Godden's books for younger readers. I kept waiting for something horrible to happen, but it didn't, and I got teary over the lovely ending. As well as being sweet and moving, it was about a withdrawn boy moved by compassion and love to make art, and that was very pleasing.
April 21, 2012
I just loved this book. It is a wonderful brother-sister story, an adventure of quiet discovery with a marvelously happy ending. I was a bit annoyed though because I could not find Lorenzo Cosimo or an image of his Our Lady of the Unfading Flower after reading the book. At this point, I surrender, If the artist and image are a fictional creation of Rumer Godden's I offer my willing suspension of disbelief whole-heartedly. Ultimately, this is a multi-faceted fable of the power of love and art. I'm giving this lovely old copy from 1967 away this evening. But I'm sure it's one of those books that I'll give and give until I'm gone now that I've read it.
April 9, 2014
This goes with Miss Happiness and Miss Flower as one of Rumer Godden's best books for kids. But it's not just for kids. The themes of the story will appeal to grown ups too. It's a beautiful and sensitive work about emerging out of selfishness and learning how REAL the needs of other people are. Trying to understand the point of view of another, very different person is always hard work, but always worth it.
December 14, 2015
Not too long after I became Orthodox, my mom handed me this book and said, "you will love it." She was right. I've been looking for a copy to own, and one finally came my way. I re-read it and loved it just a much, if not more, the second time. A definite keeper.
March 4, 2017
This is my all-time favorite love story, and I read it at least a couple times a year (it's only 89 pages). It's not a romantic love story, but a story of the transforming, sacrificial love of a young boy for the family's maid.
I read it again today because I bought another copy that wasn't missing all the illustrations, as my first copy was. The 1966-67 Viking Press edition is the one to look for, as the newer paperback edition has a hideous cover. It's a beautiful story, and I'm glad I now have a loaner copy.
I read it again today because I bought another copy that wasn't missing all the illustrations, as my first copy was. The 1966-67 Viking Press edition is the one to look for, as the newer paperback edition has a hideous cover. It's a beautiful story, and I'm glad I now have a loaner copy.
December 2, 2014
In a sense, this is a companion piece to "The Fairy Doll", only there's no doll involved. The main character, Gregory, is a solitary little boy who doesn't like to be touched and doesn't like his personal space invaded. He "keeps himself to himself"; I suppose today they'd diagnose him with some psychological syndrome, but his parents are both professionals and really don't have time to worry about it. After a series of year-long foreign au pairs and home helps, Marta comes into their lives. Marta is a Ukranian refugee who has lived in Britain for over 20 years by the time she arrives. She is glad to have such a good job, and soon the family is glad to have her there. But Marta has a sadness in her life...there's no icon of the Madonna, no family altar, which she calls "the good place". Gregory and his sister Janet set out to find or make one for her, so Marta will like her new home enough to stay.
The story reflects many of Godden's recurring themes: misfit children with physically or emotionally absent parents, social blunders that turn out right, her own growing devotion to the Virgin Mary as a convert to Catholicism--and boys who are good at making things. How his family could be so amazed at Gregory being good with his hands when from the beginning they know he can draw and copy complex crystals and objects in museums I don't know--though families are usually the last to discover and value their children's talents, particularly the "difficult" children.
It's a warm, cosy read, and you root for the children and for Marta (and even for the cat) throughout. If there was a weakness, it was in the final few paragraphs. I know what she meant to say about Gregory enjoying his newly-discovered talent, but somehow it was poorly expressed and left me feeling apprehensive that he end up hungering for fame more than faith.
The story reflects many of Godden's recurring themes: misfit children with physically or emotionally absent parents, social blunders that turn out right, her own growing devotion to the Virgin Mary as a convert to Catholicism--and boys who are good at making things. How his family could be so amazed at Gregory being good with his hands when from the beginning they know he can draw and copy complex crystals and objects in museums I don't know--though families are usually the last to discover and value their children's talents, particularly the "difficult" children.
It's a warm, cosy read, and you root for the children and for Marta (and even for the cat) throughout. If there was a weakness, it was in the final few paragraphs. I know what she meant to say about Gregory enjoying his newly-discovered talent, but somehow it was poorly expressed and left me feeling apprehensive that he end up hungering for fame more than faith.
January 6, 2012
Touching story of a boy who makes a Madonna icon for his family's Ukrainian maid.
April 27, 2016
A lovely sweet story.
January 28, 2022
The kids enjoyed this heartwarming story.
March 1, 2022
So glad to be able to re-read this story that I loved as a child.
March 18, 2022
Such a beautiful book filled with love and sacrifice. A classic book for all ages.
March 23, 2025
A beautiful story of selflessness, sacrifice, and love.
August 19, 2020
My sister read this to me when I was little, I never forgot it, and I have just read it to my daughter. She didn't love it as much as I did - but I still love it. I always remembered the wonderful picture they made, particularly the sweetie wrappers they used as a border. And Marta's loneliness and the sweetness of making her the Madonna. I didn't remember all the cute details of life in London, or that Gregory goes from a boy who really doesn't connect with other people to someone who has friends (even if they're all grownups so far) and allows his family to get closer to him. His mother's joy at how he has changed is a lovely moment.
A sweet, eccentric and short book. It does feel bit old fashioned now, but the picture was still fascinating to my daughter and the pictures are lovely if you have the original version. One day I'd like to make one myself (but I've been planning on doing that since I was 5...).
A sweet, eccentric and short book. It does feel bit old fashioned now, but the picture was still fascinating to my daughter and the pictures are lovely if you have the original version. One day I'd like to make one myself (but I've been planning on doing that since I was 5...).
November 30, 2015
The maid is unhappy, and homesick for the Ukraine, or is it for something else? The kids figure it out. She’s devoutly Catholic, and she misses her “icon,” sort of an altar set up in the corner of the kitchen, with a candle, and a picture of the Madonna and child. But this can’t be any ordinary picture; it has to look like one of the precious art treasures of the cathedrals. So the boy makes one himself, tracing a copy of a famous painting, and filling in the picture with bits of velvet and satin, and with ribbon and sequins and beads. The kids set up the altar in the corner of the kitchen, and call in the maid to see. She’s thrilled to tears. So are the kids, and their parents. So was I. Rumer Godden’s books almost make me wish I were Catholic.
November 8, 2012
A little classic about a curmudgeon of a boy opening up for the sake of his Ukrainian housekeeper. Marta (who has brought order and warmth to their dual-working-parents' London home) misses the small shrine she had at home in her kitchen in Ukraine. Gregory and his little sister research then and sneak around finding, buying and begging materials to make her a "kitchen Madonna." All of this is way outside of Gregory's comfort zone, and by the end he has discovered new interests and abilities, and the rewards of doing something kind for someone else. This would be a lovely way to broach the subject of selflessness/generosity with your kids.
August 28, 2012
It's one of those rare books that wistfully brings you back to innocent childhood. Rumer Godden's style is simple and unpretentious; the children's character may well remind adult readers what potentials they may have for making others happy with just a little show of generosity of inner spirit.
Gregory's personality is endearing. We've got to respect - and encourage - children like him. They abound, and need just a little nudge from adults to help them bring out what goodness of heart they have within.
Gregory's personality is endearing. We've got to respect - and encourage - children like him. They abound, and need just a little nudge from adults to help them bring out what goodness of heart they have within.
July 10, 2014
In my ongoing effort to read everything "Rumer Godden," I picked up this delightful library volume off the Amazon used books list. As with Godden's other children books, the illustrations and text meld so beautifully, so gently, I simply savored the experience. This is a gentle, heart-tugging story that is, at once, creative and classic. Had I any children who'd tolerate me reading aloud to them, I'd look forward to a couple weeks of wonderful nighttime reading. Alas, I will save it with hopes for the future.
December 31, 2020
Lovely lovely lovely.
A dear story of a boy and girl and their desire to bless that housekeeper/nanny - an immigrant from Poland. It has been over 20 years since she had to leave home and she shares with the children about the nook in her families one-room home that housed the Madonna and child. The children make unexpected trips and friendships as they make seek to make one for their kitchen so that dear Marta feels more at home.
Can't wait to find more books by this author.
A dear story of a boy and girl and their desire to bless that housekeeper/nanny - an immigrant from Poland. It has been over 20 years since she had to leave home and she shares with the children about the nook in her families one-room home that housed the Madonna and child. The children make unexpected trips and friendships as they make seek to make one for their kitchen so that dear Marta feels more at home.
Can't wait to find more books by this author.
March 25, 2008
Sadly out of print, this is a wonderful children's book that is a pleasure to read at any age. The characters, both young and adult, are finely drawn and winning, while the plot is unique and touching in its simplicity-the quest of a young boy to fulfill the secret wish of a loved adult. It was worth my years-long search to find a used copy, and it is a treasured part of my library.
Read
January 31, 2010A sweet story of a boy who decides to make an icon for his beloved nanny/cook. In the process he learns independance and the ability to speak for himself. His family discovers the deapth of emotion in a boy previously a seeming "cold fish." I welcomed Gregory's thawing because in the beginning I found him to be an annoying brat. Well written and heartfelt. A testement to the power of kids!
December 20, 2013
Lovely and sweet without being maudlin. The story reveals how unconditional love changes not only the lives of others, but also the life of the one who gives it. This should be on everyone's shelf and should be read and reread during this season of love and peace on earth. Read it aloud to your children, too!
Read
February 7, 2016Loved it. English family's housekeeper from Poland misses having a shrine in the kitchen with a beautifully decorated Madonna-and-Child picture, so a young boy and his sister go to great lengths to create one. The boy, typically closed-off from other people, learns to make sacrifices and go way out of his comfort zone to do something wonderful for someone else.
September 1, 2008
What a wonderful story for children and adults who like to cry! This book reminded me of people who keep altars in their homes. Helped me understand them a little more and it was a wonderful story of a young artist coming of age!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 101 reviews