The Little French Girl

by Anne Douglas Sedgwick

Sedgwick's most popular work continues her characteristic documentation of national differences in the contrast between the French and the English as the daughter of a worldly Frenchwoman goes to England to make a good match.—goodreads.com.

Genres: Fiction

321 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1924

About the author

Anne Douglas Sedgwick (28 March 1873 – 19 July 1935) was an American-born British writer. The daughter of a businessman, she was born in Englewood, New Jersey but at age nine her family moved to London. Although she made return visits to the United States, she lived in England for the remainder of her life.
In 1908, she married the British essayist and journalist, Basil de Sélincourt. During World War I she and her husband were volunteer workers in hospitals and orphanages in France.
Her novels explored the contrast in values between Americans and Europeans. Her best-selling novel Tante was made into a 1919 film, The Impossible Woman and The Little French Girl into a 1925 film of the same name. In 1931, she was elected to the United States National Institute of Arts and Letters. Four of her books were on the list of bestselling novels in the United States for 1912, 1924, 1927, and 1929 as determined by the New York Times.
Anne Douglas Sedgwick died in Hampstead, England in 1935.[1] The following year her husband published Anne Douglas Sedgwick: A Portrait in Letters.[2]

Reviews

[L. · Rating 2 out of 5]

Here's the thing, and it's a pretty big thing for me: nothing happens in this book. Now I'm not expecting Jason Bourne antics but I still would like to read about something more than people hanging out. I did a lot of skimming since there's not much depth to the story.

Like countless other families, the war has financially crippled Alix's family. (Although Mom seems to have enough money to hire servants and vacate in Italy for a couple of months. What's up with that, Mom?) Anyway, Alix's family luckily knows an English family, the Bradleys, who are willing to take in the little French girl and let her mooch off of them for awhile. There are numerous members of the Bradley clan but you need know only two. That's Giles, the live brother, and Owen, the dead brother. Alix arrives in Britain and is rather put off of how full England is of English people and how English they act. Like, ew.

Giles escorts Alix back to France and to her mother. Along the way Giles learns that the mother, already scandalous because she's divorced, is also well known for her many love affairs, including a wartime romance with his own brother. Giles' mind is further blown with Mom asks him to marry Alix. (My mind was also blown as I thought Alix was just a kid from the way she talked and acted. Turns out she's supposed to be in her late teens.) Giles refuses but he does agree to take Alix back to England to find a suitable husband.

Spoilers, she lands a rich guy. Spoilers, word of her mother's lifestyle gets out and the engagement is called off. Spoilers, Giles and Alix wait until the final pages of the book to realize they are in love.

[Natashya Rowden · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very talented writer. Beautiful book

[Johnny Bennett · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another high 3, The Little French Girl has some weird pacing. There is a bit more French thrown in than the typical Poirot novel. This would possibly be more enjoyable as audio theatre.