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Emma #2
Emma's Island
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"Although a year and a half of living with Aunt Patsy had made me far less a creature of habit than I had been originally, I had known immediately that island life was not going to be idyllic..."
Emma's brief experience of Aunt Patsy's eccentricities was sufficient to convince her of some--but not all--of the complications which life on a remote Scottish island would be sure to entail. Despite her initial forebodings, however, she is surprised to find herself enjoying life on Stranday more than in "civilization."
When Aunt Patsy's baby is born, however, all of Emma's practical and managing instincts take over, and only the good sense and affectionate bullying of her brother, Richard, visiting from the mainland, pull her out of her domestic doldrums. With aunt Patsy, her baby, and her husband well settled and with their gallery off to a good start, Emma's own role in this family becomes increasingly burdensome. Still, she is not convinced that continuing her schooling on the mainland is the answer. An exciting trip on the continent and a romance with a young archaeologist make her decision easier.
In Emma's Island Honor Arundel again demonstrates the skillful blend of sympathy and humour which has established her as a most successful writer for teen-agers.
"Although a year and a half of living with Aunt Patsy had made me far less a creature of habit than I had been originally, I had known immediately that island life was not going to be idyllic..."
Emma's brief experience of Aunt Patsy's eccentricities was sufficient to convince her of some--but not all--of the complications which life on a remote Scottish island would be sure to entail. Despite her initial forebodings, however, she is surprised to find herself enjoying life on Stranday more than in "civilization."
When Aunt Patsy's baby is born, however, all of Emma's practical and managing instincts take over, and only the good sense and affectionate bullying of her brother, Richard, visiting from the mainland, pull her out of her domestic doldrums. With aunt Patsy, her baby, and her husband well settled and with their gallery off to a good start, Emma's own role in this family becomes increasingly burdensome. Still, she is not convinced that continuing her schooling on the mainland is the answer. An exciting trip on the continent and a romance with a young archaeologist make her decision easier.
In Emma's Island Honor Arundel again demonstrates the skillful blend of sympathy and humour which has established her as a most successful writer for teen-agers.
Paperback
First published January 1, 1968
About the author
Honor Arundel
25 books15 followersHonor Arundel was a novelist for children and young adults, critic, playwright, poet, editor, and journalist.
Arundel's novels for young people have earned her a reputation as an author sensitive to the conflict between responsibility to oneself and responsibility to others that many adolescent girls find difficult to resolve. She began writing novels for teenagers when her daughter complained about the lack of stories about "ordinary children … with real problems" with whom they could identify. Many critics and readers have appreciated Arundel's honesty in describing predicaments that have no easy resolution in life, but she has been criticized for portraying young women who are so closely tied to their families that they lack realistic aspirations outside of family life as well as the confidence necessary to achieve them.
The strong sense of place in Arundel's books, most of which are set in Edinburgh or in the south country of Scotland, testifies to her knowledge and love of the two places she called home.
Her last book, The Blanket Word, which tells of a teenaged daughter's response to her mother's fatal illness, was written while she herself was dying of cancer.
Arundel's novels for young people have earned her a reputation as an author sensitive to the conflict between responsibility to oneself and responsibility to others that many adolescent girls find difficult to resolve. She began writing novels for teenagers when her daughter complained about the lack of stories about "ordinary children … with real problems" with whom they could identify. Many critics and readers have appreciated Arundel's honesty in describing predicaments that have no easy resolution in life, but she has been criticized for portraying young women who are so closely tied to their families that they lack realistic aspirations outside of family life as well as the confidence necessary to achieve them.
The strong sense of place in Arundel's books, most of which are set in Edinburgh or in the south country of Scotland, testifies to her knowledge and love of the two places she called home.
Her last book, The Blanket Word, which tells of a teenaged daughter's response to her mother's fatal illness, was written while she herself was dying of cancer.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
October 27, 2012
I read this first when I was about 11 and I loved it.
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September 23, 2018One I wanted to like more than I did, although rereading it was more enjoyable than reading it the first time, perhaps because I didn't have high hopes.
November 12, 2024
3.5 ⭐️ I picked this up because of the title (my copy is just called Emma), but I enjoyed the characters and the story, tho the plot did seem rushed in parts (especially the ending), and normally paced in others. I'd like to try to find the rest of the series, tho knowing it was book #2 in a series prior to finishing it would have clarified why the author casually mentions the parents deaths (and the almost cliffhanger ending), and I'm sure the first book provides much more detail on the deaths and how Emma came to live with Aunt Patsy and Stephen.
January 13, 2021
I loved this series as a child and am re-reading - they don't disappoint. Emma, her aunt and step-uncle move to a remote Scottish island and open a gallery. Has aged much better than many other books first published in the 60s!
February 6, 2023
Decided to read all 3 of the Emma books - Book 1 I have read several times but the latter 2 only a few. Still enjoyable though even if a bit outdated. Written in 1967 so I must have read in in about 1978 or so . I can see how the things I read in childhood shaped a lot of my ideas back then.
December 30, 2007
Life on a remote island in Scotland assisting her aunt Patsy is at first fun for teenage Emma but ultimately she needs to leave to move on with her own life.
February 9, 2012
like the 'high house' by the same author, i read this as a teeenager and thought it was very good
May 28, 2014
I read this when I was in primary school and loved it.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews