Penelope's Postscripts: Switzerland: Venice: Wales: Devon: Home

Penelope's Experiences

by Kate Douglas Wiggin

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Genres: Fiction

232 pages, Hardcover

First published August 1, 1915

About the author

Kate Douglas Smith Wiggin

Kate Douglas Wiggin, nee Smith (1856-1923) was an American children's author and educator. She was born in Philadelphia, and was of Welsh descent. She started the first free kindergarten in San Francisco in 1878 (the "Silver Street Free Kindergarten"). With her sister in the 1880s she also established a training school for kindergarten teachers. Her best known books are The Story of Pasty (1883), The Birds' Christmas Carol (1886), Polly Oliver's Problem (1893), A Cathedral Courtship (1893), The Village Watchtoer (1896), Marm Lisa (1897) and Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm (1903).

Reviews

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

A bit of Venice, a bit of Wales, a bit of Devon, and a bit of New England and babies, this one gives you more of the conversational floweryness that is sometimes a joy to follow and sometimes a show-offy drag on the story (for instance, the section on Francesca's besotted tutor, dull dull dull). I read this one out of order but other than a spoiler about Salamina, it jumps around in time so much that it doesn't matter. Still very very conservative and I could have done without the commentary about there being no Penelope anymore now that she is Mrs. William Beresford (gah!).

[Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

Meh, this was okay - kind of a nice postscript, but not ultimately necessary. I felt like it didn't really add much, though the final chapter was charming.

[QNPoohBear · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the first and last episode in the Penelope series. It takes place just after A Catherdral Courtship and features cameos from the characters of that novel. As Penelope and friends travel through Europe, she jots down impressions in her diary. These impressions are not as polished or as amusing as her other extracts. The descriptions are not as detailed and the story focuses a lot on other characters. It concludes with Penelope telling us what she's up to now in 19__.