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Little House: The Martha Years #2
The Far Side of the Loch
The Little House books have captivated millions of readers with their story of Laura Ingalls, a pioneer girl-growing up on the American frontier. Now travel back three generations before Laura's and read the story of Martha Morse, the little girl who would grow up to leave Scotland and start a new life in America, and who would become Laura Ingalls Wilder's great-grandmother. In The Far Side of Loch seven-year-old Martha is lonely and restless. The Stone House was filled with people during the holidays, but now the cousins have gone home, Martha's father is traveling, her brothers are at school, and her older sister, Grisie, is too busy brooding over her embroidery to pay any attention to Martha. Her new pet hedgehog makes things a bit more fun, and then Father comes home with some thrilling newsand suddenly Martha's house is bustling with excitement! The Far Side of Loch is the second book in The Martha Years, an ongoing series about another spirited girl from America's most beloved pioneer family.
256 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2006
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About the author
Melissa Wiley
29 books376 followersMelissa Wiley is the author of The Nerviest Girl in the World, The Prairie Thief, Fox and Crow Are Not Friends, the Inch and Roly series, the Martha and Charlotte Little House books, and other books for kids. Melissa has been blogging about her family’s reading life and tidal homeschooling adventures at Here in the Bonny Glen since 2005. She is @melissawiley on Twitter and @melissawileybooks on Instagram.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 67 reviews
March 2, 2020
This second installment of the Martha Years delighted me. Martha's story is engaging and endearing, at once skillfully transporting us to another time and place (1791 & Scottish Highlands) while deftly conveying timeless childhood experiences and growing pains.
Like the Little House books featuring Martha's great-granddaughter, Martha's story centers around home and family life. Martha is about 7 years old in this story and she is still very cozy in her home nest. We learn a little about the daily life of a laird's family and about some of the greater activities that unite the community. I was especially fascinated about the chapter "Waulking the Wool" in which the women come together to knead the recently sheered wool with their feet to cleanse it of impurities.
A gentle story primarily of joy and little strife, it still conveys the pathos of our world expanding, of change, of siblings growing up, of learning that your own perspective isn't the only one. Martha struggles with her older brothers being away at the academy in Edinburgh, her older sister drifting away from childhood things into young womanhood and becoming distant and even grumpy about their quaint ways, about spending the night alone in bed for the first time in her life when her sister is away with family, about missing Mum when she is away with family for a week, and about staying away from home herself for the first time in her life. When she visits her uncle's house she is not impressed with the finery. She misses being able to traipse the hillsides, to go barefoot in the house, and to slip into the kitchen for a talk with Cook and to help with some of the cooking (the uncle's fancy French chef would be appalled by children in the kitchen). This is the type of world to which her older sister wants to belong, but Martha is so eager to get home again. Yet, her perspective will be forever changed by having finally been to the far side of the loch.
When Martha and her cousin climb the mountain she has always seen in the distance from her home across the loch, she looks back on her own side of the loch with a startling realization:
"The world was turned around backward. You could stand in one place and look at the world all around you, and know that you are in the very center of things, at the heart, the starting point -- you could spend your whole life knowing for a certainty that this was so, and then suddenly the world wheeled around and showed you that the place you had taken for the center was really just a point out on the edge of things."
Martha also learned more about how a person can be multi-faceted and sometimes we only see one side of them, or get stuck in our way of seeing them, and need to learn from others how to appreciate other sides to someone, especially when that person is a family member:
"It was a strange thing, Martha thought, that there could be so many sides to people. People, it seemed to her, were very much like houses. Some houses were friendly and cozy, and you could know everything about them in a very short time. Other houses were more secretive, full of dim passages and closed doors and rooms you weren't allowed into. Sometimes you got a glimpse into one of the rooms and saw a side of the house utterly unlike anything you would have expected to find within its walls."
PS I love hedgehogs, so I practically squealed when Martha's family got a hedgehog for their kitchen to keep the bugs at bay. (Look closely at the cover -- yup, that's a really cute little hedgehog Martha is petting!)
PPS My almost-seven-year-old son was totally engaged in this book, also. Thumbs up from both of us.
Like the Little House books featuring Martha's great-granddaughter, Martha's story centers around home and family life. Martha is about 7 years old in this story and she is still very cozy in her home nest. We learn a little about the daily life of a laird's family and about some of the greater activities that unite the community. I was especially fascinated about the chapter "Waulking the Wool" in which the women come together to knead the recently sheered wool with their feet to cleanse it of impurities.
A gentle story primarily of joy and little strife, it still conveys the pathos of our world expanding, of change, of siblings growing up, of learning that your own perspective isn't the only one. Martha struggles with her older brothers being away at the academy in Edinburgh, her older sister drifting away from childhood things into young womanhood and becoming distant and even grumpy about their quaint ways, about spending the night alone in bed for the first time in her life when her sister is away with family, about missing Mum when she is away with family for a week, and about staying away from home herself for the first time in her life. When she visits her uncle's house she is not impressed with the finery. She misses being able to traipse the hillsides, to go barefoot in the house, and to slip into the kitchen for a talk with Cook and to help with some of the cooking (the uncle's fancy French chef would be appalled by children in the kitchen). This is the type of world to which her older sister wants to belong, but Martha is so eager to get home again. Yet, her perspective will be forever changed by having finally been to the far side of the loch.
When Martha and her cousin climb the mountain she has always seen in the distance from her home across the loch, she looks back on her own side of the loch with a startling realization:
"The world was turned around backward. You could stand in one place and look at the world all around you, and know that you are in the very center of things, at the heart, the starting point -- you could spend your whole life knowing for a certainty that this was so, and then suddenly the world wheeled around and showed you that the place you had taken for the center was really just a point out on the edge of things."
Martha also learned more about how a person can be multi-faceted and sometimes we only see one side of them, or get stuck in our way of seeing them, and need to learn from others how to appreciate other sides to someone, especially when that person is a family member:
"It was a strange thing, Martha thought, that there could be so many sides to people. People, it seemed to her, were very much like houses. Some houses were friendly and cozy, and you could know everything about them in a very short time. Other houses were more secretive, full of dim passages and closed doors and rooms you weren't allowed into. Sometimes you got a glimpse into one of the rooms and saw a side of the house utterly unlike anything you would have expected to find within its walls."
PS I love hedgehogs, so I practically squealed when Martha's family got a hedgehog for their kitchen to keep the bugs at bay. (Look closely at the cover -- yup, that's a really cute little hedgehog Martha is petting!)
PPS My almost-seven-year-old son was totally engaged in this book, also. Thumbs up from both of us.
February 28, 2025
2025 Review
I love the interactions between Martha and her family in this one--how she misses her mother, how she responds to her sister's changes, how she feels about her cousins' lifestyles. The hedgehog storyline is elite, and I love the continued interest in wool processing!
2021 Review
Still a very sweet book. The Martha books were my favorites, more than the Little House books, when I was their target age group. I do believe The Far Side of the Loch was my first introduction to the poetry of Robert Burns, and was likely one of the first books I read independently with vernacular speech. (Gotta love all the times a character says, "Och, aye.") This time around, I especially appreciated how Wiley represented children's emotions and showed characters handling them well.
The hedgehog in the kitchen did make me a wee bit jealous. Where's my kitchen hedgehog? Why don't I have a kitchen hedgehog?
Dearly wish these books weren't out of print/reprinted with photograph covers and bereft of their original illustrations. The girl in the photograph cover doesn't even have Martha's notably ~naturally curly~ hair.
I love the interactions between Martha and her family in this one--how she misses her mother, how she responds to her sister's changes, how she feels about her cousins' lifestyles. The hedgehog storyline is elite, and I love the continued interest in wool processing!
2021 Review
Still a very sweet book. The Martha books were my favorites, more than the Little House books, when I was their target age group. I do believe The Far Side of the Loch was my first introduction to the poetry of Robert Burns, and was likely one of the first books I read independently with vernacular speech. (Gotta love all the times a character says, "Och, aye.") This time around, I especially appreciated how Wiley represented children's emotions and showed characters handling them well.
The hedgehog in the kitchen did make me a wee bit jealous. Where's my kitchen hedgehog? Why don't I have a kitchen hedgehog?
Dearly wish these books weren't out of print/reprinted with photograph covers and bereft of their original illustrations. The girl in the photograph cover doesn't even have Martha's notably ~naturally curly~ hair.
November 24, 2015
Like the first Martha book, this book gave ideas. The main one was my longing to own a hedger (hedgehog) in fifth grade! I don't like this book as much as the first one, but it's still nice.
The main event of this book is the cousins coming to live across the lake at Fairlie. Also, Grisie's getting older and longs to be a nice lady and go to school in Edinburgh. Martha, of course, cannot understand why Grisie would want to leave home! Martha however, wants to be able to run around and do things that a laird's daughter cannot necessarily do. Cook compares the two girls because they both want to be somewhere they're not.
Another bit of wisdom I liked was from Nannie's mother: She says if ye're doin' something ye hate, but ye act like ye're havin' the time of your life, why, soon ye'll find ye're not pretendin' after all - ye really are enjoying yourself!
As in the other Martha books, there are songs and stories, including poems from Robert Burns. There are also the entertaining descriptions of waulking wool and the websters. However, there does not seem to be as much description as in the first book.
I do not like the cousins and Fairlie, except for Uncle Henry and his howling dogs. Also, Martha's sorta stuck-up cousins and their shut-up house made me almost as mad as Martha! I love the Stone House like I live there!
This book is not short, but simple enough for me to read in one day! I don't like it as much as the first however.
The main event of this book is the cousins coming to live across the lake at Fairlie. Also, Grisie's getting older and longs to be a nice lady and go to school in Edinburgh. Martha, of course, cannot understand why Grisie would want to leave home! Martha however, wants to be able to run around and do things that a laird's daughter cannot necessarily do. Cook compares the two girls because they both want to be somewhere they're not.
Another bit of wisdom I liked was from Nannie's mother: She says if ye're doin' something ye hate, but ye act like ye're havin' the time of your life, why, soon ye'll find ye're not pretendin' after all - ye really are enjoying yourself!
As in the other Martha books, there are songs and stories, including poems from Robert Burns. There are also the entertaining descriptions of waulking wool and the websters. However, there does not seem to be as much description as in the first book.
I do not like the cousins and Fairlie, except for Uncle Henry and his howling dogs. Also, Martha's sorta stuck-up cousins and their shut-up house made me almost as mad as Martha! I love the Stone House like I live there!
This book is not short, but simple enough for me to read in one day! I don't like it as much as the first however.
October 6, 2018
The prequels to the Little House books can tend to be devoid of the charm that made Laura Ingalls Wilder’s books so popular. Unfortunately, that’s true of the Martha Years in general. While Little House in the Highlands was interesting in its look into Scottish life, it didn’t have a whole lot of appeal to carry over to this next book, The Far Side of the Loch.
Wiley continues to give insight into Scotland with this book, but the simplistic writing and basic emotional insights let it down. I mean, I didn’t hate the book, but I didn’t love it, either (my favorite of the Martha Years is actually the next book, Down to the Bonny Glen, which has lots of character growth for Martha in it). The most interesting part of the book was seeing the contrast between city and country life and the exploration of homesickness and family.
I did find it very clever, or perhaps cheeky, of Wiley to include the tale of “The Laird’s Lass and the Smith’s Son.” Wiley delves into this slightly in later books, before Harper sadly cut off the prequels before she could get to the actual romance, but Martha Tucker in real life married the son of a blacksmith. The tale told in this book has a slightly happier ending in terms of family than does Martha’s, though—since Martha married significantly beneath her, her family basically cut her off. I think there’s a mention of her brother in the sequel to this series (about Martha’s daughter and Laura’s grandmother, Charlotte), but other than that, she pretty much leaves Scotland and never sees her family again (that is–if this book is historically accurate). That’s part of the reason why I found the focus on family in this book to be so interesting.
If you liked the first book in the Martha Years, The Far Side of the Loch is more of the same. It doesn’t build a whole lot on the first book, nor does it have particularly complex themes or insights. It does play on the idea of “home is where the heart is,” as well as the conflict between city and country life and other things that are interesting in light of what happens to the real Martha Tucker. Children will probably like this book if they enjoyed the first one, but it lacks a little something for an older audience.
Wiley continues to give insight into Scotland with this book, but the simplistic writing and basic emotional insights let it down. I mean, I didn’t hate the book, but I didn’t love it, either (my favorite of the Martha Years is actually the next book, Down to the Bonny Glen, which has lots of character growth for Martha in it). The most interesting part of the book was seeing the contrast between city and country life and the exploration of homesickness and family.
I did find it very clever, or perhaps cheeky, of Wiley to include the tale of “The Laird’s Lass and the Smith’s Son.” Wiley delves into this slightly in later books, before Harper sadly cut off the prequels before she could get to the actual romance, but Martha Tucker in real life married the son of a blacksmith. The tale told in this book has a slightly happier ending in terms of family than does Martha’s, though—since Martha married significantly beneath her, her family basically cut her off. I think there’s a mention of her brother in the sequel to this series (about Martha’s daughter and Laura’s grandmother, Charlotte), but other than that, she pretty much leaves Scotland and never sees her family again (that is–if this book is historically accurate). That’s part of the reason why I found the focus on family in this book to be so interesting.
If you liked the first book in the Martha Years, The Far Side of the Loch is more of the same. It doesn’t build a whole lot on the first book, nor does it have particularly complex themes or insights. It does play on the idea of “home is where the heart is,” as well as the conflict between city and country life and other things that are interesting in light of what happens to the real Martha Tucker. Children will probably like this book if they enjoyed the first one, but it lacks a little something for an older audience.
June 22, 2021
After reading the first Martha Years book (and being somewhat disappointed with it), I wasn't sure what to expect from this one. I ended up being pleasantly surprised.
My main complaint about the first book was all of the superstitions and fairytales. And while this book had some of that too, there wasn't nearly so much as in the first book.
Martha's older sister was somewhat grumpy for most of the book, but it is mostly noticeable because their personalities are so different. (Since the book is written from Martha's POV, Martha is always the one to notice her sister being grumpy.)
This book has a better storyline than the first book. I was able to connect with the characters a bit more. (Though, I wish Robbie and Alisdair had been in the story more.) It was fun getting to read more about Martha's cousins, and I loved reading about Fairlie. The end scene is my favorite. It was a great way to end the book!
I give this book 4 stars and recommend it to readers 10+ (although an adult or older sibling should point out the the fairytales are not real.)
My main complaint about the first book was all of the superstitions and fairytales. And while this book had some of that too, there wasn't nearly so much as in the first book.
Martha's older sister was somewhat grumpy for most of the book, but it is mostly noticeable because their personalities are so different. (Since the book is written from Martha's POV, Martha is always the one to notice her sister being grumpy.)
This book has a better storyline than the first book. I was able to connect with the characters a bit more. (Though, I wish Robbie and Alisdair had been in the story more.) It was fun getting to read more about Martha's cousins, and I loved reading about Fairlie. The end scene is my favorite. It was a great way to end the book!
I give this book 4 stars and recommend it to readers 10+ (although an adult or older sibling should point out the the fairytales are not real.)
August 21, 2015
Well, turns out that I remembered the hedgehog and that was about all. I'm still amused at the differences between kids then and kids now. Rachel (Martha's cousin) and Martha are the same age, but Rachel is practically an adult compared to how Martha acts. I love Martha. I love how some of the things just go zooming over her head. Flirting and handsome blokes. None of that for Martha.
I enjoyed this book. It was a super fast read. I thought it was going to take me forever to finish it because I was only at halfway and all of a sudden I realized that I was almost finished. Whoa. Two more Martha books and then the Charlotte ones. Pretty please hurry up and bring me Charlotte Tucker, library.
I enjoyed this book. It was a super fast read. I thought it was going to take me forever to finish it because I was only at halfway and all of a sudden I realized that I was almost finished. Whoa. Two more Martha books and then the Charlotte ones. Pretty please hurry up and bring me Charlotte Tucker, library.
September 30, 2017
What adventures! I love the storytelling in these and the Scottish accents and words. Super fun reads after all the others set in the US.
August 4, 2025
This 2nd book in the series about Laura Ingallas Wilder's great grandma was still good but not as good as the 1st (and now beginning the 3rd) So I gave it 3 stars but could have easily been 4 like the other books in the series.
This book didn't have as much of the Historical references in it to life in Scotland and life in the late 1700's. Which in my opinion is what 'MADE' the first book. To be able to visually place yourself there and know what things looked like and the ways things were done and the superstitions that they truly did believe in. This book finds Martha (whom is the youngest of her family) kind of bored. She's too old now to run around and play all day but not quite old enough to play the piano like her older sister or go off to school like her older brothers. She didn't like the thought of having to have a governess and be told what to do and when to do it. She enjoyed going to the kitchen and hanging out there with the cook and the servants. Her parents have to go off to another part of the land they own as her Uncle, Aunt and their family is moving in. The old Historic house where her Father had been born was always told to her while she was growing up but she never saw it. Her parents and sister go there to help them move in while Martha stays home with her two youngest cousins. They miss their families but they make the best of the days they have then to Martha's surprise she gets to stay a week at the 'new' house finally getting to see it. She is upset no one told her that she was staying and wondered about her hedgehog that lives in the kitchen if he would run off 'cause she didn't say good-bye. And she just misses her own house.
This book was written like the way Martha felt, kind of lonely and boring...Although not boring enough not to read. We as readers needed this 'transition' book to realize what the children went through during that time frame and the ages that Martha and her siblings (and her cousins) were. This continues to be a good series to read
This book didn't have as much of the Historical references in it to life in Scotland and life in the late 1700's. Which in my opinion is what 'MADE' the first book. To be able to visually place yourself there and know what things looked like and the ways things were done and the superstitions that they truly did believe in. This book finds Martha (whom is the youngest of her family) kind of bored. She's too old now to run around and play all day but not quite old enough to play the piano like her older sister or go off to school like her older brothers. She didn't like the thought of having to have a governess and be told what to do and when to do it. She enjoyed going to the kitchen and hanging out there with the cook and the servants. Her parents have to go off to another part of the land they own as her Uncle, Aunt and their family is moving in. The old Historic house where her Father had been born was always told to her while she was growing up but she never saw it. Her parents and sister go there to help them move in while Martha stays home with her two youngest cousins. They miss their families but they make the best of the days they have then to Martha's surprise she gets to stay a week at the 'new' house finally getting to see it. She is upset no one told her that she was staying and wondered about her hedgehog that lives in the kitchen if he would run off 'cause she didn't say good-bye. And she just misses her own house.
This book was written like the way Martha felt, kind of lonely and boring...Although not boring enough not to read. We as readers needed this 'transition' book to realize what the children went through during that time frame and the ages that Martha and her siblings (and her cousins) were. This continues to be a good series to read
October 7, 2017
The Little House books have captivated millions of readers with their story of Laura Ingalls, a pioneer girl-growing up on the American frontier. Now travel back three generations before Laura’s and read the story of Martha Morse, the little girl who would grow up to leave Scotland and start a new life in America, and who would become Laura Ingalls Wilder’s great-grandmother.
In The Far Side of Loch seven-year-old Martha is lonely and restless. The Stone House was filled with people during the holidays, but now the cousins have gone home, Martha’s father is traveling, her brothers are at school, and her older sister, Grisie, is too busy brooding over her embroidery to pay any attention to Martha. Her new pet hedgehog makes things a bit more fun, and then Father comes home with some thrilling newsand suddenly Martha’s house is bustling with excitement!
The Far Side of Loch is the second book in The Martha Years, an ongoing series about another spirited girl from America’s most beloved pioneer family.
I recommend this book to all ages.
I read these as a child and have been reading them to my son. I was telling my grandma how we were reading them together and how much he was enjoying it and she started reminiscing when we read them together. When we read them she said it took forever because i was old enough to ask questions about every sentence we ended up going outside so she could show me what hay was. My son is is one and a half so he doesn’t do that yet but it’s fun to think of.
I love Martha she reminds me a lot of myself when I was younger. Very innocent and oblivious to adult things and just wants to free to run without shoes. Not having a fear in the world. As much as I love technology, when I read these I feel nostalgic and wonder what life would be like without it.
I rate this book a 5 out of 5 stars.
In The Far Side of Loch seven-year-old Martha is lonely and restless. The Stone House was filled with people during the holidays, but now the cousins have gone home, Martha’s father is traveling, her brothers are at school, and her older sister, Grisie, is too busy brooding over her embroidery to pay any attention to Martha. Her new pet hedgehog makes things a bit more fun, and then Father comes home with some thrilling newsand suddenly Martha’s house is bustling with excitement!
The Far Side of Loch is the second book in The Martha Years, an ongoing series about another spirited girl from America’s most beloved pioneer family.
I recommend this book to all ages.
I read these as a child and have been reading them to my son. I was telling my grandma how we were reading them together and how much he was enjoying it and she started reminiscing when we read them together. When we read them she said it took forever because i was old enough to ask questions about every sentence we ended up going outside so she could show me what hay was. My son is is one and a half so he doesn’t do that yet but it’s fun to think of.
I love Martha she reminds me a lot of myself when I was younger. Very innocent and oblivious to adult things and just wants to free to run without shoes. Not having a fear in the world. As much as I love technology, when I read these I feel nostalgic and wonder what life would be like without it.
I rate this book a 5 out of 5 stars.
April 11, 2023
This is the second book in the quartet of Martha books, Laura Ingalls great grandmother and not a lot happens I have to say. It’s very much a slice of Scottish life.
Martha is about 7ish at this point, and she just hangs around the great house all day. She doesn’t go to school (unless school is that boring that it doesn’t get included in the book?) and the most exciting things to happen is getting a hedgehog “Hedgie” and visiting her cousins across the loch in their new house.
From going by the earlier Caroline/Rose books, the earlier books were always slower until the characters got a bit older/more happened to them. But I’m still salty that these Martha/Charlotte books are only 4 books long!
This is nice if you like historical fiction/Scottish historical fiction, or if you’re interested in an imagining of Martha’s early years, before she went on to become Laura’s great grandmother. It’s a pretty slow going read and I found it hard to keep my interest.
Martha is about 7ish at this point, and she just hangs around the great house all day. She doesn’t go to school (unless school is that boring that it doesn’t get included in the book?) and the most exciting things to happen is getting a hedgehog “Hedgie” and visiting her cousins across the loch in their new house.
From going by the earlier Caroline/Rose books, the earlier books were always slower until the characters got a bit older/more happened to them. But I’m still salty that these Martha/Charlotte books are only 4 books long!
This is nice if you like historical fiction/Scottish historical fiction, or if you’re interested in an imagining of Martha’s early years, before she went on to become Laura’s great grandmother. It’s a pretty slow going read and I found it hard to keep my interest.
August 20, 2019
None of the other "Little House Years" books are as good as the ones about Laura but other then the Laura books the Martha ones are definitely my favorite. I love Scotland so that made this books particularly interesting to me but in general I just think they are the best written and most engaging titles from this set of books.
October 14, 2021
One day, I want to own the complete set of Martha books. Lovely.
July 8, 2017
Alisdair and Robbie are at school in Edinburgh. Martha's father left with her Uncle Harry and his family, and ended up spending most of the winter in the city. The book begins off with a quiet house and lonely Martha...and a cranky Grisie. Ah, the poor girl is at the age where she wants more independence and to fit in more with her female cousins.
When the laird comes back with stories of the city, Grisie is filled with envy - and Martha's curiosity is piqued even more. The 8 year difference between the two girls is evident, as Martha doesn't understand her sister's behavior at all, and it's an age difference that matters.
And yet, the fact that the siblings are all close in age means that certain things are a true puzzle to Martha. For example, she has not witnessed courting before now, and is confused when Nannie blushes and when Cook gets frustrated at a 'boy' for making Nannie do as such. Wiley writes these interactions well, from an innocent child's viewpoint and yet also bringing the adults in, in a knowing way.
Gerald and Henry are great examples of "handsome is as handsome does."
Cook and Nannie quickly become my favorites. Their life advice to Martha is beautiful, and I love that they behave as if they are truly a part of the family (and are treated thusly as well).
But skirl-in-the-pan sounds utterly horrifying to me.
I forgot that hedgehogs eat beetles!
I like reading of how sheep were washed and sheared, and the waulking of the wool. I'd hope that more than one swatch of wool was waulked though!
When the cousins move into Farlie, Mum and Grisie go to help, leaving Martha alone with her father and Cook & Nannie & Mollie. Duncan also spends time at Farlie since it's closer to his school. Fortunately, her young cousins Rachel and Mary go to Martha's place to spend time with her!
The girls' pain of missing their mothers permeates the pages. Even Father's behavior has changed.
Farlie really is like a castle. Even the nursery has a sitting room. Requiring shoes in the house is odd. Aunt Grisell definitely has strange standards. I agree that letting the dogs (over the children) have the run of the house is ridiculous.
Eww, mousse with fish.
The end is beautiful.
When the laird comes back with stories of the city, Grisie is filled with envy - and Martha's curiosity is piqued even more. The 8 year difference between the two girls is evident, as Martha doesn't understand her sister's behavior at all, and it's an age difference that matters.
And yet, the fact that the siblings are all close in age means that certain things are a true puzzle to Martha. For example, she has not witnessed courting before now, and is confused when Nannie blushes and when Cook gets frustrated at a 'boy' for making Nannie do as such. Wiley writes these interactions well, from an innocent child's viewpoint and yet also bringing the adults in, in a knowing way.
Gerald and Henry are great examples of "handsome is as handsome does."
Cook and Nannie quickly become my favorites. Their life advice to Martha is beautiful, and I love that they behave as if they are truly a part of the family (and are treated thusly as well).
But skirl-in-the-pan sounds utterly horrifying to me.
I forgot that hedgehogs eat beetles!
I like reading of how sheep were washed and sheared, and the waulking of the wool. I'd hope that more than one swatch of wool was waulked though!
When the cousins move into Farlie, Mum and Grisie go to help, leaving Martha alone with her father and Cook & Nannie & Mollie. Duncan also spends time at Farlie since it's closer to his school. Fortunately, her young cousins Rachel and Mary go to Martha's place to spend time with her!
The girls' pain of missing their mothers permeates the pages. Even Father's behavior has changed.
Farlie really is like a castle. Even the nursery has a sitting room. Requiring shoes in the house is odd. Aunt Grisell definitely has strange standards. I agree that letting the dogs (over the children) have the run of the house is ridiculous.
Eww, mousse with fish.
The end is beautiful.
December 5, 2018
"Martha kembali teringat akan rumahnya, jauh di seberang danau." (hlm. 181)
Aku membaca buku ini pertama kali di tahun 2014. Dengan ingatan yang memudar, aku membentuk simpul sendiri yang menyatakan judul buku ini datang dari impian Martha untuk melihat sebuah rumah tua di seberang danau, tepat di kaki gunung. Tapi ternyata, "jauh di seberang danau" yang dimaksud adalah Rumah Batu, rumah kecil yang dibangun ayah Martha untuk keluarga kecil mereka.
Pembacaan yang kedua kali ini membuatku paham bahwa buku ini sebenarnya menunjukkan betapa rumah sendiri adalah tempat paling nyaman sedunia. Tentunya di luar faktor x. Kisah Martha adalah kisah ideal. Kisah keluarga kecil nan bahagia, yang diliputi cinta dan kasih, meski Martha sempat berpikir untuk menimpuk kepala kakaknya, Grisie, karena sedang akil balig dan menjadi menyebalkan. Juga karena lebih mengagungkan Fairlie, rumah tua warisan keluarga ayah mereka. Hubungan wajar antara adik-kakak, kurasa.
Rumah adalah tempat pembentukan karakter paling awal bagi seorang anak, tempat pengenalan cinta dan kasih pertama kali.
Banyak pengetahuan baru yang akan kita temukan dalam buku ini. Semisal senja hari pada musim panas di Skotlandia yang berlangsung hampir semalaman. Atau kasur yang berbentuk lemari kotak, seperti tempat tidur Doraemon. Atau dongeng dan tradisi masa lampau yang meliarkan imajinasi anak-anak. Atau segala pekerjaan yang dilakukan manual. Atau perbedaan bulu burung merpati dan burung gagak meski sama-sama bisa dipakai untuk menulis.
Karakter Martha yang abu-abu; pembangkang tapi manut; dikawinkan dengan kesenangannya bermain di luar rumah sehingga ia dapat bertemu banyak orang, melahirkan sosok yang bijaksana, pantang menyerah, kreatif dan inajinatif, berprinsip dan optimis. Bahkan meskipun ia masih berusia 7 tahun.
Kamu tidak perlu menuntut cerita petualangan yang mendebarkan, karena menyusuri pikiran bocah polos ini adalah petualangan dan pengalaman tersendiri yang berbeda dari yang lainnya. Tidak percaya? Coba saja!
Aku membaca buku ini pertama kali di tahun 2014. Dengan ingatan yang memudar, aku membentuk simpul sendiri yang menyatakan judul buku ini datang dari impian Martha untuk melihat sebuah rumah tua di seberang danau, tepat di kaki gunung. Tapi ternyata, "jauh di seberang danau" yang dimaksud adalah Rumah Batu, rumah kecil yang dibangun ayah Martha untuk keluarga kecil mereka.
Pembacaan yang kedua kali ini membuatku paham bahwa buku ini sebenarnya menunjukkan betapa rumah sendiri adalah tempat paling nyaman sedunia. Tentunya di luar faktor x. Kisah Martha adalah kisah ideal. Kisah keluarga kecil nan bahagia, yang diliputi cinta dan kasih, meski Martha sempat berpikir untuk menimpuk kepala kakaknya, Grisie, karena sedang akil balig dan menjadi menyebalkan. Juga karena lebih mengagungkan Fairlie, rumah tua warisan keluarga ayah mereka. Hubungan wajar antara adik-kakak, kurasa.
Rumah adalah tempat pembentukan karakter paling awal bagi seorang anak, tempat pengenalan cinta dan kasih pertama kali.
Banyak pengetahuan baru yang akan kita temukan dalam buku ini. Semisal senja hari pada musim panas di Skotlandia yang berlangsung hampir semalaman. Atau kasur yang berbentuk lemari kotak, seperti tempat tidur Doraemon. Atau dongeng dan tradisi masa lampau yang meliarkan imajinasi anak-anak. Atau segala pekerjaan yang dilakukan manual. Atau perbedaan bulu burung merpati dan burung gagak meski sama-sama bisa dipakai untuk menulis.
