Mildred at Home

Mildred Keith #5

by Martha Finley

The Landreths and Annis meet Aunt Wealthy in Philadelphia on their way home from the Oaks and complete their journey with her at their side. Mildred and Zillah, her sister, welcome daughters into their homes and learn much about raising children. Don and Rupert, Mildred's brothers, heed the call to "Go West, young man!" When they are attacked by Indians, the Keith family mourns their likely loss but rejoices in the knowledge that if they are dead they are in a far better place with the Lord.

Genres: Fiction, Christian Fiction, Young Adult, Historical Fiction, Historical

254 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1884

About the author

Martha Finley was a teacher and author of numerous works, the most well known being the 28 volume Elsie Dinsmore series which was published over a span of 38 years. Finley wrote many of her books under the pseudonym Martha Farquharson.

For more information, please see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martha_F... or, http://marthafinley.wordpress.com/

Reviews

[Lydia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Or rather "The Keith Family at Home and Abroad". Though Mildred isn't traveling in this book, three of her siblings are and several chapters follow their adventures. This, as well as the opening chapters following Elsie, means that little of the book feels like it is actually following Mildred's life. The adventures are interesting, but like the previous book, the title feels a little mis-leading.

As always, these books are a door to the past, showing worldviews almost alien in an America still so young. The opening chapters with Elsie and the runaway slave are very out of place to the rest of the tale but give a different perspective to that generally shown in current stories, and perhaps because of this, does an even better job at raising uncomfortable questions for those of faith. This, on top of the loss the Keith family suffers at the beginning of the book, makes this a hard book but not a bad one.

Content notes: No language issues; authentic language to the time is used to describe people of color, both blacks and natives. Two characters have an uncharacteristic marriage for extreme reasons, however, their behavior is proper; modern readers will probably find it confusing if not over-dramatically cautious. A wagon train is involved in a skirmish with Native Americans, which involves deaths and injures from gunshot wounds; though whipping is mentioned as a punishment it doesn't happen on or off page; several perilous situations, though most turn out well.

[Raphaella Pipenhagen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I prefer the newer, A Life of Faith: Millie Keith series, which are easier to read, stronger faith- they stop at what would be book 4 in the original series, which I think is far enough. Millie has run her course. Eventually you have to call it good- dragging a series on too long can start to get too much, depending on how you do it.
However I found one of the plots in this book intriguing- the one with Rupert and Don going west. I kind of skimmed through the other parts and just read those parts. That story has promise. I wish someone would take it and do for Rupert what they did for Millie- rewrite it in a new book, focusing just on those characters not everyone everywhere.

[Hannah Hill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! I have to say that this book has definitely been the best out of all of the Mildred and Elsie series put together!!! I have thoroughly enjoyed reading it and I look forward to reading the sequel, “Mildred’s Boys and Girls.”