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Marigold
Disillusioned with her circle of friends, beautiful Marigold Brooke plans a trip to Washington, D.C., to give herself time to think. Having strayed from her childhood beliefs, Marigold is confused and troubled about the future.
In Washington, Marigold meets handsome Ethan Bevan, whose maturity and insight give her a new perspective on life. But it isn't until disaster strikes and an intoxicated suitor kidnaps Marigold that she finally awakens to the true meaning of faith--and love.
In Washington, Marigold meets handsome Ethan Bevan, whose maturity and insight give her a new perspective on life. But it isn't until disaster strikes and an intoxicated suitor kidnaps Marigold that she finally awakens to the true meaning of faith--and love.
256 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1938
19 people are currently reading
173 people want to read
About the author
Grace Livingston Hill
591 books569 followersalso wrote under the pseudonym Marcia MacDonald
also published under the name Grace Livingston Hill Lutz
A popular author of her day, she wrote over 100 novels and numerous short stories of religious and Christian fiction. Her characters were most often young female ingénues, frequently strong Christian women or those who become so within the confines of the story.
niece to Isabella MacDonald Alden
also published under the name Grace Livingston Hill Lutz
A popular author of her day, she wrote over 100 novels and numerous short stories of religious and Christian fiction. Her characters were most often young female ingénues, frequently strong Christian women or those who become so within the confines of the story.
niece to Isabella MacDonald Alden
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
August 17, 2014
I read this book as a teen, and perhaps that genre is where it best fits. I don't think I would judge it amongst stellar literature, but it remains a favorite with me. My 14-yr-old daughter just read it and liked it too!
Grace Livingston Hill is a great place for teens to start if they are interested in the "romantic" genre. You can trust Ms. Hill's books to be ultra clean and full of wholesome values, while still painting an interesting story.
Grace Livingston Hill is a great place for teens to start if they are interested in the "romantic" genre. You can trust Ms. Hill's books to be ultra clean and full of wholesome values, while still painting an interesting story.
October 23, 2013
Ahh, this book! So many lovely Christian values and such a beautiful romance. This book helped me realize that the idea that we can change others' lives and bring them to Christ simply by our attitudes is not far fetched! But virtue isn't all. The sweet and exciting romance between Marigold and her lover is masterfully told.
May 27, 2016
This was a re-read for me, but I honestly didn't remember the story from the previous time. It was a pleasant romance, but set in another era, another lifestyle that is difficult to relate to. A pleasant, easy read, though, for a day I didn't feel well.
October 5, 2017
I love Grace Livingston Hill's books, mainly because she writes from a different era. Though the publishers tried to update her books by putting a 70's picture on the front, her stories are still set in the classic Grace Livingston Hill time period, the 30's and 40's. This was a time in our history where life had rules, there was a distinct right and wrong, and classes of people were defined differently than today. Not that it was better, it was just different; unlike our world today where everything is relative to our feelings. The Bible played a major part in people's lives, but the sins of today were going on then too.
Grace Livingston Hill's books always have a beautiful and exciting love story, one where Christians and non-Christians lives collide. I read her books to my 97 year old mother-in-law, Anna, and she relates in a different way than me. I am awed by the way people lived in that time period, and she actually lived in the 30's. When Grace describes clothing of the day, Anna remembers having a dress made out of that material. If I don't understand an idiom of that day, Anna explains it to me. These are wonderful books to share with an older friend or relative. You can read them aloud and not worry that people listening will be shocked by any passages. Instead they will be encouraged.
Grace Livingston Hill's books always have a beautiful and exciting love story, one where Christians and non-Christians lives collide. I read her books to my 97 year old mother-in-law, Anna, and she relates in a different way than me. I am awed by the way people lived in that time period, and she actually lived in the 30's. When Grace describes clothing of the day, Anna remembers having a dress made out of that material. If I don't understand an idiom of that day, Anna explains it to me. These are wonderful books to share with an older friend or relative. You can read them aloud and not worry that people listening will be shocked by any passages. Instead they will be encouraged.
December 24, 2021
I truly enjoy Grace Livingston Hill's books. They offer a window into another time that sometimes astonishes me.
In today's world, going to a night club, drinking alcohol moderately, having a low back to your dress, none of these are blinked at by even most Christians, including myself. I'm still not sure I see these as terrible things, but it is a good thing to consider. Where is the line? Are there places where I should be more strict with myself?
The romance truly was secondary which isn't always the case with her books, so this is less of a fave. I'm on a mission to read them all, though, so...
In today's world, going to a night club, drinking alcohol moderately, having a low back to your dress, none of these are blinked at by even most Christians, including myself. I'm still not sure I see these as terrible things, but it is a good thing to consider. Where is the line? Are there places where I should be more strict with myself?
The romance truly was secondary which isn't always the case with her books, so this is less of a fave. I'm on a mission to read them all, though, so...
June 10, 2013
This is a book with one of Grace Livingston Hill's most obnoxious heroines. The eponymous Marigold is a young schoolteacher who lives with her mother since her father, a minister, died. She has recently taken up with Laurie Trescott, a young rich lazy dude who appears to spend his days bumming about and his evenings partying and flirting with girls who wear lots of makeup (of which GLH was clearly not fond). Marigold, of course, is entirely oblivious to his boozing ways (mostly because, until it's convenient for the plot, he seems to be mainly a social drinker with no serious alcohol issues until suddenly he's a Raging Drunk). During a weekend trip with her mother to Washington, D.C. to visit her aunt, Marigold meets a handsome young engineer named Ethan Bevan, and the plot thereafter devolves into Ethan being a smooth talker, Laurie being a drunk sleazebag who'll stop at nothing to get Marigold, and Marigold being a chick who faints when reminded of nightmares and panics a lot.
For a novel with high speed kidnappings, almost-forced-weddings, and overnight parties of degeneracy, Marigold is pretty dull. At one point, it literally takes GLH two paragraphs to describe a character opening a car door. Marigold, your hero, is helpless and dull, and the romance is contrived and happens almost overnight (though, to be fair, GLH does this same thing in other books and occasionally manages to pull it off). This is not the most preachy GLH novel out there, but it's close, and it seems GLH was at the height of her 'say the magic words and everything will suddenly go well and you'll go to Heaven!' theological stage. Aside from all this, the story is bookended with some nasty, gratuitous racism concerning a black servant which leaves an even worse taste in your mouth.
Overall, I really wouldn't recommend this book - even to GLH fans.
For a novel with high speed kidnappings, almost-forced-weddings, and overnight parties of degeneracy, Marigold is pretty dull. At one point, it literally takes GLH two paragraphs to describe a character opening a car door. Marigold, your hero, is helpless and dull, and the romance is contrived and happens almost overnight (though, to be fair, GLH does this same thing in other books and occasionally manages to pull it off). This is not the most preachy GLH novel out there, but it's close, and it seems GLH was at the height of her 'say the magic words and everything will suddenly go well and you'll go to Heaven!' theological stage. Aside from all this, the story is bookended with some nasty, gratuitous racism concerning a black servant which leaves an even worse taste in your mouth.
Overall, I really wouldn't recommend this book - even to GLH fans.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 21, 2021
Rating: 5 / 5
Yet another lovely work by Grace Livingston Hill--though of course, by this point, I'm not surprised.
Lovely Marigold is a minister's daughter, living with her dear mother in Philadelphia. Her boyfriend is Lawrence "Laurie" Trescott, a spoiled rich boy who of course is only interested in having a good time. The story begins with Marigold purchasing an outlandish gown for a hefty price, and trying to show it off to her mother, only to be met with...well, not the reception that she wanted, anyway. This jumpstarts Marigold's realization of how, through going out with Laurie, slowly she's been letting her own morals and Christian faith slip, and therefore must get turned around and brought back on the right path. For this, a trip to Washington to visit her aunt seems like just the thing, and that's where our story really gets going.
Myself, I think that sometimes these books of Hill's just come "at the right time" for me, and that sometimes this makes up the ratings more than the story itself. Marigold is not the most complex, beautiful, adventurous, or even faith-driven story out of all the ones that I have read by Hill; however, it does have the great dynamic of what happens when a person makes a genuine mistake and starts to realize it before it's too late. At the time of my reading this, I really appreciated and responded to that, and so I give it a five star rating.
Yet another wonderful addition to my shelves!
Yet another lovely work by Grace Livingston Hill--though of course, by this point, I'm not surprised.
Lovely Marigold is a minister's daughter, living with her dear mother in Philadelphia. Her boyfriend is Lawrence "Laurie" Trescott, a spoiled rich boy who of course is only interested in having a good time. The story begins with Marigold purchasing an outlandish gown for a hefty price, and trying to show it off to her mother, only to be met with...well, not the reception that she wanted, anyway. This jumpstarts Marigold's realization of how, through going out with Laurie, slowly she's been letting her own morals and Christian faith slip, and therefore must get turned around and brought back on the right path. For this, a trip to Washington to visit her aunt seems like just the thing, and that's where our story really gets going.
Myself, I think that sometimes these books of Hill's just come "at the right time" for me, and that sometimes this makes up the ratings more than the story itself. Marigold is not the most complex, beautiful, adventurous, or even faith-driven story out of all the ones that I have read by Hill; however, it does have the great dynamic of what happens when a person makes a genuine mistake and starts to realize it before it's too late. At the time of my reading this, I really appreciated and responded to that, and so I give it a five star rating.
Yet another wonderful addition to my shelves!
March 5, 2015
Marigold finally has everything she's wanted - a handsome suitor to squire her around, the most beautiful dress she's ever laid hands on, the invitation to the party of the season....life is absolutely perfect.
Only it's not. Her mother has no money to visit a very ill (dying?) sister and suddenly Marigold's plans seem foolish. As she struggles with generosity vs. the innate selfishness that only wants her to give so much so that she can still have all the worldly treasures she's stored up for herself, she's put to the test. Life is at a crossroads - only she has no way of knowing just how badly the wrong path can take her.
Sweet romance with the perfect hero, the maddening villains, and a certain amount of preachiness that reads more like a devotional than a work of fiction sometimes, GLH still manages to capture my heart and keep me reading breathless to the last page. Satisfying in the extreme at the end and another book I close with reluctance, wanting to follow our happy couple into the years to come.
Only it's not. Her mother has no money to visit a very ill (dying?) sister and suddenly Marigold's plans seem foolish. As she struggles with generosity vs. the innate selfishness that only wants her to give so much so that she can still have all the worldly treasures she's stored up for herself, she's put to the test. Life is at a crossroads - only she has no way of knowing just how badly the wrong path can take her.
Sweet romance with the perfect hero, the maddening villains, and a certain amount of preachiness that reads more like a devotional than a work of fiction sometimes, GLH still manages to capture my heart and keep me reading breathless to the last page. Satisfying in the extreme at the end and another book I close with reluctance, wanting to follow our happy couple into the years to come.
March 22, 2017
Marigold has to struggle with her attraction to playboy Laury, as she suspects he is drawing her away from her Christian values and even from her mother. Luckily, cousin Ethan is waiting in the wings (actually Washington DC) with all the right values. Plus, he's a great tour guide! Marigold is a more convincing protagonist than some of Hill's simpering At least she has to face selfishness and disloyalty in her own heart.
If you like predictable Christian romances, this might be a good comfort read for you. But I suspect it seems very dated and stilted to most modern readers. 2 1/2 stars.
If you like predictable Christian romances, this might be a good comfort read for you. But I suspect it seems very dated and stilted to most modern readers. 2 1/2 stars.
July 14, 2025
A sweet story. I liked Marigold and her mother, and Ethan. There is some pretty high drama in this book that felt like it could have been avoided, but some people hate making any kind of scene. And the ending made me smile.
Clear Christian messages in this book which I really liked!
Clear Christian messages in this book which I really liked!
July 2, 2018
Sometimes the very thing we think we need, must have, and can’t do without, is the very thing that would be our undoing. Marigold discovers this in a very real, hard way. However, as she yields her will and spirit to the One Who is infinitely more able to bring about a ‘perfect plan’, she soon discovers a priceless joy beyond measure, and a love greater than she could have ever possibly imagined.
April 16, 2013
I picked this one up and realized I had read it before. It is quite outdated and not worth reading twice. Especially the flighty, frivolous, Marigold, interested it clothing and parties. Laurie, her "Fast" beau vs. Ethan her "Good" beau. Maybe is a few years this will be a good time period piece.
February 13, 2013
I like these clean Christian romances by Grace Livingston Hill; however, I will say that her good characters are almost too perfect and her bad ones horribly evil, which can make them amusing although that's not the intent. They are well written though.
February 23, 2015
I always enjoy Christian novels to bring me to the important ideas of my faith. The characters are very real, and the old-fashioned quality is charming and comforting to me at times. I have read this one several times.
December 14, 2014
This is not good.
June 4, 2018
It's an old favorite.
September 18, 2021
Really enjoyed this story. Love Grace Livingston Hill's writing.
November 2, 2021
I'm going to rate this a 3 star because I didn't hate reading it (which is what I rate 1 and usually 2 star books), but I can't rate it any higher than this because of all the horrible plot and character elements that are glaring flaws when you actually take an even semi-critical look at the novel.
First of all, the main character: what a completely selfish and self-centered person! She does undergo some changes throughout the book, but not in a way that I felt made sense or even seemed logical. In "Re-Creations" the main character also begins as a completely selfish person, but after hearing her younger siblings say so in so many words, she resolves to change. Marigold, on the other hand, simply wakes up to the fact that she is selfish and then kind of-sort of changes her behavior, but her attitude is pretty much the same and she only grudgingly changes her actions (while regretting her positive actions the entire time). While this may be more realistic (I mean, we can't all be selfless, angelic, and perfect in every way like most of GLH's heroines), it way pretty obnoxious to read about a character whose mother sacrificed everything for her, but was too selfish to return a dress that she spent a year's worth of rent money to buy. (Spoiler, she does end up returning the dress, but regrets it immediately and for the next several chapters.)
Second: the timeline. Ok, so our main character goes from being a completely selfish and self centered person to an angelic Christian in exactly 2 weeks. She also falls out of love with a man she's been seeing for months in exactly one day. (Granted, that's all it takes sometimes - if I had a drunken boyfriend kidnap me and try to force me to elope, I'd sure as heck kick his butt to the curb!) She also fell IN love with another, wonderful man and got engaged in that same span of 2 weeks. In the midst of this, she works a full time job for a week and a half, and sight-sees around Washington DC for a long weekend. This is the timeline for the entire novel.
Third: The 2 dimensional love interest. So Ethan hates women because they are floozies and not Christian. Enter Marigold, a selfish, self centered girl who only recently has outwardly chosen to do the right thing by her mother. She does have decent motives though, I'll grant her that. But somehow by wearing a conservative dress, she fools Ethan into believing she is the last decent woman in the world? And then he falls crazy fast in love with her? But this whole time he is a super gallant gentleman who loves old ladies and puppies and flowers, etc. blah blah blah.
Anyway, despite all the things that are massively wrong with the novel, I didn't mind reading it. It was extremely painful to read at first, and I honestly almost put it down because I couldn't handle Marigold's selfishness. But after I got part of the way through it, it got slightly better. So because of this, I'm feeling generous and will rate it a 3 instead of a 2. Overall, probably won't read again. Actually, no, I won't read again unless it's a choice between this one and Dawn of the Morning, in which case I'll pick this one up so fast I'll get papercuts on all my fingers!
First of all, the main character: what a completely selfish and self-centered person! She does undergo some changes throughout the book, but not in a way that I felt made sense or even seemed logical. In "Re-Creations" the main character also begins as a completely selfish person, but after hearing her younger siblings say so in so many words, she resolves to change. Marigold, on the other hand, simply wakes up to the fact that she is selfish and then kind of-sort of changes her behavior, but her attitude is pretty much the same and she only grudgingly changes her actions (while regretting her positive actions the entire time). While this may be more realistic (I mean, we can't all be selfless, angelic, and perfect in every way like most of GLH's heroines), it way pretty obnoxious to read about a character whose mother sacrificed everything for her, but was too selfish to return a dress that she spent a year's worth of rent money to buy. (Spoiler, she does end up returning the dress, but regrets it immediately and for the next several chapters.)
