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Tomorrow About This Time
Half-sisters Silver and Athalie Greeves have grown up worlds apart. Silver is a humble, faith-filled young lady; Athalie is a flapper who takes after her socialite mother. When a chance visit suddenly reunites Silver and Athalie with each other and a father they’ve never known, will a true family emerge where only a family by name existed before? Terrance Bannard, the local minister, is soon taken by Silver’s beauty and spirit, but will a rising jealousy from younger sister Athalie force Silver to sacrifice love for the sake of her family?
295 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1923
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About the author
Grace Livingston Hill
578 books567 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 - 30 of 33 reviews
April 23, 2014
I keep forgetting about this one where two daughters are reunited with their father. Good book about maturity and responsibility versus just getting one's way. Also a good book to remind me that parents have responsibilities to raise children that can function on their own to a certain extent in society.
January 31, 2023
Rating: 2.5 / 5
DNF at about 100 pages.
Truthfully, it was the title that attracted me to this one, even though the plot seemed kind of...meh. Ultimately, just the title wasn't enough to keep me interested and attracted though, which leads to me meeting this book just halfway in terms of ratings, in that it may have had something lovely and of substance to impart.
Maybe. I'm giving it the benefit of the doubt in rating it up to 3 stars as the halfway point.
In this story, we focus in on Patterson Greeves, who is a man that just sets out hating life and God and only wanting a little piece for himself in his middle age. See, he was married once to the love of his life, but of course, a la fairytales, she died in childbirth. Unable to cope with being a father after losing his love, he let his wife's parents adopt the girl, and that was that.
But then, our protagonist gets himself re-married five years later to one of those "wicked modern women" who charmed him thoroughly before revealing her true character. They also have a child together, except that Patterson just outright hates this child and ends up divorcing his wife and throwing himself into his work--and an unhealthy hatred of God.
Into this story and with these characters in mind, the reader is thrust to make...well, something out of it. Basically, both daughters re-enter the life of the father, with the daughter of his first wife being an angel, and the daughter of his second life being an "evil" flapper. So...yeah, very much a product of its time and of Victorian attitudes.
But, see, what really disturbed me about this wasn't the character of Athalie as a flapper, but rather Patterson himself. Apart from the fact that he's raving against God and utterly cynically, I just hated this man's first reaction to Athalie. He's shocked and appalled that she's as much of a flapper as she is, but there were many things wrong with their first meeting for me:
1. What on earth did he expect would happen to his child, knowing what kind of a woman her mother was who raised her?
2. Patterson seems to utterly forget that she even is his child, and his first reaction upon meeting her is just utter rejection which...for me was disgusting to read through, and the poor girl was disheartened by it as well.
3. And lastly, she's only fourteen, for crying out loud! Like...say what you will about her being an "appalling" flapper and all that, but she's just a fourteen year old girl who's meeting her father for the first time and who gave him an honest impression of herself! Like...I felt really bad for HER based on Patterson's reaction, to the point that I didn't blame her at all when she got mean and hateful afterwards. Like...how would any of you feel if you met your father for the first time as a teenager and he rejected you because he didn't like how you turned out, even though he practically abandoned you as an infant?!
So...yeah, huge disconnect there between what I'm sure the author intended and what a 21st century audience would think. What I'm sure the author intended was a very straightforward story about good versus evil, with the eldest daughter, Silver, portraying the good Christian lifestyle, and Athalie representing the evil modern lifestyle, but it just doesn't work from my perspective because Athalie is justified in being hateful after being rejected. For me, she doesn't come out as the main villain as much as a victim, and it's Patterson who's acting the main villain instead. It's not often that I really feel sympathy for the villainous characters in Grace Livingston Hill novels--she makes them so convincing and all--but for Athalie, I sincerely do!
Anyway, to conclude, while some of Grace Livingston Hill's works are very much timeless, I'm afraid that THIS story definitely isn't.
DNF at about 100 pages.
Truthfully, it was the title that attracted me to this one, even though the plot seemed kind of...meh. Ultimately, just the title wasn't enough to keep me interested and attracted though, which leads to me meeting this book just halfway in terms of ratings, in that it may have had something lovely and of substance to impart.
Maybe. I'm giving it the benefit of the doubt in rating it up to 3 stars as the halfway point.
In this story, we focus in on Patterson Greeves, who is a man that just sets out hating life and God and only wanting a little piece for himself in his middle age. See, he was married once to the love of his life, but of course, a la fairytales, she died in childbirth. Unable to cope with being a father after losing his love, he let his wife's parents adopt the girl, and that was that.
But then, our protagonist gets himself re-married five years later to one of those "wicked modern women" who charmed him thoroughly before revealing her true character. They also have a child together, except that Patterson just outright hates this child and ends up divorcing his wife and throwing himself into his work--and an unhealthy hatred of God.
Into this story and with these characters in mind, the reader is thrust to make...well, something out of it. Basically, both daughters re-enter the life of the father, with the daughter of his first wife being an angel, and the daughter of his second life being an "evil" flapper. So...yeah, very much a product of its time and of Victorian attitudes.
But, see, what really disturbed me about this wasn't the character of Athalie as a flapper, but rather Patterson himself. Apart from the fact that he's raving against God and utterly cynically, I just hated this man's first reaction to Athalie. He's shocked and appalled that she's as much of a flapper as she is, but there were many things wrong with their first meeting for me:
1. What on earth did he expect would happen to his child, knowing what kind of a woman her mother was who raised her?
2. Patterson seems to utterly forget that she even is his child, and his first reaction upon meeting her is just utter rejection which...for me was disgusting to read through, and the poor girl was disheartened by it as well.
3. And lastly, she's only fourteen, for crying out loud! Like...say what you will about her being an "appalling" flapper and all that, but she's just a fourteen year old girl who's meeting her father for the first time and who gave him an honest impression of herself! Like...I felt really bad for HER based on Patterson's reaction, to the point that I didn't blame her at all when she got mean and hateful afterwards. Like...how would any of you feel if you met your father for the first time as a teenager and he rejected you because he didn't like how you turned out, even though he practically abandoned you as an infant?!
So...yeah, huge disconnect there between what I'm sure the author intended and what a 21st century audience would think. What I'm sure the author intended was a very straightforward story about good versus evil, with the eldest daughter, Silver, portraying the good Christian lifestyle, and Athalie representing the evil modern lifestyle, but it just doesn't work from my perspective because Athalie is justified in being hateful after being rejected. For me, she doesn't come out as the main villain as much as a victim, and it's Patterson who's acting the main villain instead. It's not often that I really feel sympathy for the villainous characters in Grace Livingston Hill novels--she makes them so convincing and all--but for Athalie, I sincerely do!
Anyway, to conclude, while some of Grace Livingston Hill's works are very much timeless, I'm afraid that THIS story definitely isn't.
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August 11, 2011Distraught over the death of his lovely young wife, Patterson Greeves allows his in-laws to adopt his baby girl. Later he married a selfish, faithless woman, who divorces him and raises their daughter. Now years later, both daughters have returned to him, one sweet and godly, the other wild and undisciplined. He wonders how God could do this to him, reluctant to admit that it was his own choices and actions that brought him to this point. Can God heal these hurting hearts?
A typical Hill romance. I was enjoying the story as it played out, but felt that it ended very abruptly and very melodramatically. I think rather much time was spent on the nosy neighbors; I would rather have had the resolution played out more. Also, in this day and age, it was uncomfortable to see how much open discussion was made about Athalie's weight. Flapper or not, she would understandably be hurt by comments like that!
A typical Hill romance. I was enjoying the story as it played out, but felt that it ended very abruptly and very melodramatically. I think rather much time was spent on the nosy neighbors; I would rather have had the resolution played out more. Also, in this day and age, it was uncomfortable to see how much open discussion was made about Athalie's weight. Flapper or not, she would understandably be hurt by comments like that!
July 30, 2020
I've come to really love this phrase - "Tomorrow About This Time." It's a phrase I never thought much about until I read this book. Since then, I was doing a Bible study in the Old Testament and I saw it more than once and each time it leapt out at me, and again I would think of this book and how such a phrase applied in my life.
It's a powerful statement.
And it's used in a powerful way in this book about a man with two daughters he's never met that couldn't be more unlike each other. The story of this sodden mess of a family was enthralling - and kept me engaged. I liked how we focused so heavy on the poor little flapper girl, and showed that even she was not without hope. I like this about Grace's books - she might make some pretty harsh examples of life but that's part of the fun - and part of the message. You always emphasize the things that point to your message in a sermon. Which leads to my next thought. More and more I'm thinking that Grace wrote sermons as stories, didn't she?
Either way, even when the stories are obvious and melodramatic, I love them dearly and always come away thoughtful and with the aim to live a better life. This is another one of those stories to make you think. I do love this one!
It's a powerful statement.
And it's used in a powerful way in this book about a man with two daughters he's never met that couldn't be more unlike each other. The story of this sodden mess of a family was enthralling - and kept me engaged. I liked how we focused so heavy on the poor little flapper girl, and showed that even she was not without hope. I like this about Grace's books - she might make some pretty harsh examples of life but that's part of the fun - and part of the message. You always emphasize the things that point to your message in a sermon. Which leads to my next thought. More and more I'm thinking that Grace wrote sermons as stories, didn't she?
Either way, even when the stories are obvious and melodramatic, I love them dearly and always come away thoughtful and with the aim to live a better life. This is another one of those stories to make you think. I do love this one!
October 1, 2024
This was one of those GLH novels that I kept thinking I wasn't going to like and ended up loving. At first, it looked like it was going to be a shallow book about a father learning to love his wayward daughter only as she changed to suit him (which is really how it feels at first). Yet, the whole point of the story is how love will change us when nothing else will. Could this have been shown better? Yes. I really think this story needed another couple of chapters to show this truth, but it still was good.
There is a lot of people who judge a wild girl for her outward appearance, especially because she is fat due to overeating. I would have liked to see this addressed more directly as a negative thing, but I felt like some of that was implied. If you are struggling with your weight or are sensitive about comments people might make about others about someone's size, I would skip this story.
One character takes God's name in vain twice and both times is called out for it. That same character later admits he was wrong and calls it blasphemy, but I would have still rather it not have been in the book.
This was a good read about the importance of faith in transforming us from the inside out.
There is a lot of people who judge a wild girl for her outward appearance, especially because she is fat due to overeating. I would have liked to see this addressed more directly as a negative thing, but I felt like some of that was implied. If you are struggling with your weight or are sensitive about comments people might make about others about someone's size, I would skip this story.
One character takes God's name in vain twice and both times is called out for it. That same character later admits he was wrong and calls it blasphemy, but I would have still rather it not have been in the book.
This was a good read about the importance of faith in transforming us from the inside out.
June 7, 2016
The making of a Christian family
A scientist returns home only to find his two very different daughters are both arriving, one to visit, the difficult child to live with him. It's really tough going, but trust in the Lord brings them through. This book left me teary- eyed and happy at the same time. It was set in a time when the simplicity of Christianity was taken for granted. Altogether, a worthwhile read.
A scientist returns home only to find his two very different daughters are both arriving, one to visit, the difficult child to live with him. It's really tough going, but trust in the Lord brings them through. This book left me teary- eyed and happy at the same time. It was set in a time when the simplicity of Christianity was taken for granted. Altogether, a worthwhile read.
December 15, 2016
This was absolutely a great book. I don't normally go for Christian lit but I was pleasantly surprised. The trouble that Athalie causes her father and sister is terrible, but still the story falls together in the end.
September 24, 2018
Not My Favorite, But...
I am a great fan of GLH, but I confess this was not one of my favorites. I did not connect with any of the main characters and there were too many personalities for me.
I am a great fan of GLH, but I confess this was not one of my favorites. I did not connect with any of the main characters and there were too many personalities for me.
July 16, 2013
was a good book
November 13, 2018
A story of failures, faith, family, relationships, and redemption.
April 28, 2025
This book was written in the 1920s and is an excellent glimpse into the norms, values, and attitudes of the time, especially regarding “flappers”. Although often humorous, it also wrestles with God and conventional beliefs about grief. It shows how resentment and woundedness can alter a person’s perceptions about life, family, and God. The author paints an accurate picture of loss and love. I found it to be refreshingly NOT a romance novel.
Athalie and Silver both deserved two loving parents, but parents are not guaranteed the gift of children. The lesson here being that children are always a blessing even if the time of birth isn’t convenient. It’s interesting how Greeves inadvertently created his own undoing and when his past decisions caught up with him he blamed God. Yet, the ending…..A good reminder that whatever the enemy meant for evil, God means for His glory and our good.
I didn’t like the angelic descriptions favoring Silver as the heroine when Athalie was clearly the stronger character. The ending was hopeful, but she still didn’t seem to get the love that I felt she needed all the time.
“He could not forgive God, if there was a God, for having taken away his wife, and he wanted to pay Him back by unbelief.” —Patterson Greeves
Athalie and Silver both deserved two loving parents, but parents are not guaranteed the gift of children. The lesson here being that children are always a blessing even if the time of birth isn’t convenient. It’s interesting how Greeves inadvertently created his own undoing and when his past decisions caught up with him he blamed God. Yet, the ending…..A good reminder that whatever the enemy meant for evil, God means for His glory and our good.
I didn’t like the angelic descriptions favoring Silver as the heroine when Athalie was clearly the stronger character. The ending was hopeful, but she still didn’t seem to get the love that I felt she needed all the time.
“He could not forgive God, if there was a God, for having taken away his wife, and he wanted to pay Him back by unbelief.” —Patterson Greeves
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 3, 2021
Grace Livingston Hill's "Tomorrow About This Time" has a wonder message that having faith in God's plan, taking responsibility for our mistakes and not blaming God. I enjoy the Bible lesson within the story. When the author wrote this story, flappers were of those times, I found this interesting, the descriptions and actions. I loved the close knit town and had to laugh at the gossiping people.
Story in short- A father shirks his duty as a father and wonders why his daughter is unmanageable and unlovable.
“I was thinking how much you remind me of a man I have been reading about in the Bible. Jehoram is his name. Ever make his acquaintance?” “Not especially,” answered Greeves coldly, with evident annoyance at the digression. “He was one of those old Israelite-ish kings, wasn’t he?” “Yes, a king, but he blamed God for the results of his own actions.” “Mm! Yes. I see! But how am I to blame for having a daughter like that? Didn’t God make her what she is? Why couldn’t she have been the right kind of a girl? How was I to blame for that?��
“Go read the story of Jehoram and you’ll understand. The city was in a state of siege. The people were starving crazed by hunger, were eating their own children, and appealing to the king to settle their demoniacal quarrels. The king was blaming God for it all, and suddenly the prophet appeared and told him that ‘tomorrow about this time’ there would be plenty to eat and cheap enough for everybody. How do you know but tomorrow about this time God may have relief and joy all planned and on the way?”
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I was happy that Athalie finally became friends with her half sister. I was glad that she did not get hurt, that we know about, her being very young and around much older men. I was happy that Greeves opened his heart to love and God.
Patterson Greeves comes back to Silver Sands after his uncle's death 15 years ago he became the owner of their home after their death but the war and living abroad kept him away. He is a famous bacteriologist which kepts him busy not thinking of his past marriages. "Patterson Greeves, brilliant scholar, noted bacteriologist, honored in France for his feats of bravery and his noted discoveries along the line of his chosen profession, which had made it possible to save many lives during the war;" "In his senior year of college, Patterson Greeves had fallen in love with Alice Jarvis, the lovely daughter of the Presbyterian minister in the little college town where he had spent the years of his collegiate work."He married Alice Jarvis and they were happily married until her death during childbirth. "While he was still at Silver Sands his father-in-law had written to ask if he would let them adopt the little girl as their own in place of the daughter whom they had lost. Of course he would always be welcomed as a son, but the grandfather felt he could not risk letting his wife keep the child and grow to love it tenderly if there was danger of its being torn away from them in three or four years and put under the care of a stepmother." A couple years after his wife's death, he was mad at God and started to welcome non believers to his circle. It was then that he meet his second wife Lilla, who wanted him as a stepping stone, his family name and money. Lilla fooled Patterson, he thought she was all goodness but it soon was known to him that she was different, they had a baby girl, his wife named her Athalie but Patterson could not warm his heart to his daughter and he stayed away from home because of his wife's immorality and unfeeling behavior. "The evenings of reading together suddenly began to openly bore her. Lilla had no notion of settling down to a domestic life. Her husband was only one of many on whom she lavished her smiles, and as soon as she had him safely she began to show her true nature: selfish, untrue, disloyal, mercenary, ambitious." "Well, Pat, the time is up, and as the court decreed I am sending you your daughter. I hope you haven’t forgotten, for it would be rather awkward for the poor thing. I’m going to be married in a few days now and wouldn’t know what to do with her. She’s fourteen and has your stubbornness, but she’s not so bad if you let her have her own way in everything. Don’t worry, she’s the kind that marries young, and she’ll probably take herself off your hands soon. I wish you well of your task." Lilla has written to her ex husband, that their 14 year old daughter will be coming to live with him, Pat became anger and was renouncing God again. He also had letter from his daughter, Alice, of his first marriage, she tells of her grandparents dying and wanting to visit him before she starts working. Her grandmother thought it would be a good idea to visit her father. "He sensed that somewhere deep in his soul was a large engulfing contempt for himself. This was no attitude, of course, for a father to have toward his children. But then they had never really been his children in the strict sense of the word," "Poor credulous Uncle Standish, poor Aunt Lavinia! Strong and fine and good but woefully ignorant and gullible! How little they knew of life! How pleasant to have been like them! And yet, they stagnated in the old town, walking in grooves their forbearers had carved for them, thinking the thoughts that had been taught them. That was not life. Well, why not? He had seen life. And what had it given him? Dust and ashes! A bitter taste! Responsibilities that galled! Hindrances and disappointments! Two daughters whom he did not know! An empty heart and a jaded soul! Ah! Why live?" Pat is thinking about the gullibility of his aunt and uncle with regards to believing in God, he knows the world and knows it does not hold. A bell is ringing there is a fire in Frogtown, Pat is excited to find out so he goes to investigate. He runs into a young boy named Blink and a man who is the Minister. After the fire from the Pickle factory is out, the three walk towards home, Pat invites his new friends in for some refreshments and they all are friendly. Pat's telegram trying to stop Athalie from coming has been useless his daughter will be there the next day. Pat unable to place his daughter in school because of a measles outbreak is surprised when his outspoken unmannered daughter, Athalie shows up early, having phoned one of her mother's lovers to drive her there. She comes giving orders rudely to her father's servants. “No, you shan’t take them out!” screamed Athalie, stamping her heavy young foot indignantly. “I want them here! Put them right down there! She has nothing to say about it!” Joe vacillated from the library to the hall and back again uncertainly and looked pitifully toward his master. “Put the things in the hall, Joe, and then go out and shut the door!” ordered the master with something in his controlled voice that caused his daughter to look at him with surprise. Joe obeyed, Anne Truesdale thankfully disappeared, and Patterson Greeves found himself in the library alone with his child." "He felt like striking her down. He wanted to curse her mother for allowing her to grow up into this, but most of all he felt a loathing for himself that he had made himself responsible for this abnormal specimen of womanhood. Scarcely more than a child and yet wearing the charm of the serpent with ease." Pat is confronted with his daughter so insolent and looking like a flapper. She tries to control him but he is disgusted after she offers him a cigarette, insulting her looks and telling her to wash up her face of all that makeup. "She was a flapper! The most despicable thing known to girlhood, according to his bred and inherited standards. The thing that all the newspapers and magazines held in scorn and dread; the thing that all noted people were writing about and trying to eradicate; the thing they were afraid of and bowed to and let be; and his child was a flapper!" Anne Truesdale was a friend of Pat's aunt and uncle who took over the job of looking over the house after aunt Lavinia died and has come to love Pat, when he was a child as being her own. She is worried after she hears him talk so ungodly, has he lost his faith. The Minister, Bannard has come for a planned hike but sees Pat all upset asking for advice. Pat tells his troubles and his disbelief in God, Bannard tells him he reminds him of the Bibical Jehoram who blamed his actions on God. Pat was blaming his mistakes of his marriage and his unruly daughter not on himself but God. Pat realises Alice is coming today and he wants Athalie to be gone before she arrives, he shutters that Alice's daughter should meet this terrible daughter. Athalie tells about being expelled from school after having a party. Bannard is asked to pick up Pat's other daughter at the train station, he is surprised to see a young lady not a young girl, his heart goes out to her and knows she is the one he has been dreaming all his life. They are introduced and before arriving to her father's home, she sees the church where her relatives are buried. Blink and his dog take a liking to the young lady, Silver, her grandparents named her. Athalie is send upstairs but does not go when she sees the good looking minister come back. She at 14 is very forward and advanced with men. Athalie sees the paintings and when seeing a beautiful angelic picture she then realises it is her father's first wife. She then spits chocolate at the painting, after returning from upstairs she put her mother's half clad picture near the defaced first wife. Silver talks to her father and sees that he is upset about something, she asks him if he wants her there, he crying it is too late, I should have come home much earlier, Silver understands her father's misery and then they have a happy understanding. They walk over to the train station to get her suitcase. Athalie is jealous of this girl and stays in her room eating chocolates, more of her trunks come and there are many and enormous, with indecent clothing. "The man found himself telling his child about his own boyhood, his aunt, his uncle, the old minister, the long sweet services in the quaint old church. There was no bitterness in his voice now as he spoke of the religion of those who had brought him up. Something softening had come over him. He hardly understood himself." Silver and her father see Bannard at the church where he then shows them the old church and just like her mother Silver plays the organ. Pat is worrying about his other daughter at home invites both the minister and Blink for dinner. Athalie spies around the rooms, sees the room that the other girl was given and is quite jealous, she tears Silver's mother's photo and decides to take this room for her own and rudely tells Silver. Silver hears from the girl that this is Athalie is her father's daughter. Silver confused and upset, thinking she is not wanted her until her father tells her his miserable story and begs for her to stay and help him. "The whiff of orange pekoe wafted up as Silver passed her father his cup. Tea on the terrace and she not even told! And there was that stunning-looking man again! Who was he? Did that other girl think she would take possession of him, too, as well as her father, and the house, and the best room, and everything? Well, they would find out! She was going down at once. She would show that stuck-up girl!" Blink sees a boy coming out of the Greeves' window, but realises later it is a fat girl. Blink is an amateur dectective/policeman that helps thwrat crime. He follows her and after eating sweets at the drugstore, he hears hee ring up Bobs telling him, she will sneak out at night and nobody will know, if he does not she will tell her mother that he thinks she is old. She comes back home and sees a tea party looking to crash it, her mother told her to make life uncomfortable for him. "Silver stood at the front window looking out across the field with troubled eyes, trying to think out the horrible situation. She was convinced that she ought not to have come, that she had followed her heart rather than her good judgment, and probably a bit selfishly and determinedly, too, coming unannounced. She had wanted to forestall any attempt on the part of her father to refuse to see her. She had wanted him so, and now, see!" After Athalie told Silver that she will drive her out of her father's home and that she is the sole inheritor of his money. Anne hears this conversation and tells Silver who has been thinking of leaving that she must stay and help her father. Silver sees that Athalie needs a father more than she does. Athalie is still dressed flimsy and her father is angry but will deal with her later. They go to the room with the piano and the picture of Alice is disfigured and Lilla's unseemly one near. A fight of words and spirits between Athalie and her father, after seeing Lilla's picture and destroying it, she takes revenge on one of his relative's painting. All the neighborhood is gossiping on what is going on in the Silver mansion, a city tramp sees Athalie and wonders how his knowledge will profit him. Patterson tried to talk to Athalie, it seems so impossible and he is beginning to see his mistake in not regarding her when she was very young. She tells her father she hates Silver. Silver tells her father she must go, Athalie needs a father because she was never loved and besides she has a job and must leave. Patterson so upset he cannot be without her and that Athalie, he could never love, she will be a viper like her mother, which the young girl overheard. "It was an hour before they arrived at a compromise. Silver was to remain for a time, was to send for her trunk and to be allowed to follow her own course about keeping out of Athalie’s way, on condition that the father was to make an honest effort to win Athalie to a better way of behavior and to try to cultivate a little love between them, though that Patterson Greeves declared was an impossibility." Patterson takes Athalie golfing and sees some of his behaviours in her. Bannard comes to offer the Greeves on a car ride but Athalie refuses since Silver is to go. They drive to the location of the new church building."Greeves stood there watching him with almost jealous eyes, seeing as in a vista a long line of tender services he might have rendered had his heart been right to his own. Where did this rough untaught man learn such angelic gentleness? Here in this bare little house with an environment of the plainest necessities, the father had fenced in a little piece of the kingdom of heaven for his child." The Minister is stopped by a mother whose baby girl is very ill and thought to have pneumonia, Silver offers her services having had nursing training. Patterson is afraid his daughter will become ill, goes into the house to bring her out but he soon after sees how others suffer and he forgets himself. The baby is doing better after some oxygen and care, Patterson is struck by the rough poor father of this baby being a father were he gave up so long ago. The High School girls came over to see he young girl and to welcome her but Athalie who prefers men, finally decides after making them wait a long time with her gaudy and unruly presence, which embarrasses the girls and having had enough Athalie leaves out the front door walking down the street. "From all he had heard the night before, all the gossip that had been going around the town that day, he would not expect his new friend to be deeply grieved at his daughter’s disappearance. And yet—he didn’t like that man’s face! Of course, he might be her uncle or something coming after her. But anyhow, he didn’t like the way the man felt her wrist. It wasn’t nice. Gosh, she was just a kid! Just a foolish little kid. Gosh! He’d like to punch that man’s head even if he was her uncle!" Blink sees Athalie walking to the bridge the meeting place that he heard her talk about on the phone but the man she was meeting was old. Blink feeling disgusted and with the help of his friend Sam who had followed the car ahead but when the other car stopped at the drug store, Blink told his friend to follow him, he is taking the car back to the Sliver place. The man who went into the store comes back waving his hands after the cars are leaving. When Athalie left all those girls in the house and dressed for trouble went out the front door nobody heard from her again, the worrying begins to start but all those girls left to tell around town about their visit. Silver goes in and wins the girls, she accepts an invitation for making fudge with the group which her father comes too and Bannard tries to find the lost girl. Anne is so worried she is actually praying for her. Returning home from the party and no Athalie but a man calling demanding to talk to her.
Story in short- A father shirks his duty as a father and wonders why his daughter is unmanageable and unlovable.
“I was thinking how much you remind me of a man I have been reading about in the Bible. Jehoram is his name. Ever make his acquaintance?” “Not especially,” answered Greeves coldly, with evident annoyance at the digression. “He was one of those old Israelite-ish kings, wasn’t he?” “Yes, a king, but he blamed God for the results of his own actions.” “Mm! Yes. I see! But how am I to blame for having a daughter like that? Didn’t God make her what she is? Why couldn’t she have been the right kind of a girl? How was I to blame for that?��
“Go read the story of Jehoram and you’ll understand. The city was in a state of siege. The people were starving crazed by hunger, were eating their own children, and appealing to the king to settle their demoniacal quarrels. The king was blaming God for it all, and suddenly the prophet appeared and told him that ‘tomorrow about this time’ there would be plenty to eat and cheap enough for everybody. How do you know but tomorrow about this time God may have relief and joy all planned and on the way?”
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I was happy that Athalie finally became friends with her half sister. I was glad that she did not get hurt, that we know about, her being very young and around much older men. I was happy that Greeves opened his heart to love and God.
Patterson Greeves comes back to Silver Sands after his uncle's death 15 years ago he became the owner of their home after their death but the war and living abroad kept him away. He is a famous bacteriologist which kepts him busy not thinking of his past marriages. "Patterson Greeves, brilliant scholar, noted bacteriologist, honored in France for his feats of bravery and his noted discoveries along the line of his chosen profession, which had made it possible to save many lives during the war;" "In his senior year of college, Patterson Greeves had fallen in love with Alice Jarvis, the lovely daughter of the Presbyterian minister in the little college town where he had spent the years of his collegiate work."He married Alice Jarvis and they were happily married until her death during childbirth. "While he was still at Silver Sands his father-in-law had written to ask if he would let them adopt the little girl as their own in place of the daughter whom they had lost. Of course he would always be welcomed as a son, but the grandfather felt he could not risk letting his wife keep the child and grow to love it tenderly if there was danger of its being torn away from them in three or four years and put under the care of a stepmother." A couple years after his wife's death, he was mad at God and started to welcome non believers to his circle. It was then that he meet his second wife Lilla, who wanted him as a stepping stone, his family name and money. Lilla fooled Patterson, he thought she was all goodness but it soon was known to him that she was different, they had a baby girl, his wife named her Athalie but Patterson could not warm his heart to his daughter and he stayed away from home because of his wife's immorality and unfeeling behavior. "The evenings of reading together suddenly began to openly bore her. Lilla had no notion of settling down to a domestic life. Her husband was only one of many on whom she lavished her smiles, and as soon as she had him safely she began to show her true nature: selfish, untrue, disloyal, mercenary, ambitious." "Well, Pat, the time is up, and as the court decreed I am sending you your daughter. I hope you haven’t forgotten, for it would be rather awkward for the poor thing. I’m going to be married in a few days now and wouldn’t know what to do with her. She’s fourteen and has your stubbornness, but she’s not so bad if you let her have her own way in everything. Don’t worry, she’s the kind that marries young, and she’ll probably take herself off your hands soon. I wish you well of your task." Lilla has written to her ex husband, that their 14 year old daughter will be coming to live with him, Pat became anger and was renouncing God again. He also had letter from his daughter, Alice, of his first marriage, she tells of her grandparents dying and wanting to visit him before she starts working. Her grandmother thought it would be a good idea to visit her father. "He sensed that somewhere deep in his soul was a large engulfing contempt for himself. This was no attitude, of course, for a father to have toward his children. But then they had never really been his children in the strict sense of the word," "Poor credulous Uncle Standish, poor Aunt Lavinia! Strong and fine and good but woefully ignorant and gullible! How little they knew of life! How pleasant to have been like them! And yet, they stagnated in the old town, walking in grooves their forbearers had carved for them, thinking the thoughts that had been taught them. That was not life. Well, why not? He had seen life. And what had it given him? Dust and ashes! A bitter taste! Responsibilities that galled! Hindrances and disappointments! Two daughters whom he did not know! An empty heart and a jaded soul! Ah! Why live?" Pat is thinking about the gullibility of his aunt and uncle with regards to believing in God, he knows the world and knows it does not hold. A bell is ringing there is a fire in Frogtown, Pat is excited to find out so he goes to investigate. He runs into a young boy named Blink and a man who is the Minister. After the fire from the Pickle factory is out, the three walk towards home, Pat invites his new friends in for some refreshments and they all are friendly. Pat's telegram trying to stop Athalie from coming has been useless his daughter will be there the next day. Pat unable to place his daughter in school because of a measles outbreak is surprised when his outspoken unmannered daughter, Athalie shows up early, having phoned one of her mother's lovers to drive her there. She comes giving orders rudely to her father's servants. “No, you shan’t take them out!” screamed Athalie, stamping her heavy young foot indignantly. “I want them here! Put them right down there! She has nothing to say about it!” Joe vacillated from the library to the hall and back again uncertainly and looked pitifully toward his master. “Put the things in the hall, Joe, and then go out and shut the door!” ordered the master with something in his controlled voice that caused his daughter to look at him with surprise. Joe obeyed, Anne Truesdale thankfully disappeared, and Patterson Greeves found himself in the library alone with his child." "He felt like striking her down. He wanted to curse her mother for allowing her to grow up into this, but most of all he felt a loathing for himself that he had made himself responsible for this abnormal specimen of womanhood. Scarcely more than a child and yet wearing the charm of the serpent with ease." Pat is confronted with his daughter so insolent and looking like a flapper. She tries to control him but he is disgusted after she offers him a cigarette, insulting her looks and telling her to wash up her face of all that makeup. "She was a flapper! The most despicable thing known to girlhood, according to his bred and inherited standards. The thing that all the newspapers and magazines held in scorn and dread; the thing that all noted people were writing about and trying to eradicate; the thing they were afraid of and bowed to and let be; and his child was a flapper!" Anne Truesdale was a friend of Pat's aunt and uncle who took over the job of looking over the house after aunt Lavinia died and has come to love Pat, when he was a child as being her own. She is worried after she hears him talk so ungodly, has he lost his faith. The Minister, Bannard has come for a planned hike but sees Pat all upset asking for advice. Pat tells his troubles and his disbelief in God, Bannard tells him he reminds him of the Bibical Jehoram who blamed his actions on God. Pat was blaming his mistakes of his marriage and his unruly daughter not on himself but God. Pat realises Alice is coming today and he wants Athalie to be gone before she arrives, he shutters that Alice's daughter should meet this terrible daughter. Athalie tells about being expelled from school after having a party. Bannard is asked to pick up Pat's other daughter at the train station, he is surprised to see a young lady not a young girl, his heart goes out to her and knows she is the one he has been dreaming all his life. They are introduced and before arriving to her father's home, she sees the church where her relatives are buried. Blink and his dog take a liking to the young lady, Silver, her grandparents named her. Athalie is send upstairs but does not go when she sees the good looking minister come back. She at 14 is very forward and advanced with men. Athalie sees the paintings and when seeing a beautiful angelic picture she then realises it is her father's first wife. She then spits chocolate at the painting, after returning from upstairs she put her mother's half clad picture near the defaced first wife. Silver talks to her father and sees that he is upset about something, she asks him if he wants her there, he crying it is too late, I should have come home much earlier, Silver understands her father's misery and then they have a happy understanding. They walk over to the train station to get her suitcase. Athalie is jealous of this girl and stays in her room eating chocolates, more of her trunks come and there are many and enormous, with indecent clothing. "The man found himself telling his child about his own boyhood, his aunt, his uncle, the old minister, the long sweet services in the quaint old church. There was no bitterness in his voice now as he spoke of the religion of those who had brought him up. Something softening had come over him. He hardly understood himself." Silver and her father see Bannard at the church where he then shows them the old church and just like her mother Silver plays the organ. Pat is worrying about his other daughter at home invites both the minister and Blink for dinner. Athalie spies around the rooms, sees the room that the other girl was given and is quite jealous, she tears Silver's mother's photo and decides to take this room for her own and rudely tells Silver. Silver hears from the girl that this is Athalie is her father's daughter. Silver confused and upset, thinking she is not wanted her until her father tells her his miserable story and begs for her to stay and help him. "The whiff of orange pekoe wafted up as Silver passed her father his cup. Tea on the terrace and she not even told! And there was that stunning-looking man again! Who was he? Did that other girl think she would take possession of him, too, as well as her father, and the house, and the best room, and everything? Well, they would find out! She was going down at once. She would show that stuck-up girl!" Blink sees a boy coming out of the Greeves' window, but realises later it is a fat girl. Blink is an amateur dectective/policeman that helps thwrat crime. He follows her and after eating sweets at the drugstore, he hears hee ring up Bobs telling him, she will sneak out at night and nobody will know, if he does not she will tell her mother that he thinks she is old. She comes back home and sees a tea party looking to crash it, her mother told her to make life uncomfortable for him. "Silver stood at the front window looking out across the field with troubled eyes, trying to think out the horrible situation. She was convinced that she ought not to have come, that she had followed her heart rather than her good judgment, and probably a bit selfishly and determinedly, too, coming unannounced. She had wanted to forestall any attempt on the part of her father to refuse to see her. She had wanted him so, and now, see!" After Athalie told Silver that she will drive her out of her father's home and that she is the sole inheritor of his money. Anne hears this conversation and tells Silver who has been thinking of leaving that she must stay and help her father. Silver sees that Athalie needs a father more than she does. Athalie is still dressed flimsy and her father is angry but will deal with her later. They go to the room with the piano and the picture of Alice is disfigured and Lilla's unseemly one near. A fight of words and spirits between Athalie and her father, after seeing Lilla's picture and destroying it, she takes revenge on one of his relative's painting. All the neighborhood is gossiping on what is going on in the Silver mansion, a city tramp sees Athalie and wonders how his knowledge will profit him. Patterson tried to talk to Athalie, it seems so impossible and he is beginning to see his mistake in not regarding her when she was very young. She tells her father she hates Silver. Silver tells her father she must go, Athalie needs a father because she was never loved and besides she has a job and must leave. Patterson so upset he cannot be without her and that Athalie, he could never love, she will be a viper like her mother, which the young girl overheard. "It was an hour before they arrived at a compromise. Silver was to remain for a time, was to send for her trunk and to be allowed to follow her own course about keeping out of Athalie’s way, on condition that the father was to make an honest effort to win Athalie to a better way of behavior and to try to cultivate a little love between them, though that Patterson Greeves declared was an impossibility." Patterson takes Athalie golfing and sees some of his behaviours in her. Bannard comes to offer the Greeves on a car ride but Athalie refuses since Silver is to go. They drive to the location of the new church building."Greeves stood there watching him with almost jealous eyes, seeing as in a vista a long line of tender services he might have rendered had his heart been right to his own. Where did this rough untaught man learn such angelic gentleness? Here in this bare little house with an environment of the plainest necessities, the father had fenced in a little piece of the kingdom of heaven for his child." The Minister is stopped by a mother whose baby girl is very ill and thought to have pneumonia, Silver offers her services having had nursing training. Patterson is afraid his daughter will become ill, goes into the house to bring her out but he soon after sees how others suffer and he forgets himself. The baby is doing better after some oxygen and care, Patterson is struck by the rough poor father of this baby being a father were he gave up so long ago. The High School girls came over to see he young girl and to welcome her but Athalie who prefers men, finally decides after making them wait a long time with her gaudy and unruly presence, which embarrasses the girls and having had enough Athalie leaves out the front door walking down the street. "From all he had heard the night before, all the gossip that had been going around the town that day, he would not expect his new friend to be deeply grieved at his daughter’s disappearance. And yet—he didn’t like that man’s face! Of course, he might be her uncle or something coming after her. But anyhow, he didn’t like the way the man felt her wrist. It wasn’t nice. Gosh, she was just a kid! Just a foolish little kid. Gosh! He’d like to punch that man’s head even if he was her uncle!" Blink sees Athalie walking to the bridge the meeting place that he heard her talk about on the phone but the man she was meeting was old. Blink feeling disgusted and with the help of his friend Sam who had followed the car ahead but when the other car stopped at the drug store, Blink told his friend to follow him, he is taking the car back to the Sliver place. The man who went into the store comes back waving his hands after the cars are leaving. When Athalie left all those girls in the house and dressed for trouble went out the front door nobody heard from her again, the worrying begins to start but all those girls left to tell around town about their visit. Silver goes in and wins the girls, she accepts an invitation for making fudge with the group which her father comes too and Bannard tries to find the lost girl. Anne is so worried she is actually praying for her. Returning home from the party and no Athalie but a man calling demanding to talk to her.
October 30, 2014
Not my style of book, given to me as a gift, or I wouldn't have read it.
The story of the "evil" flapper (she smokes and wears makeup), the angelic church girl and an overbearing Dad of both. I was irritated with this book. The author intended the church people to be the "good guys" but they just seemed gossipy, judgemental and controlling. I'm sure there are people like that, but it made me very sad to think that is anyone's experience at church.
Also the plot left a lot of loose ends/holes.
The story of the "evil" flapper (she smokes and wears makeup), the angelic church girl and an overbearing Dad of both. I was irritated with this book. The author intended the church people to be the "good guys" but they just seemed gossipy, judgemental and controlling. I'm sure there are people like that, but it made me very sad to think that is anyone's experience at church.
Also the plot left a lot of loose ends/holes.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 6, 2018
Patterson Greeves decides to move back to his family home after years away making a name for himself as a scientist and author. To his dismay, his two daughters, one from each of his marriages, are coming to see him at the same time, one from his beloved first wife who was a believer, and a younger daughter from his worldly and hated second wife. Pat has long ago left his faith behind in bitterness, and now has no resources to deal with this awkward situation, but friends, new and old, help him cope and find his faith again.
September 8, 2015
Good not great
This was not my favorite of GLH books. I usually love her books. The characters in this story were hard to like or hard to identify with. The subplots were a bit silly. I gave it three stars because she did tell her Christian message well, I always like that in her stories.
This was not my favorite of GLH books. I usually love her books. The characters in this story were hard to like or hard to identify with. The subplots were a bit silly. I gave it three stars because she did tell her Christian message well, I always like that in her stories.
July 12, 2018
As always,a good read!
A good story, family need each other. Learning to live and love each other is not an easy task, the author weaves together a story that brings the characters to life. It was thought provoking, I enjoyed this book and am looking forward to reading all of the other box this author has written.
A good story, family need each other. Learning to live and love each other is not an easy task, the author weaves together a story that brings the characters to life. It was thought provoking, I enjoyed this book and am looking forward to reading all of the other box this author has written.
June 22, 2018
Is a father's heart big enough for two?
What a tender story of two daughters come to live with the father they have never known. As always, Grace Hill tugs at the heart strings, as the young women vie for a place in the village, and in their father's heart.
What a tender story of two daughters come to live with the father they have never known. As always, Grace Hill tugs at the heart strings, as the young women vie for a place in the village, and in their father's heart.
July 21, 2014
I just cannot read any more of this book. One of the characters is just a nasty and hateful person. It shall go in the donations pile.
April 17, 2016
The end of this was very abrupt. I think it all worked out okay, but with the way the book was finished, I can't quite be sure.
August 22, 2017
As always, a book that teaches while it entertains.
Every book she writes encourages me. This one reinforces my beliefs and and renews a faith that triumphs in spite of obstacles.
Every book she writes encourages me. This one reinforces my beliefs and and renews a faith that triumphs in spite of obstacles.
June 20, 2018
very good
October 3, 2024
Faith lost, and returned and a new faith
A man loses his faith in God after losing his wife. He gives his baby girl to her grandparents to raise. Really has no contact with her for many years. He lives his life without God, marries another woman that has his daughter but with out without God what kind of life is that?
Years later he returns to his boyhood town and home where he was raised with God. He comes in contact with circumstances that return him eventually to his faith in God. His two daughters come home at the same time and there is quite a bit of friction between them and the household. His one daughter named Silver was raised by her grandparents and raised to be a godly young lady. His other daughter Athalie, raised without God and was quite wild.
Again circumstances with the household staff neighbors the local pastor I'll bring things to a great conclusion. Check out other stories by Grace Livingston Hill.
A man loses his faith in God after losing his wife. He gives his baby girl to her grandparents to raise. Really has no contact with her for many years. He lives his life without God, marries another woman that has his daughter but with out without God what kind of life is that?
Years later he returns to his boyhood town and home where he was raised with God. He comes in contact with circumstances that return him eventually to his faith in God. His two daughters come home at the same time and there is quite a bit of friction between them and the household. His one daughter named Silver was raised by her grandparents and raised to be a godly young lady. His other daughter Athalie, raised without God and was quite wild.
Again circumstances with the household staff neighbors the local pastor I'll bring things to a great conclusion. Check out other stories by Grace Livingston Hill.
January 18, 2025
I must have read this years ago, maybe 30 years ago? A friend and I discovered GLH together in our early 20s, and we made it our mission to find and read all of her titles. Quite a feat - since she published just over 100 novels!
I remember finding several dozen of GLH paperbacks at a used bookstore, and I bought them all. My friend and I sat down with our lists, and tried to assemble at least one complete set between us, because of course we'd each been accumulating her books wherever we could find them. She even thought about collecting the different eras of them being published, since it was clear that they all came from different decades. We always laughed at the 60s and 70s paperback covers, especially.
All that to say - I don't remember this book at all! Nothing clicks for me, although of course there are similar elements as in many of GLH's other stories.
So I enjoyed a brand new (to me!) GLH book!
I remember finding several dozen of GLH paperbacks at a used bookstore, and I bought them all. My friend and I sat down with our lists, and tried to assemble at least one complete set between us, because of course we'd each been accumulating her books wherever we could find them. She even thought about collecting the different eras of them being published, since it was clear that they all came from different decades. We always laughed at the 60s and 70s paperback covers, especially.
All that to say - I don't remember this book at all! Nothing clicks for me, although of course there are similar elements as in many of GLH's other stories.
So I enjoyed a brand new (to me!) GLH book!
June 30, 2019
Kind of an unusual plot for GLH. She'd had other flapper characters, but this is the first time I've seen her write someone like Athalie. And, while this story is longer than average, it's also a bit unfocused and ends abruptly. I kind of think GLH may have been trying to say something about gossip, but it seems just as likely she was thinking about sending the plot in another direction and changed her mind!
As someone who has read fifty-some books by the same author, I suppose I liked it mostly as something different.
As someone who has read fifty-some books by the same author, I suppose I liked it mostly as something different.
June 3, 2020
A love story of a family
A man and his 2 daughters, whom he hasn't seen in years and doesn't know are all suddenly thrust together. The 3 strangers, who are so different and so like be a real family?
A man and his 2 daughters, whom he hasn't seen in years and doesn't know are all suddenly thrust together. The 3 strangers, who are so different and so like be a real family?
December 9, 2025
Not my favorite GLH book.
Even back then evil spoilt people were horrible to their children.
2 children 1 caring 1 grown without any love
2 moms 1 dead 1 Godless
1 uninvolved MIA father
Ends with a father growing up and choosing God and love for his children.
Even back then evil spoilt people were horrible to their children.
2 children 1 caring 1 grown without any love
2 moms 1 dead 1 Godless
1 uninvolved MIA father
Ends with a father growing up and choosing God and love for his children.
April 11, 2019
Tomorrow About This Time has a very clear picture of God and a deep but clear message. It's profound if you're willing to listen.
It's not a quick and light read, but it's one of her best.
It's not a quick and light read, but it's one of her best.
April 20, 2019
Not my favorite by GLH. Very contrasted main characters and a very obvious ending from the very beginning of the story made this a very predictable book.
March 9, 2022
DNF. This is definitely more a product of its time… just not very interesting either.
July 18, 2023
All of Hill's books are cheesy and melodramatic, but some of them are on the enjoyable side of that. This one isn't.
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