Rose-Coloured Houses

by Cathy Lynn Brooks

In the autumn in 1942, seven-year-old Peggy walks slowly home to the Rosedale boarding house where she lives with her two older brothers, her mother, and her quick-tempered and emotionally abusive father. As Peggy grows, she learns more about the world around her and the lies and secrets she has grown up with. Who is her father really, and why is the family always hungry when Colonel Charles Wickman, Esq. is supposed to be a successful lawyer? Where does he disappear to on his long business trips, and why is the family always moving?

The true nature of Charles’s history is forever intertwined with the relationships and lives of his family. Will Peggy and her brothers take after their father, ruining lives and relationships as they progress through their own, or will they manage to break the cycles of abuse and deception to build lives based in truth, friendship, and love? Is forgiveness possible without reconciliation? Rose-Coloured Houses explores lies, abuse, love, and healing in a multi-generational tale of wealth, ruin, and redemption.

Genres: Historical Fiction

155 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 25, 2021

Reviews

[Sujoya - theoverbookedbibliophile · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story begins in 1943, when we meet seven-year-old Peggy Wickman, the youngest child of Colonel Charles Wickman, Esq. and his wife. Peggy and her brothers are constantly at the receiving end of their father’s short temper, overly strict discipline and emotional abuse. Their mother, nurse turned homemaker,  tries to do her best for her children, but with her domineering husband’s neglect and frequent absences, there is only so much she can do. Peggy is a lonely child aware of how different her circumstances are compared to her more affluent school friends and though she makes a few friends and finds kindness in people around her, her miserable home life takes a toll on her life outside her home as well. Her brothers enlist in the Navy as soon as they come of age to escape their father and Peggy is left to fend for herself.    Charles is a lawyer and claims to have a busy schedule, but his long absences, their constant moves between rooming houses, and financial struggles with never enough food on the table prove otherwise. When Peggy discovers the truth behind her father’s deception, it is a pivotal moment in her life. We follow Peggy through the decades as she tries to carve a life for herself different from the one she experienced as a child.

Rose-Coloured Houses by Cathy Lynn Brooks is a moving coming-of-age story. The characterizations are convincing and the narrative flows well. The larger part of the story is presented from the perspective of Peggy in the third person with segments devoted to her father’s backstory. My heart ached for Peggy and I was truly invested in her journey and would have loved it if the author had chosen to go into more detail about  Peggy’s life as an adult instead of devoting so much space in the narrative on her father’s backstory. While I appreciate the glimpse into his past indiscretions, I felt those segments could have been condensed. Yes, he is despicable, and there is no redemption for him, which is established pretty early on. There is not much character development for him throughout the story - it is just more of the same. I would have liked it if we could have spent more time with Peggy’s brothers in their adult years getting to know how they coped with having lived through their miserable childhood instead of the brief mention toward the end. The ending felt a tad rushed and there was much more telling than showing. This is a short novel and I really loved the premise and Peggy, but overall, I can’t help feeling a tad disappointed with the execution.   

Many thanks to BooksGoSocial and NetGalley for the digital review copy. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

[Ricardo Medina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have just finished "Rose-coloured houses" by Cathy Lynn Brooks, reading it in my tablet thanks to the kindle unlimited subscription of my girlfriend.

This is the story of Peggy, a seven years old living in Canada in 1942. Despite residing in a comparatively comfortable mansion with her two brothers, mother, and an often absent father, Peggy struggles to comprehend why her mother constantly faces challenges in putting food on the table.
Through different characters, as well as flashbacks and flashforwards spanning from the 1930s to the 1980s, the author narrates a story about how life can look great from the outside but not so good from the perspective of the inside.

Written in an engaging third-person prose and a thorough descriptive manner, this quick read with less than 150 pages is a perfect cozy read for a Sunday If you are looking for a family drama story that is worth the time you spend reading.

[Jane Wood · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rose-Coloured Houses, by Cathy Lynn Brooks.
Canada 1943. The opening chapters narrate the lives of Peggy, aged seven, and her older brothers, Donald and Edward, their mother Fanny and their emotionally abusive father, Charles. They are just one family living in rented accommodation in a grand old house in Rosedale.

Peggy knows her father has a very important job because she has seen letters arrive at their abode, addressed to Colonel Charles Wickman. Their father is strict, and controlling, even her mother is wary of his moods and constantly tries to please him. Father claims to be a prosperous lawyer, but somehow, they never have enough money or in fact sufficient food in the house to satisfy their appetites.
When father is home tensions increase for his moods are unpredictable and his remarks are often scathing and demeaning. Fanny is a timid character and afraid of her husband but tried to keep the peace as best she could.
I enjoyed reading about Peggy, her school life, and the friends she made along the way. Peggy’s father is often away on business for weeks or even months at a time. One day she discreetly followed her father to work, entered the courthouse and sidled into a seat at the back of the courtroom. What she learnt that day destroyed all her father’s credibility in her mind.

The story drifts back and forth through the decades from 1930 to 1989, and recounts in detail the lives of family members and the impact these individuals had on their children’s perspective of life as they grew up.
The development of the characters was interesting, though sometimes a little overly long to read, though the prose is well written and executed with enthusiasm.
The middle chapters are about Charles; this section seemed to dominate the story.
I was eager to get back to reading about Peggy, by which time she had entered her teen years, made new friends, and even found love.
There was love, loss and new life as we read about Peggy entering her adult years. It was an interesting journey. But I was disappointed by the lack of detail here. I feel the author could have expanded this section much more.

In conclusion, the story was interesting and easy to read. The plot intriguing, which held my attention. A satisfying read. 4 Stars.

[Liz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rose coloured houses is a character driven story that follows the lives of Peggy and various members of her family.

I was hooked from the first page and emotionally invested in Peggy’s character from the first chapter. I was convinced this was going to be a fantastic read, but unfortunately I didn’t keep the same enthusiasm for the rest of the book.

I’m sorry to say, after having read this book, I still can not tell you what the plot is. It seems aimless, we follow Peggy at first and the reader is pulled into feeling sorry for her because of her abusive parents and her tragic home life. But then we quickly switch to extensive back story for pretty much every character. Charles’ (Peggy’s dad) life is documented, and I suppose that is important to the story- because we get to see how he ended up like he did, but it felt rushed, and there was so much unnecessary information that left me feeling like I just wanted the author to get to the point. There were so many long and meandering parts that added no value to the story or pushed the plot forward. When we finally get back to Peggy, she is growing up, and her whole adult life is told over a few chapters, and it feels more like reading a news report that lists the milestones of her life, than being told an actual story.

I would have liked to have seen a clear protagonist. Either the focus should have been on Peggy, and her trials of overcoming trauma, or the focus should have been on Charles and him getting his comeuppance- which didn’t actually happen. I would have liked to see him pay for what he did, rather than just living out his life in a mediocre way.

I did enjoy the writers style of writing- it was easy to read, and I think the themes the book touched on were important- being strong, overcoming trauma and breaking the cycle of abuse by not allowing the mistakes of your family to be the mistakes you make. Peggy’s character showed strength and determination and she is inspirational, but for me personally, this book didn’t do it for me.

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked the cover design, and the description interested me.

This was a short book so didn't take long to read, but I enjoyed it. I thought the author brought the characters to life very well, and the book had a lovely nostalgic feel, it was almost like reading a memoir. I felt emotionally involved with the characters and the journey they were on.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for a free copy to review.

[Martha Graham-Waldon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Engaging, Enjoyable and Inspiring

Rose Colored Houses is a character driven novel with a fascinating storyline. It is about a young girl who takes control of her own life and future in spite of her father’s despicable behavior. Each scene is written with great detail and the characters and their personalities are sequentially explored, ultimately connecting to a complex web of actions and consequences. I was rooting for Peggy, the main character, as she overcomes a dark past. This is an engaging and enjoyable book to escape into and I also found it inspiring.

[Lauren Eason · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an amazing book! I couldn’t put it down and ended up reading the book in a day. It inspired many emotions and it did a great job of making me emotionally invested in each of the characters.

The story follows a few different characters, but the main one is Peggy, the daughter of Colonel Charles Wickman, Esq. They live in a well-to-do town known as Rosedale and it follows her childhood and her choices throughout her life as she tries to navigate around her narcissistic father who happens to also be a con artist.

The title is the first clue to the story, a play on words for the saying “looking through rose-colored glasses” because Peggy’s life may look fine on the outside but she had a lot of trouble. Charles was verbally and emotionally abusive to her, her brothers, and their mother. He tricked and manipulated people for his own selfish benefits leaving them broken and damaged after they were no longer needed.

This is a story about perseverance in the face of adversity and Peggy does just that. While she stays with her mother, Fanny, and Charles, she eventually gets her own job and moves out with the aid of friends. Her main goal is to ensure that her future children had the childhood she always wanted and she achieves just that.

We also get a glimpse of Charles’ childhood and when his reign of terror began. The story shows us all the lives that he destroyed to get ahead in life. As a period piece, I loved reading about the different decades we’re transported to.

This author truly has a gift for storytelling. It wasn’t overly descriptive and drawn out. It was very concise writing and they gave us enough description to paint a picture of each scene. I liked that it was written in third person omniscient because I was able to see what each character was thinking in certain situations and I think that helped me personally relate to them on a deeper level.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I laughed, I cried, and I felt so many different emotions with each character. Some of their lives ended in tragedy, but others made it to where the grass truly was greener.

[Thomas Norford · Rating 3 out of 5]

I should start with the caveat that this is not the usual kind of thing I read. It's a family saga, spanning many decades even though the novel is quite short. It tells the story of Peggy, a young girl in Canada, the abuse and neglect she suffers from her very unpleasant father, and how she makes her way through life. The dad is apparently a rich lawyer but Peggy and the reader discover dark secrets from his past. We also get some back-story about Peggy's mother and various other characters, but Peggy is the heart of the novel.

There was a lot to like about this book - the premise and plot are interesting, and the scenes are richly detailed - there is a huge amount of detail included about things like people's clothes and their living environments, so we get a strong sense of time and place. Peggy's father was easily the most interesting character, and the author got inside his head quite well so we got an inkling as to his thoughts and motivations.

My main problem with the book - and this is just a personal opinion - was that the prose style was rather dull. It reads like a synopsis, with very straightforward statements about the characters' personalities, how they are feeling, and so on, rather than revealing these things through skilful use of dialogue and the characters' actions. I don't mind authors 'telling' rather than 'showing' as long as the story is told with a bit of verve. In its favour, the story is told with great clarity, and the author has an excellent command of language. In some places the style actually worked quite well and reminded me of Misadventures by Sylvia Smith. Ultimately, I prefer this style to that of authors who try a bit too hard to be poetic and lyrical.
As I said, It's not my usual thing, but I'm glad I read it overall.

[Joan Lewis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rose -Coloured Houses by Cathy Lynn Brooks is above all a homage to women, particularly those who have to struggle to survive in a world that can appear harsh and unforgiving. We meet the central character Peggy in 1942 when she is only seven, and quickly learn of the sadness and oppression that she feels within her own family. Her mother is oppressed too, unable to surmount her own problems. Although she clearly cares about her children, she watches them suffer, seemingly unable to do anything about it. The responsibility for all this unhappiness lies with her husband Charles, who subjects them to his quixotic temper and frequently abandons them for long periods of time. Slowly his character is revealed. We come to understand his complexity, and see what led him to become a dishonest, unfaithful and sexually driven man, and a fraud.
Right from the beginning our sympathies lie with Peggy. She is a kindly soul who makes friends easily, and it is heartening to see her rise above her sad origins to achieve happiness through a fulfilling marriage to a good and honest man. It is a feature of the times that she is more emancipated and independent than her mother, and others of her mother’s generation, and is better able to assert herself.
This is an unusual and tragic story, told largely from the perspective of an all-seeing narrator. While this enables the author to paint a wider picture with lots of detail, it feels too vast and somewhat alienating. I would have found the novel more enjoyable and emotionally satisfying if it had concentrated on the main protagonist(s) and their inner feelings, while featuring a greater use of dialogue. However, it is an interesting chronicle of some people’s lives in early twentieth century Canada.

[Chris Pendlebury · Rating 4 out of 5]

The beginning of the book is harrowing. Peggy doesn’t ask for much and she seems such a good child, yet she is treated so coldly by her parents. I was hooked quite quickly: why does this seemingly prosperous household appear so poor?

I was quite taken with some of Brook’s observations in the early part of the book. For example, Peggy wishes she didn’t have to take her schoolfriends practical presents like clothes on their birthday, which would be cast aside as being dull. I could feel her pain.

Cutting back to the history of the horrid Father was a masterstroke. We see his own pain and understand why he became the man Peggy so detested. Bravo. There are revelations in this section I didn’t see coming, with one of them especially shocking and revealing, and I certainly wanted to keep reading.
I really liked Anne (Peggy’s aunt), who proved an especially interesting, clever character, filled with a desire for revenge on this terrible man who spurned her.

The first two-thirds are well paced, but the final third, when Peggy gets older and independent, goes by very quickly, covering a lot of relationship history without allowing us to breathe. Some important scenes fly by too fast. I wonder if the story could have been better served being divided into two parts, with the latter section afforded the same detail as the first.

In conclusion, this is a nuanced story that kept me turning pages. It is written simply and professionally, without any purple prose, and is filled with moving passages that never turn into sentimentality. All the characters are well fleshed out, vivid in my mind, reminding me of one of my favourite books: Mr Wroe’s Virgins, by Jane Rogers.

[Aaron Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cathy Lynn Brooks has crafted a beautiful story in Rose-Coloured Houses . What a delightful read. A novel filled with detail and emotion, a sweeping vision of the first half of the 20th century in Eastern Canada. You will not find a single page containing a car chase or epic battle, just what might have been had Arthur Miller written a play called “Death of a Con-man”.

As I read Brooks’ work, I kept being reminded of Ethel Wilson’s Swamp Angel, of the poignancy of a plot driven by emotion and family dynamics, all set within a detailed historical realism. Opposite sides of the country, I know, but both stories which transcend location by being universal: family, love, dysfunction, trauma, home.

Rose-Coloured Houses begins in the middle, then travels back in time, and concludes with an arc that ties the people involved together in a single theme: family. Good or bad, or, like most, somewhere in-between, family is something that unites us all, even as its different incarnations in reality clash with our preconceptions, and, inevitably, the thing that causes us to grow into the people we become: some by succumbing, others by transcending.

Make no mistake, this is a character-driven story. It won’t appeal to everyone. But if my mention of those other works above were something you enjoyed, you will enjoy this wonderful book.

Highly recommend.

[Rosalind · Rating 5 out of 5]

To see if I would enjoy "Rose-Coloured Houses" by Cathy Lynn Brooks, I began reading the sample pages that Amazon provides. I read one page, then another, then another, then realized, I can't put this down – I'd better buy the whole thing. This book begins in 1942 and traces the life of Peggy, the neglected daughter of a critical, frequently absent man who is a mystery to her. Her unhappy, withdrawn mother struggles to keep food on the table for Peggy and her brothers, though her father is supposedly an important attorney, and they live in a wealthy neighborhood, albeit in a few rented rooms in a much larger mansion. Peggy feels she does not belong with her wealthy classmates, whose parents actually do own the mansions where they live. As she grows, Peggy's goal is to break free from her emotionally draining family. She wants to be happy and fulfilled, and not trapped like her mother. The book also looks back into her father's past at the turn of the century and the story of how he and Peggy's mother met. I enjoyed reading the historical details and the descriptions of the seasons, neighborhoods, and fashions. The author is skilled at weaving the various character relationships together. I spent a pleasant Sunday reading this family drama.

[Anita Dow · Rating 3 out of 5]

I rated this book 3.5 stars
Having previously read a short memoir by this author, about her daughter's troubled life, I was interested to try her fiction writing. Ms Brooks' writing style worked well in the memoir but I found it rather lacklustre in this historical, family saga, although it is easy to read. The first part of the book is from seven-year old Peggy's perspective, as she grows up in the mid-1940s. Then there's a far more interesting chunk which is her father's story, and we learn how his temperament and shady business life influence those around him. The plot gives few insights into the lives of Peggy's brothers, and it's a shame there isn't more about them, but the story is mainly about her and her parents. Peggy's young adult life does have some detail but once she meets the man she eventually marries, the story moves quickly on to the end, mentioning she had children and grandchildren, but with very little elaboration.

The book description suggested this would be a sweeping, multi-generational family saga, which would always have been difficult to achieve in just 155 pages. I found it a pleasant enough story to pass the time, but for me it failed to ignite and live up to expectations.

[S M · Rating 5 out of 5]

A 20th century family, unhappy in its own way

Rose-Coloured Houses is an intergenerational story that offers an intimate portrait of one family, set against a broader picture of life in the 20th century.

I found the parts of the story told from the point of view of young Peggy very immersive and interesting. It has the documentary-like detail of memories or family stories, that really conveys what it was like to grow up in that place and time.

The parts which tell the story of Peggy's father, Charles, are less vivid than Peggy's story, for all that his life was very colorful. The narrative seems to be trying to understand what sort of person he is, how he thinks and why he does what he does, but just cat get very deep into his point of view. The struggles of the other members of the family to understand Charles or just survive the damage that he does, on the other hand, remain compelling.

Overall, the story has a very authentic feel to it. Both the suffering and resolution it depicts feel like real life, and the slice of very near history is fascinating in its own right.

[Ryan Stevens · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cathy Lynn Brooks' book "Rose-Coloured Houses: An Inspirational, Multigenerational Saga Spanning the Twentieth Century" begins in the Toronto suburb of Rosedale during the height of World War II.

Peggy, the book's young protagonist, has a troubling and precarious existence. Her parents are cold towards her. Her stern and violent father regularly disappears for months at a time. When he is home, he is physically abusive. The family's financial situation also doesn't line up at all with the public image of a successful lawyer that her father portrays.

After the facade all comes crashing down and the surprising truth about Peggy's father is revealed, we follow Peggy and her siblings through the sagas of their own lives as the influences from the past shade the present. The trajectory of their stories is at times turbulent but Peggy does get the happy ending she deserves.

I thought this book was beautifully crafted. It was full of rich descriptions that brought the characters and their environments to life. The plot was fascinating and the delivery was A+.

[Debe Miller · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book brought out a myriad of feelings while I read it, but mostly I was in Peggy’s corner rooting her on and out of her miserable life. We find young Peggy enjoying her life, albeit always wondering why she was always dressed in clothes that she thought didn’t fit with the family story of a successful, lawyer father. We eventually learn the whole story of her father, Charles, life and his harsh upbringing, which in turn he uses on his own children. My heart broke when Peggy’s brothers made their escape and she was all alone with her parents - an overbearing, irate father and a milquetoast mother. This is when I started rooting for her to break out one day, which she eventually does and learns to stand up for herself and on her own two feet. She builds a wonderful life for herself and her family, breaking the chains she always carried.

[Readermom · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a rich, character-driven family drama that spans from 1943 to 1989. It mainly follows Peggy—the main character who I rooted for throughout, and her father, Charles (boo, hiss). Peggy plods on and persistently does what she has to do to survive and forge her own life while not letting her family of origin defeat her. Although this is fiction, that premise alone is so relatable. When Peggy meets Ray, and is embraced by a more normal, loving family, I was overjoyed.
I wanted to shake Fanny, Peggy’s mother, and I often cringed while reading the parts about Charles, but they add such depth to Peggy’s story. When the letters arrived, near the end (I won’t say any more about them—trying to step lightly here), I was thrilled. This novel was rich with details and is the kind of novel that I appreciate even more because it seems to be written from the heart.

[J-Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

A touching fictional memoire

I found this read to be quite touching. A young girl’s life journey with insight as to the background story of her parents, particularly her father. It’s a drama that unfolds as you continue each chapter and focuses on relationships, or lack thereof.

I thought the author did a nice job at keeping the pace steady, and the descriptions of places and rooms took you right into its center. It’s a good story to read over a rainy weekend (which is what I did). And its one that will cause some reflection in one’s own life and the impacts of their relationships on others.

If you are looking for a thrilling ride in a read, you won’t find that here, but you will find a story that keeps your interest throughout with a heartfelt and satisfying ending.

I would recommend the story to anyone who has had to overcome the impact of a challenging childhood.

[Ian Gill · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I was a young man I lived for a year in a boarding house in Rosedale, and so the back cover grabbed me right away. This is the story of young Peggy Wickman and her family, told over a lifetime of abuse by their father, Colonel Charles Wickman. Charles, handsome and priviledged is a real piece of work, with a talent for using others and wringing everything out of them for his own gain. He is a selfish and unprincipled man, without a shred of decency, and a most compelling villain. Peggy, his youngest is a girl with a deep desire for love and respect, and something better out of life. Will she find it, or will Charles ultimately destroy her life? By all means, give this wonderful story of Peggy's struggle for something better a read. You'll be glad that you did.

[Alyssa Kindt · Rating 4 out of 5]

After receiving a complimentary copy of Rose-Coloured Houses from the author (Cathy Lynn Brooks), via Voracious Readers Only, I dove right in. What an interesting perspective this novel offers! I was very invested in the story, and it felt quite raw to me! The author takes her readers on an emotional journey with well-developed characters doing their best (or sometimes not, I’ll let you decide) to figure out what home actually means. Each character has the choice to either repeat history, or vow not to make the same ‘mistakes’ their own parents made. Fantastic novel!

[Loree · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was intrigued by the secrets and the family mystery at the core of this story, and by the historical setting.

The author has clearly done a good deal of research into the different historical periods she covers. At times, though, this research felt needlessly tacked onto the story and heavy handed. There’s an authentic newspaper headline about prostitutes in San Francisco protesting the closing down of the red-light district, for instance, and a scene in which a minor character contracts diphtheria where we are given details about the communicability of the disease, along with its symptoms and effects. Both of these examples are interesting, but unfortunately neither is dealt with in an interesting way.

For a book of just 155 pages, the story covers a vast time span. The first six chapters cover a period from 1942 to 1948, when we are introduced to Peggy, the seven-year-old daughter of neglectful parents, Fanny and Charles. Then the story goes back in time to 1908, to Charles’ childhood, and we follow him as he develops from a cocky youth to a conman and philanderer, dragging his family from one boarding house to another. The story then refocuses on Peggy as she grows up and makes her way in the world, ending in 1989.

The chapters are largely broken into anecdotes and vignettes, and there’s no real sense of a narrative arc to carry us through the whole book. While there is mystery in the early chapters, as we question why Peggy’s family is constantly on the move, why they live in poverty when Charles is a lawyer, and where Charles disappears to for weeks at a time, these questions are all soon answered. Sadly, there is nothing to replace them, nothing to continue the intrigue and build tension.

The main difficulty I have with this book, though, is ‘head hopping’ and the way the narrative point of view constantly switches from one character to another. This might work if each chapter were devoted to a single character’s perspective, but instead, the point of view seems to change every time a new character walks in the room. This makes it extremely difficult for the reader to fully engage with and care about the characters.

[Kelly Miller · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rose-Coloured Houses starts in 1943, with 7-year-old Peggy, who lives in an exclusive neighborhood in Canada. But Peggy unlike the kids she goes to school with, does not live a life of luxury. In fact, Peggy, her two older brothers, and mother do not always have the basic necessities like clothes and food. A very grim picture is painted of Peggy's home life; her father, Charles Wickman (The name is very close to Wickham, the villain in "Pride & Prejudice," so the author is probably a Jane Austen fan.) is revealed in time to be a narcissistic, sadistic criminal and pathological liar. His sole interest in his children and wife, Fanny, is that they give him the credibility of a family man and his main concern is that they reflect well upon him. Charles wants to maintain the fiction that he is an army colonel, a lawyer, and a good husband & father, though he is none of these things.

Peggy's mother, Fanny, is sympathetic to her children, but the help she provides her children is limited. Fanny's unhappiness in her marriage has driven her to become an alcoholic. Drinking in the evenings seems to be the sole occupation that Fanny and Charles have in common.

One problem I had with this story is that the pathetic plight of poor Peggy was taken a bit too far...too far to be believed given the circumstances. For instance, when Charles leaves for days or weeks at a time without leaving Fanny sufficient funds for the household, she allows her children to go hungry. Peggy is sent to school wearing clothes from the thrift shop and when Peggy's shoes are worn out and falling apart, Charles refuses to purchase a new pair for her. This is inconsistent with Charles's need to be seen by others as a good father. Supposedly, he wants Peggy to befriend the children of their wealthy neighbors, so how could he allow her to be seen dressed like a pauper? In addition, Charles and Fanny both have parents that are financially secure. Why in the world would Fanny not seek financial aid from them rather than let her children go hungry? And why would both sets of grandparents stand by and allow little Peggy go without the basic things children want? In another stretch of the imagination, a family member has a ten-year-long affair with Charles and only realizes what a cad he is when she finds his address book full of women's names, addresses & phone numbers. This family member must have seen the blatant neglect of Peggy and her brothers, so how could she maintain the mistaken belief for ten years that Charles was a good father?

Although the book starts out focusing on Peggy, it is no less a study of her father, Charles. A number of the chapters focus on his youth and the antics that led him to eventually marry and have three children. He is an interesting character, and one cannot help but root for Peggy and hope for her success.