Karakter Martha yang abu-abu; pembangkang tapi manut; dikawinkan dengan kesenangannya bermain di luar rumah sehingga ia dapat bertemu banyak orang, melahirkan sosok yang bijaksana, pantang menyerah, kreatif dan inajinatif, berprinsip dan optimis. Bahkan meskipun ia masih berusia 7 tahun.
Kamu tidak perlu menuntut cerita petualangan yang mendebarkan, karena menyusuri pikiran bocah polos ini adalah petualangan dan pengalaman tersendiri yang berbeda dari yang lainnya. Tidak percaya? Coba saja!
February 2, 2023
Wee Martha continued her parade of pleasantness in the Highlands with the second installment of her Little House Legacy. My love for Scotland and stories set there fill my bonny heart with joy. Martha's family is divided and she's feeling the pressure. Her brothers are off at school, her father is fulfilling his laird duties, her mother is overseeing the renovation of her cousin's new estate, and Martha is stuck at home with her emotional teen sister. My own sister is 6 years older than I am and we never had a rocky relationship. She's very maternal and I often sought her for guidance instead of my own mother at times. I could see some similarities with Marcia's woes over her sister, but not too much. I didn't quite get the honeyglow like I did with the first book, but it's a lovely series regardless. Unfortunately, I've finished the two volumes that I owned in Martha's series and must get started on the two other Ingalls family tree branches. I'm on the hunt for Martha's other books but I've come up empty every time. I've found Laura and her grandmother's books, but never any of the other ones. Scotland give me strength and let me finish this series without breaking the bank!
March 23, 2023
Anmeldelse af "Martha Years 2 - The Far Side of The Loch" af Melissa Wiley
En rigtig hyggelig bog, som passede perfekt til EDMB.
Vi følger Martha på 7 år. Hun bor i Skotland i 1700 tallet og er datter af en Lord.
I den her bog får de et pindsvin som kæledyr og faren har gode nyheder med fra hans familie, som glæder Martha meget!
Jeg hyggede mig meget med den her bog. Handlingen er ret simpel og der sker ikke det vilde drama. Man følger bare hverdagslivet i Skotland gennem 7 årige Marthas øjne.
Bogen er 2. del i serien om Laura fra Det Lille Hus - bøgernes oldemor.
Bogen er skrevet til børn i alderen 8 år og op.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
En rigtig hyggelig bog, som passede perfekt til EDMB.
Vi følger Martha på 7 år. Hun bor i Skotland i 1700 tallet og er datter af en Lord.
I den her bog får de et pindsvin som kæledyr og faren har gode nyheder med fra hans familie, som glæder Martha meget!
Jeg hyggede mig meget med den her bog. Handlingen er ret simpel og der sker ikke det vilde drama. Man følger bare hverdagslivet i Skotland gennem 7 årige Marthas øjne.
Bogen er 2. del i serien om Laura fra Det Lille Hus - bøgernes oldemor.
Bogen er skrevet til børn i alderen 8 år og op.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
February 23, 2025
Martha’s story continues in this sweet little story. I liked the anecdotes of how Martha is struggling with change and with herself and her siblings growing up at times, but still managing to find the joy in things. I find it interesting that she already knows Lewis Tucker as a child and would am interested to find out how they end up together (although I’m not sure if the series follows that timeline or if it just jumps to the two of them already married in the Charlotte years…)
July 3, 2018
I'm loving this sweet series!
August 14, 2018
Another good historical book in the Laura Ingalls Wilder series. This one had a few too many Scottish songs, however.
February 23, 2019
I like how it has the feeling when Martha's mom go's to Fairlie
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 29, 2019
was better than the first !!!!!! that is surprising for the first was great!
September 21, 2020
Dull plot, but learned a bit about the food, furniture, clothing and customs of late 18th century rural Scotland.
Not as compelling as the original series.
Not as compelling as the original series.
November 24, 2020
Cute story following small happenings of a girl growing up in the Scottish highlands.
July 17, 2021
A good story that I enjoyed!
August 30, 2021
Turtle: great! Return to library.
February 11, 2024
These books are just so precious
Want to read
July 31, 2025SM
June 17, 2023
Boring yet informative in an interesting way. I enjoy reading about how life would have been like in a different location, time, culture. Nothing like the original Little House though.
June 20, 2025
I honestly liked these books but they weren't the best.
December 16, 2017
I think that it is a good book for kids that are 5 and up. I enjoyed it very much. I would recommend this book.
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