Second: the timeline. Ok, so our main character goes from being a completely selfish and self centered person to an angelic Christian in exactly 2 weeks. She also falls out of love with a man she's been seeing for months in exactly one day. (Granted, that's all it takes sometimes - if I had a drunken boyfriend kidnap me and try to force me to elope, I'd sure as heck kick his butt to the curb!) She also fell IN love with another, wonderful man and got engaged in that same span of 2 weeks. In the midst of this, she works a full time job for a week and a half, and sight-sees around Washington DC for a long weekend. This is the timeline for the entire novel.
Third: The 2 dimensional love interest. So Ethan hates women because they are floozies and not Christian. Enter Marigold, a selfish, self centered girl who only recently has outwardly chosen to do the right thing by her mother. She does have decent motives though, I'll grant her that. But somehow by wearing a conservative dress, she fools Ethan into believing she is the last decent woman in the world? And then he falls crazy fast in love with her? But this whole time he is a super gallant gentleman who loves old ladies and puppies and flowers, etc. blah blah blah.
Anyway, despite all the things that are massively wrong with the novel, I didn't mind reading it. It was extremely painful to read at first, and I honestly almost put it down because I couldn't handle Marigold's selfishness. But after I got part of the way through it, it got slightly better. So because of this, I'm feeling generous and will rate it a 3 instead of a 2. Overall, probably won't read again. Actually, no, I won't read again unless it's a choice between this one and Dawn of the Morning, in which case I'll pick this one up so fast I'll get papercuts on all my fingers!
November 23, 2021
Wow! I really changed my opinion as I read through this book. Being written in 1938, I was curious, and as I expected, at first, it seemed very ‘corny’. As I continued to read, it began to speak to me..... I thought “this isn’t officially ‘historic fiction’, but it is for me as I was ‘experiencing’ a past time period. Then the gospel began being discussed. And it was far from corny! It was readable and relatable, and at the same time it was a ‘meaty’ discussion of Bible Truths and realistic Christian living. It was a huge encouragement to me in my Christian walk even in 2021. And, yes, the romance was ‘fluffy’ and a bit corny but who doesn’t like that?!
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December 5, 2020Fewer unbelievable coincidences than some of Hill's books, but more preachiness. Also yet another diatribe against drinking, more intrusive than in some of Hill's other books. I think Marigold makes the right choices in the end, to be sure, but the romance is almost completely undeveloped, going from zero to "I love you" very quickly.
July 16, 2021
Another great Grace book
Marigold is a young woman, who is unaware of that her mother's warnings about people, planned events are not silly, but life changing in s dangerous way. Marigold makes a decision that opens a door to another man who changes her thinking in a positive way and opens her eyes to truths.
Marigold is a young woman, who is unaware of that her mother's warnings about people, planned events are not silly, but life changing in s dangerous way. Marigold makes a decision that opens a door to another man who changes her thinking in a positive way and opens her eyes to truths.
July 22, 2025
This was not the first time I read this title, but it had been long enough that I did not recognize it at first. There were a few inconsistencies in the story but overall I quite like it. I appreciate that Marigold wavers between good and questionable choices it makes her seem much more real than many of the author's sweet girl characters.
March 15, 2023
...
I read this book when I was 7, probably
I loved it!
I was also legitimately traumatized and vowed to never drink, ever!
But I also vowed to name my future daughter Marigold
So take that as you will
You'll probably enjoy this book
If you're not 7
I read this book when I was 7, probably
I loved it!
I was also legitimately traumatized and vowed to never drink, ever!
But I also vowed to name my future daughter Marigold
So take that as you will
You'll probably enjoy this book
If you're not 7
December 2, 2020
A quick read love story. Good book.
June 26, 2021
Love these boooks
Always sweet . always good biblical trurh, good moral romance always encourages a. Servants heart, I hope I'll always find a new. GLH book tto read
Always sweet . always good biblical trurh, good moral romance always encourages a. Servants heart, I hope I'll always find a new. GLH book tto read
June 17, 2022
Another winner!
Grace Livingston Hill has another winner. I'm only 56 but I have loved her stories since I was a teenager. Time hasn't dimmed their message either
Grace Livingston Hill has another winner. I'm only 56 but I have loved her stories since I was a teenager. Time hasn't dimmed their message either
Currently reading
August 27, 2023pg. 16
June 18, 2025
Not my favorite GLH novel.
Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews