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Room for One More
A human, absorbing and highly admirable account of Mrs. Rose and her family, her husband, the two girls and a boy of their own, and the two boys and a girl whom they took in as foster children for a few weeks and whom they kept. This is both a practical and understanding insight on the experience of foster parenthood; on the expected reactions of all foster children- the initial insecurity, lying, bragging, face saving until the adjustment is made, the acceptance sensed; the interrelationship between what they called their "born" children and their "drop" children; the many difficulties which required special handling. And there is something about each of them; Jane, a child of divorce who had tried to suicide; Joey, a starvation case; and Jimmy John, a polio child said to be seriously retarded but who was given the physical therapy and academic assistance he needed. And there is their very full family life together, the housekeeping, pets, hobbies, with Mrs. Rose's writing, public speaking, sailing and teaching adding to the many accomplishments in this home. A book, for women, which holds considerable interest and incentive.
272 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1949
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142 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
September 12, 2014
A delightful book published in 1949 about a family who took in three foster children, in the 1930s, who stayed forever. Anna Perrott Rose tells how each of them came to their family and the ups and downs of taking them in and raising them. She tells the stories with such humor that they are very fun to read. Along with the humorous incidents of children and pets, are great pieces of advise in raising children, even today, and insights into problem behaviors. She and her husband had three children of their own so they raised six children.
The book was probably written in advocacy of foster care. Anna spoke at many foster care meetings and conventions about her experiences and encouraged others to open their homes to children in need. She and her husband had three children of their own, making a total of six children to raise.
The book is about raising these three foster children, but we see the Anna's character and personality as she writes in first person and elevates our life while telling about her own. My mother found this gem in a used book store and loved it so she passed it around the family. It is sadly out of print, so other members of the family copied--xeroxed it just to have it as a resource book for parenting.
The book was probably written in advocacy of foster care. Anna spoke at many foster care meetings and conventions about her experiences and encouraged others to open their homes to children in need. She and her husband had three children of their own, making a total of six children to raise.
The book is about raising these three foster children, but we see the Anna's character and personality as she writes in first person and elevates our life while telling about her own. My mother found this gem in a used book store and loved it so she passed it around the family. It is sadly out of print, so other members of the family copied--xeroxed it just to have it as a resource book for parenting.
January 10, 2012
I wanted to read this book after seeing the movie starring Cary Grant. Once I saw that the movie was based on a book and it was a true story, I had to hunt it down. The story is told in a very straight forward manner and is full of ancedotal stories of raising 6 children (3 of her own, and 3 foster children) in the 1930-40's. The author addresses many questions that have been asked her over the years regarding taking in foster children and blending them with her own children. Each chapter heading is a different topic or question. It was an enjoyable read and made me long for simplier times. I also took some good teaching devices and it helped me see that I need to change my attitude regarding some things in my own household.
August 26, 2016
As the other reviewer(s) mentioned, this is a first person account by Anna Perrot Rose (Wright), about for the most part, the three foster children that she and her husband took in and raised. Originally, all three children came for only two weeks at their summer cottage, and all three stayed permanently. I think the chapters were originally serialized elsewhere--Readers' Digest?--and combined here into one volume; there may have been some connecting material added but the book still reads like a collection of magazine articles. Not that I mind that! It's an interesting story.
Sixty years after the book was written (and presumably more since the articles were published), portions of the book are now very dated, such as the medical treatments and surgeries for the youngest child, Jimmy John, as a result of his polio, and the adenoids of the second child, Joe. For all that, it's an interesting book as this provides a peek into a time long gone.
Sixty years after the book was written (and presumably more since the articles were published), portions of the book are now very dated, such as the medical treatments and surgeries for the youngest child, Jimmy John, as a result of his polio, and the adenoids of the second child, Joe. For all that, it's an interesting book as this provides a peek into a time long gone.
February 12, 2023
This is an interesting time capsule—the world was a very different place 90 years ago! On the whole, the author sounds like a pretty sympathetic parent whose assorted children really lucked out.
It’s been a while since I’ve seen it, but the Cary Grant movie of the same name is quite charming and I think has more of a continuous narrative arc.
It’s been a while since I’ve seen it, but the Cary Grant movie of the same name is quite charming and I think has more of a continuous narrative arc.
February 24, 2021
I picked this up after watching the similarly-titled movie starring Betsy Drake and her one-time husband Cary Grant (which made enough of an impression that I was unable to picture the individuals in the book with any other images). The book was hard to find - probably because it's also been published (and filed in libraries) under various permutations of Anna Perrott Rose Wright.
It's difficult to picture a time when the words "foster care" don't conjure up the sort of homes endured by Janet Fitch's characters in her novel/movie "White Oleander." Or hearing the phrase "he bounced in and out of foster homes" as if it's one step above a prison record. But in 1949, when portions of the book were first published, the author was speaking to PTA groups, businesses, and town associations about child rearing techniques and the benefits of fostering because of the family success in raising healthy, happy children from so-called "challenging," "hardened" or "retarded" (to use the now politically-incorrect term) cases.
It's an inspiring story that could be maudlin, but it's not. Two parents, six children, limited financial resources but plenty of outdoor entertainment, democratic processes, and a few well-understood rules - along with a lot of pets, not too much attention to the furniture, and acceptance of castoff clothing make for quite a bit of entertainment and minimal preaching. There are vignettes about each of the foster children, various mishaps, the story of the author's upbringing, and a few examples of where the author's creativity was put to the test.
My Houghton Mifflin edition was published in 1950, and was missing pages 156-163 (it was cleanly bound, a printer's error) in the 272 pages. The movie enacted a number of the stories told in the book (particularly some of those about Jimmy John), but those expecting Teenie to be a girl will be surprised to see her portrayed, no doubt for comedic effect, by George "Foghorn" Winslow. I should also mention that the author wrote some 20 additional teen suspense novels and a few biographical stories for adolescents under the name Anna Rose Wright (full name being Anna Maria Louisa Perrott Rose Wright, so various permutations were used of those for publications); she also wrote the book "Gentle House" (1954) about the experience of adopting a Latvian orphan.
It's difficult to picture a time when the words "foster care" don't conjure up the sort of homes endured by Janet Fitch's characters in her novel/movie "White Oleander." Or hearing the phrase "he bounced in and out of foster homes" as if it's one step above a prison record. But in 1949, when portions of the book were first published, the author was speaking to PTA groups, businesses, and town associations about child rearing techniques and the benefits of fostering because of the family success in raising healthy, happy children from so-called "challenging," "hardened" or "retarded" (to use the now politically-incorrect term) cases.
It's an inspiring story that could be maudlin, but it's not. Two parents, six children, limited financial resources but plenty of outdoor entertainment, democratic processes, and a few well-understood rules - along with a lot of pets, not too much attention to the furniture, and acceptance of castoff clothing make for quite a bit of entertainment and minimal preaching. There are vignettes about each of the foster children, various mishaps, the story of the author's upbringing, and a few examples of where the author's creativity was put to the test.
My Houghton Mifflin edition was published in 1950, and was missing pages 156-163 (it was cleanly bound, a printer's error) in the 272 pages. The movie enacted a number of the stories told in the book (particularly some of those about Jimmy John), but those expecting Teenie to be a girl will be surprised to see her portrayed, no doubt for comedic effect, by George "Foghorn" Winslow. I should also mention that the author wrote some 20 additional teen suspense novels and a few biographical stories for adolescents under the name Anna Rose Wright (full name being Anna Maria Louisa Perrott Rose Wright, so various permutations were used of those for publications); she also wrote the book "Gentle House" (1954) about the experience of adopting a Latvian orphan.
January 30, 2013
Titolo: Room for one more
Titolo italiano: C’è posto per tutti
Autore: Anna Perrott Rose
Edito in America nel 1949
Edito in Italia da Baldini Castoldi editore nel 1952, e ormai introvabile se non in alcune biblioteche
Trama: Il libro, ambientato tra la fine degli anni ‘30 e l’inizio degli anni ‘40, racconta la vita di una famiglia, padre, madre e tre figli, che decide di prendere in affidamento tre orfani, che poi finiscono per vivere con loro fino all’età adulta. Già crescere tre figli è difficile, immaginate sei, e tre con dei problemi, anche fisici…difficilissimo, ma tra economie, scherzi,incidenti, baruffe e momenti toccanti,. il libro scorre che è un piacere.
Certo è moralistico? S’. Il linguaggio è un poco vetusto? Sì, ma gli insegnamenti della madre protgonista, che poi non è altro che l’autrice che in qustte pagine racconta la sua esperienza reale nell’allevare tre orfani già grandicelli e di come sia riuscita ad aiutarli e integrarli con la sua famiglia, possono essere utilissimi anche ai genitori d’oggi.
C’è l’ironia degli incidenti di bambini e cuccioli, ma ci sono anche molti spunti per come trattare problemi comportamentali e fisici in un bambino.
Personalmente io l’ho trovato un libro utile e piacevole, che ci trasporta in un’epoca ormai scomparsa.
Da questo libro fu tratto anche un film con Cary Grant, che in italiano fu intitolato appunto, C’è posto per tutti.
Titolo italiano: C’è posto per tutti
Autore: Anna Perrott Rose
Edito in America nel 1949
Edito in Italia da Baldini Castoldi editore nel 1952, e ormai introvabile se non in alcune biblioteche
Trama: Il libro, ambientato tra la fine degli anni ‘30 e l’inizio degli anni ‘40, racconta la vita di una famiglia, padre, madre e tre figli, che decide di prendere in affidamento tre orfani, che poi finiscono per vivere con loro fino all’età adulta. Già crescere tre figli è difficile, immaginate sei, e tre con dei problemi, anche fisici…difficilissimo, ma tra economie, scherzi,incidenti, baruffe e momenti toccanti,. il libro scorre che è un piacere.
Certo è moralistico? S’. Il linguaggio è un poco vetusto? Sì, ma gli insegnamenti della madre protgonista, che poi non è altro che l’autrice che in qustte pagine racconta la sua esperienza reale nell’allevare tre orfani già grandicelli e di come sia riuscita ad aiutarli e integrarli con la sua famiglia, possono essere utilissimi anche ai genitori d’oggi.
C’è l’ironia degli incidenti di bambini e cuccioli, ma ci sono anche molti spunti per come trattare problemi comportamentali e fisici in un bambino.
Personalmente io l’ho trovato un libro utile e piacevole, che ci trasporta in un’epoca ormai scomparsa.
Da questo libro fu tratto anche un film con Cary Grant, che in italiano fu intitolato appunto, C’è posto per tutti.
January 1, 2025
This autobiographical book tells the story of a family that takes in foster care, and then adopts, two boys and a girl. Although it is a book from many years ago (it is from 1949) it does not seem so old. The parents always find a way to encourage the children (even their own, but especially those in foster care who are anxious and have to overcome traumas and fit into the family) and to increase their self-esteem, looking for their interests and abilities and focusing on those.
February 25, 2025
This is a great story and the movie Room for one More,Starring Cary Grant is loosely based on . I think some of the events might be slightly exaggerated, but as they are her memories, they are as accurate as she remembers them. Where the movie puts “Poppy” as the central figure the book shows the mom, Rose as the glue that cemented the family.
September 30, 2017
This book has changed my life! I have read it more than 10 times; it is a book I have memorized huge parts of. I cannot imagine anyone that would not be moved by this timeless true story.
March 17, 2018
A sweet book. Fascinating to learn about those days and foster care in its infancy.
June 27, 2022
So much good parenting advice!!!!!
May 9, 2024
This book is a special one because it was my great-grandma’s favorite book. I never got to know her, but this book makes it feel like I did.
July 26, 2016
Well done memoir of Anna Rose Parrott and the family they raised. I 've wanted to read this since seeing the Cary Grant movie years ago. I ran across the book at an AAUW used book sale and was thrilled! I recommend it if you are willing to accept soe old fashioned ideas of parenting.
September 26, 2009
I truly enjoyed this little gem. It's a bit dated, but still a funny and warm story about raising children.
June 19, 2011
Great book! More on http://bookwinked.wordpress.com
September 4, 2012
Enjoyed reading about the creative responses to many of the challenges the family encountered...and the caring attitudes and humor:)
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews