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Six Cousins #2
Six Cousins Again
DigiCat Publishing presents to you this special edition of "Six Cousins Again" by Enid Blyton. DigiCat Publishing considers every written word to be a legacy of humankind. Every DigiCat book has been carefully reproduced for republishing in a new modern format. The books are available in print, as well as ebooks. DigiCat hopes you will treat this work with the acknowledgment and passion it deserves as a classic of world literature.
158 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1950
2 people are currently reading
154 people want to read
About the author
Enid Blyton
5,227 books6,393 followersSee also:
Ένιντ Μπλάιτον (Greek)
Enida Blaitona (Latvian)
Энид Блайтон (Russian)
Inid Blajton (Serbian)
Інід Блайтон (Ukrainian)
Enid Mary Blyton (1897–1968) was an English author of children's books.
Born in South London, Blyton was the eldest of three children, and showed an early interest in music and reading. She was educated at St. Christopher's School, Beckenham, and - having decided not to pursue her music - at Ipswich High School, where she trained as a kindergarten teacher. She taught for five years before her 1924 marriage to editor Hugh Pollock, with whom she had two daughters. This marriage ended in divorce, and Blyton remarried in 1943, to surgeon Kenneth Fraser Darrell Waters. She died in 1968, one year after her second husband.
Blyton was a prolific author of children's books, who penned an estimated 800 books over about 40 years. Her stories were often either children's adventure and mystery stories, or fantasies involving magic. Notable series include: The Famous Five, The Secret Seven, The Five Find-Outers, Noddy, The Wishing Chair, Mallory Towers, and St. Clare's.
According to the Index Translationum, Blyton was the fifth most popular author in the world in 2007, coming after Lenin but ahead of Shakespeare.
See also her pen name Mary Pollock
Ένιντ Μπλάιτον (Greek)
Enida Blaitona (Latvian)
Энид Блайтон (Russian)
Inid Blajton (Serbian)
Інід Блайтон (Ukrainian)
Enid Mary Blyton (1897–1968) was an English author of children's books.
Born in South London, Blyton was the eldest of three children, and showed an early interest in music and reading. She was educated at St. Christopher's School, Beckenham, and - having decided not to pursue her music - at Ipswich High School, where she trained as a kindergarten teacher. She taught for five years before her 1924 marriage to editor Hugh Pollock, with whom she had two daughters. This marriage ended in divorce, and Blyton remarried in 1943, to surgeon Kenneth Fraser Darrell Waters. She died in 1968, one year after her second husband.
Blyton was a prolific author of children's books, who penned an estimated 800 books over about 40 years. Her stories were often either children's adventure and mystery stories, or fantasies involving magic. Notable series include: The Famous Five, The Secret Seven, The Five Find-Outers, Noddy, The Wishing Chair, Mallory Towers, and St. Clare's.
According to the Index Translationum, Blyton was the fifth most popular author in the world in 2007, coming after Lenin but ahead of Shakespeare.
See also her pen name Mary Pollock
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
May 4, 2025
I'm gone back to my childhood again. I'm in a severe reading slump and this seems to be all I can manage at the moment.
I enjoyed this. It carries a lot of messages throughout the story. Loyalty, love, trust, disappointment and the value of family are just a few of these. It goes quite deep for a children's book and I feel it wouldn't do the children of today any harm to read something like this.
Some nice characterisation and depictions of farming life back in the day.
3/05/2025
Feel exactly the same about it this time. This book is mainly about the city family and their trials and tribulations of living in the country together. The mother is a piece of work. The youngest one, Roddy, has more sense than her but she ultimately learns her lesson the hard way.
I enjoyed this. It carries a lot of messages throughout the story. Loyalty, love, trust, disappointment and the value of family are just a few of these. It goes quite deep for a children's book and I feel it wouldn't do the children of today any harm to read something like this.
Some nice characterisation and depictions of farming life back in the day.
3/05/2025
Feel exactly the same about it this time. This book is mainly about the city family and their trials and tribulations of living in the country together. The mother is a piece of work. The youngest one, Roddy, has more sense than her but she ultimately learns her lesson the hard way.
April 10, 2016
Joint review of Six Cousins at Mistletoe Farm and this book.
There are two brothers, David and Peter. Peter's the farmer, David's the townie. David's house burns down and he sends his children to Peter's house while he goes and tries to find work. He ultimately returns and buys a farm next to Mistletoe Farm. The first book is about the six cousins trying to get along and teaching each other. This book is actually quite nice and very well-written. The second book is victim blaming of women who don't want to dump their lives to go around wagging their tails behind their husbands.
What one can learn from Enid Blyton:
-> Children must be made to work their hands off, otherwise they are 'sissy'.
-> There is no such thing as PTSD and depression in the Blyton world.
-> Wives must suppress their simple desires like listening to music because their husbands want to read the newspaper.
-> Men who yell at their children and wife are more likeable than men who are sensitive and nice.
-> Women who don't want the same things in life as their husbands are selfish.
-> Men's comfort must be paramount because they work so hard outside the home. But never mind that women work even harder inside the home. They just need to be cheerful all the time and not have any hobbies.
-> Children have no rights.
Rose (David's wife) is a classic case of trauma, but everyone thinks she is only being selfish. Seeing your house burnt down and all your money go up in flames is no cause for you to get a trauma, is it? I always have felt sorry for Rose. She was expected to give up everything, she lost the love of her children within eight months, and she was expected to slave for everyone in a life she disliked. Why exactly? Somehow, David is the wronged party here even though he was the careless person who did not take care of the insurance properly. But nary a word against him by anyone, including Rose, about his lack of responsibility, though Rose gets a LOT of flak for her lack of responsibility! She wants the best for her children, including that her son goes to school instead of becoming a farmer at a young age. And that's somehow WRONG?
The characters were actually much better developed than in a normal EB novel. I would have overlooked the obviously screwed up world view in the book, except I watched Enid a while ago. It has spoilt Enid Blyton and her delightfully backward and misogynistic moral stories for me. I just can't help thinking - hypocrite, hypocrite, hypocrite! Why does Enid want Rose to do the exact same things she herself despised to do? And she herself had it so much better than Rose!
In short, I was rooting for Rose and my sympathies lay with her, even though she irritated me a little with her helplessness and constant crying. Her final transformation into the wifely sheep did not seem realistic anyway.
I did enjoy the descriptions of farm life and the old-fashioned way of life with oil lamps and stuff. Oh well, nostalgia plays a large role in my high star-rating.
There are two brothers, David and Peter. Peter's the farmer, David's the townie. David's house burns down and he sends his children to Peter's house while he goes and tries to find work. He ultimately returns and buys a farm next to Mistletoe Farm. The first book is about the six cousins trying to get along and teaching each other. This book is actually quite nice and very well-written. The second book is victim blaming of women who don't want to dump their lives to go around wagging their tails behind their husbands.
What one can learn from Enid Blyton:
-> Children must be made to work their hands off, otherwise they are 'sissy'.
-> There is no such thing as PTSD and depression in the Blyton world.
-> Wives must suppress their simple desires like listening to music because their husbands want to read the newspaper.
-> Men who yell at their children and wife are more likeable than men who are sensitive and nice.
-> Women who don't want the same things in life as their husbands are selfish.
-> Men's comfort must be paramount because they work so hard outside the home. But never mind that women work even harder inside the home. They just need to be cheerful all the time and not have any hobbies.
-> Children have no rights.
Rose (David's wife) is a classic case of trauma, but everyone thinks she is only being selfish. Seeing your house burnt down and all your money go up in flames is no cause for you to get a trauma, is it? I always have felt sorry for Rose. She was expected to give up everything, she lost the love of her children within eight months, and she was expected to slave for everyone in a life she disliked. Why exactly? Somehow, David is the wronged party here even though he was the careless person who did not take care of the insurance properly. But nary a word against him by anyone, including Rose, about his lack of responsibility, though Rose gets a LOT of flak for her lack of responsibility! She wants the best for her children, including that her son goes to school instead of becoming a farmer at a young age. And that's somehow WRONG?
The characters were actually much better developed than in a normal EB novel. I would have overlooked the obviously screwed up world view in the book, except I watched Enid a while ago. It has spoilt Enid Blyton and her delightfully backward and misogynistic moral stories for me. I just can't help thinking - hypocrite, hypocrite, hypocrite! Why does Enid want Rose to do the exact same things she herself despised to do? And she herself had it so much better than Rose!
In short, I was rooting for Rose and my sympathies lay with her, even though she irritated me a little with her helplessness and constant crying. Her final transformation into the wifely sheep did not seem realistic anyway.
I did enjoy the descriptions of farm life and the old-fashioned way of life with oil lamps and stuff. Oh well, nostalgia plays a large role in my high star-rating.
April 29, 2021
This follow-up to SIX COUSINS AT MISTLETOE FARM is an even darker story if that's possible. This time around the kids play a much smaller part, with the focus being on Rose and her struggles adapting to the hard life of running a farm. Again it's a surprisingly adult tale wrapped up in the trappings of a kid's book with the usual lavish food arrays and cute animals. Along the way we get familial strife and conflict, the breakdown of a marriage, mother/child hatred, petty theft and crime and a real psychological profile of the main characters. It's quite difficult to read at times, given that Rose is presented as a villain although her flaws come across as all too human, but this is what makes it such an interesting - and surprising - book, and so different from everything else I've encountered by Blyton.
February 16, 2019
A book about a dysfunctional family, elitism, snobbery, the haves and have-nots, factionalism within families, body-shaming, trophy wives - not exactly what I expected from an Enid Blyton book!
August 4, 2025
The Sequel (like the first book) is one of Blyton's rarer novels, written for a more grown-up audience. It is a realistic look at country life, the importance of family, and what makes a good family. And of course. the ever-present love for animals. Such a lovely, delightful, book that tackles some deep issues, and ends it all so wonderfully and hopefully.
September 1, 2025
Everything I said about Six Cousins At Mistletoe Farm applies: this is a book about family relations that has more complex iteration between the characters than in the regular adventure or mystery books she wrote. Unlike the most adventure-oriented Enid Blyton books, these ones are interested in the psychology of the characters, while still being appropriate for the young target audience.
In this second (and last) book, Cyril, Melisande and Roderick, whom I'll call the "urban cousins," have moved into a nearby, much more modern farm with their parents. Their mother, Rose, has difficulty adapting to the life of a farmer's wife, their father, David, has various setbacks, and the children have trouble settling down.
Again, a quite enjoyable read, although I think I liked it a bit less than the first book. The reason is that Rose is so useless, and her presence here is much bigger than in the first book, so the book doesn't seem as nuanced in its preference of the rural ways over the ways of the urban part of the family. In Six Cousins At Mistletoe Farm the urban side of the family was represented mostly by the children, depicted as able to adapt and improve when exposed to farm life. Rose however, is very much present here, and she is completely hopeless for most of the book, so the story seems a bit less nuanced and perhaps even meaner, or at least more heavy-handed. Rose is reformed at the end for the necessary happy ending, which I enjoyed, but it feels a bit too sudden, not completely earned.
Apart from this minor complaint, however, the book is very enjoyable for the same reasons as its predecessor. It's a nice change of pace to read a Blyton story so character-oriented, and family-focused. I enjoyed all the characters, particularly Roddy, who becomes the main star here, and the way the story shows the family dynamics, and how when the family was disunited things did not go well.
In this second (and last) book, Cyril, Melisande and Roderick, whom I'll call the "urban cousins," have moved into a nearby, much more modern farm with their parents. Their mother, Rose, has difficulty adapting to the life of a farmer's wife, their father, David, has various setbacks, and the children have trouble settling down.
Again, a quite enjoyable read, although I think I liked it a bit less than the first book. The reason is that Rose is so useless, and her presence here is much bigger than in the first book, so the book doesn't seem as nuanced in its preference of the rural ways over the ways of the urban part of the family. In Six Cousins At Mistletoe Farm the urban side of the family was represented mostly by the children, depicted as able to adapt and improve when exposed to farm life. Rose however, is very much present here, and she is completely hopeless for most of the book, so the story seems a bit less nuanced and perhaps even meaner, or at least more heavy-handed. Rose is reformed at the end for the necessary happy ending, which I enjoyed, but it feels a bit too sudden, not completely earned.
Apart from this minor complaint, however, the book is very enjoyable for the same reasons as its predecessor. It's a nice change of pace to read a Blyton story so character-oriented, and family-focused. I enjoyed all the characters, particularly Roddy, who becomes the main star here, and the way the story shows the family dynamics, and how when the family was disunited things did not go well.
August 13, 2022
Enid Blyton’s The Six Cousins was my favourite book series before Harry Potter came along. As a child, I read this fervently many times over and loved every part of the story. I fantasised about living in a little farmhouse with my cousins. It honestly made me want to marry a farmer, churn butter and pickle fruit, make hay, have a spread of high tea every evening, ride horses around a village and feed my imaginary farm animals. (Needless to say, Sims 4: Cottage Living is my favourite expansion pack)
It has been interesting reading this again through adult eyes. Even as children’s books, it is incredibly enjoyable for adults – this has far more complex characterisation than Blyton’s other works and even other books written for adult audiences that I’ve recently read *cough* Colleen Hoover *cough*. The problem is that I am now an adult and I cannot help but notice Blyton’s very conservative and sexist views shining through her words, which I’ve never picked up on as a child (goes to show how easily children’s minds can be groomed).
Still giving this a 5 star rating for nostalgia’s sake, but if this is to be read to a child, it needs to come with some form of discussion on fat-shaming, gender roles and trauma.
It has been interesting reading this again through adult eyes. Even as children’s books, it is incredibly enjoyable for adults – this has far more complex characterisation than Blyton’s other works and even other books written for adult audiences that I’ve recently read *cough* Colleen Hoover *cough*. The problem is that I am now an adult and I cannot help but notice Blyton’s very conservative and sexist views shining through her words, which I’ve never picked up on as a child (goes to show how easily children’s minds can be groomed).
Still giving this a 5 star rating for nostalgia’s sake, but if this is to be read to a child, it needs to come with some form of discussion on fat-shaming, gender roles and trauma.
September 22, 2025
Not quite as enjoyable as the first book, but mostly because you spend SO MUCH of the book wanting to shake Rose and yell "Get with the program, girlie!" And if there is one flaw in the book, it's that Rose capitulates much too quickly to what she's spent the entire book fighting.
But other than that, it was marvelous to see the city cousins evolve in their new farmhouse, and that the central character is Roderick. I liked him best of the 3 cousins in book one, and honestly, he's the only one I'd want to hang out with of his siblings. It was gratifying to see them stick by their dad when push came to shove, but it didn't feel grounded in their characters' previous actions. Roddy, though - he's a farmer through and through!
But other than that, it was marvelous to see the city cousins evolve in their new farmhouse, and that the central character is Roderick. I liked him best of the 3 cousins in book one, and honestly, he's the only one I'd want to hang out with of his siblings. It was gratifying to see them stick by their dad when push came to shove, but it didn't feel grounded in their characters' previous actions. Roddy, though - he's a farmer through and through!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 25, 2018
Timeless
August 24, 2023
rereading this was a joy and has only further convinced me that i want to live on a farm
April 30, 2024
A "follow up/sequel" to six cousins at mistletoe farm. One of Blytons best, and very emotional
January 3, 2025
it's sort of terrible and I have a fondness for it, it's very hard to explain. I dunno it has a certain witless charm.
May 25, 2024
As a child, I really loved this book. Now, when I read it again, I see a lot of conservative ideas that I don't like or agree on in it. ( As is common in Enid Blyton's books. ) But I still love it nonetheless.
July 2, 2022
Six Cousins at Mistletoe Farm and Six Cousins Again are books that most decidedly have not been aimed at children; it is for women particularly Mothers and wives.
It is the story of Linnie and of Rose...
Linnie is the very hard working wife of a farmer with three children. The linchpin of her house as well as their very large farm.
Despite the farmhouse having no basic comforts such as electricity, Linnie works extremely hard to keep the house going with good meals and her support at all times for her husband. This strong bond is what keeps the farm prosperous.
On the other hand Rose is a town person who needs the good things a town/city has to offer. She is totally unsuited to being a farmer’s wife, but that can be remedied with time and patience, sadly Rose lacks the fortitude and disregards her husband who works very hard to keep things going. She does not bother about the money she wastes on frivolous things but after some extremely rude shocks, Rose does change...
As an adult I did learn a great deal from these two books.
It is the story of Linnie and of Rose...
Linnie is the very hard working wife of a farmer with three children. The linchpin of her house as well as their very large farm.
Despite the farmhouse having no basic comforts such as electricity, Linnie works extremely hard to keep the house going with good meals and her support at all times for her husband. This strong bond is what keeps the farm prosperous.
On the other hand Rose is a town person who needs the good things a town/city has to offer. She is totally unsuited to being a farmer’s wife, but that can be remedied with time and patience, sadly Rose lacks the fortitude and disregards her husband who works very hard to keep things going. She does not bother about the money she wastes on frivolous things but after some extremely rude shocks, Rose does change...
As an adult I did learn a great deal from these two books.
October 13, 2022
All around filled with anti romani racism
November 21, 2016
I haven't read the first "Six Cousins" book, but that did not make this second installment any less enjoyable. It was a surprisingly psychologically-complex novel from Enid Blyton; very different from the style of writing in the Secret Seven and Famous Five series.
The story is about six cousins who live on two farms - Mistletoe Farm and Holly Farm - that are just a few miles apart. Mistletoe Farm is old and shabby, but its occupants are hardworking, and happy with their lives. Holly Farm is newer, with up-t0-date appliances, but the farmer's wife, Rose, does not want to do all the hard jobs that a farmer's wife of that time typically does. She wants to have a spotless house, elegant tea parties, go to the theatre and sit on committees. Her children are also discouraged from participating in the farming life. Rose alienates the local poacher, Sam Twig, who turns out to be very wise in the ways of the country, and a useful guy to know in a crisis.
After Holly Farm is beset by a run of bad luck, Rose gets tested to the limits of her endurance, and the subsequent transformation in her personality is one of the things that sets this book apart from other run-of-the-mill Enid Blyton books. I almost could not believe that EB actually wrote this, but nevertheless it's an engrossing and satisfying story, and shows just how good of an author she was.
The story is about six cousins who live on two farms - Mistletoe Farm and Holly Farm - that are just a few miles apart. Mistletoe Farm is old and shabby, but its occupants are hardworking, and happy with their lives. Holly Farm is newer, with up-t0-date appliances, but the farmer's wife, Rose, does not want to do all the hard jobs that a farmer's wife of that time typically does. She wants to have a spotless house, elegant tea parties, go to the theatre and sit on committees. Her children are also discouraged from participating in the farming life. Rose alienates the local poacher, Sam Twig, who turns out to be very wise in the ways of the country, and a useful guy to know in a crisis.
After Holly Farm is beset by a run of bad luck, Rose gets tested to the limits of her endurance, and the subsequent transformation in her personality is one of the things that sets this book apart from other run-of-the-mill Enid Blyton books. I almost could not believe that EB actually wrote this, but nevertheless it's an engrossing and satisfying story, and shows just how good of an author she was.
January 30, 2015
This book was one of the very first Enid Blyton books I read after the Noddy ones and I totally fell in love with it. I could so relate to the character Roderick. Possibly I am not like him at all but kind of felt a strange affinity to that character. The tale is about a person from rural background returning to country life with his city bred family. His children have some experience having lived a few months with their uncle and aunt in the countryside. The one most unprepared is his wife. It is a big change for her and the story kind of focuses on how she comes to terms with it. Being a children's book, it does not focus on her emotions and feelings but more on that of her youngest son Roderick. But she is central to the story. Her final transformation can be considered unrealistic and too sudden. But then in general the book gives such a good feeling even when I readit today. So 5 stars to it.
January 1, 2015
I love this book! I love the themes of how when trouble hits you are supposed to stand up and face it. This book is more centered on Rose and her children. Rose finally has some harsh lessons as trouble after trouble hits Holly Farm
March 29, 2015
Much better than the first one, mostly because the other uppity kids didn't feature so much in it. And Roderick is a dear.
July 24, 2011
i read it when i was still in grade school.
September 1, 2012
Didn’t enjoy this as much as the last one. The character of Rose rather ruined it.
April 28, 2018
I liked it. At first looking at the book I was thinking oh god this is going to be boring but I found it very entertaining for a children's book.
Blyton had written a nice story about the contrast of a traditional farm (TF) family and a city family turned farmers (CF).
Blyton had written a nice story about the contrast of a traditional farm (TF) family and a city family turned farmers (CF).
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews