Anna and Her Daughters

by D.E. Stevenson

One day we had been well-off and secure; the old grey London house had been 'home' and we imagined that our lives . . . would continue to run smoothly forever. The next day it was all gone.

For Anna Harcourt and her three daughters-lovely Helen, who always gets what she wants, young Jane, who makes the best of what she has, and Rosalie, the middle daughter who wavers somewhere in between-the world is turned upside down by their father's death and the discovery that they will have to sell their London home. The girls are shocked when Anna buys a cottage in Ryddelton, her home town in Scotland, but they soon settle in to Scottish life, each in her own way. As time passes, the three girls must contend with love and tragedy, hope and despair, laughter and tears, all unfolding with D.E. Stevenson's incomparable storytelling and knowledge of human nature.

First published in 1958, Anna and Her Daughters is a compelling, poignant, and ultimately joyful tale of family, romance, and healing. This new edition includes an autobiographical sketch by the author.

"Miss Stevenson has her own individual and charming way of seeing things." Western Mail

Genres: Fiction, Romance, Historical Fiction, Scotland, Classics, Novels, Historical

227 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1958

About the author

There is more than one author with this name

Dorothy Emily Stevenson was a best-selling Scottish author. She published more than 40 romantic novels over a period of more than 40 years. Her father was a cousin of Robert Louis Stevenson.

D.E. Stevenson had an enormously successful writing career: between 1923 and 1970, four million copies of her books were sold in Britain and three million in the States. Like E.F. Benson, Ann Bridge, O. Douglas or Dorothy L. Sayers (to name but a few) her books are funny, intensely readable, engaging and dependable.

Reviews

[Tadiana ✩Night Owl☽ · Rating 3 out of 5]

I let this 99 cent Kindle special distract me and suck me in, when I was still in the middle of East of Eden. But sometimes you just need something to read that's quick and shallow and easy on the brain.

This is a rather melodramatic story, written in 1958, about three English sisters and their mother, who are left in financial straits when their father and husband dies. The mother decides to move with her daughters from London back to Scotland, where life is simpler and cheaper. Two of the daughters go kicking and screaming, except in a more genteel kind of way. Eventually all three daughters fall for the same good-looking doctor. The younger two pine away for him in silence while the lovely, heartless older sister sweeps him off into a whirlwind romance. Teh drama ensues.

This would have been a better book if it had delved a little more deeply into the lives of these girls and their mother, but it's all pretty superficial. The ending is startlingly abrupt; I actually went back and forth on my Kindle once or twice, trying to see if I'd missed another page, or chapter. An epilogue. Something!

It's also quite sentimental, which isn't always a bad thing if you're in the mood for it.

"...you are merciful. You understand that it is her nature to have her treasure in this world. That is so, isn’t it? She has not been good. Oh yes, she has told me about it —but still you love her in your heart and are sorry. Do you think the Good God is less loving and sorry than you?”

This book has its charming moments, in an old-fashioned way.

Chairley’s Chairley was a fat little boy with red hair and a ruddy complexion. At one time he had haunted the garden whistling untunefully, climbing the trees and searching for birds’ nests. He had stolen all our apples (not just a few, which we would not have minded, but the whole crop at one fell swoop) and had sold them to his friends at twopence each. Margaret and I had a feeling that Chairley’s Chairley was on his way to a Big Business Career, but his father had put a stop to that. “He’ll nae dae it agen,” said old Tom Gow —and added with relish, “Chairley walloped him proper.”

A little underbaked, but not bad for retro-type brain candy.



Now excuse me while I go slink back to East of Eden...

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I adore D.E. Stevenson and this was another wonderful book by her. More to come…

[Mir · Rating 3 out of 5]

After the death of her husband, Anna moves from London back to Scotland with her 3 teen daughters, beautiful and selfish Helen, middle child Rosemary (her personality never seemed clear), and our bright but shy point of view narrator.

It's clear we're not meant to like Helen, and I didn't, but I wasn't fond of Anna, either. She was completely impractical (they have to sell their home because she paid no attention to finances after her husband died, and spent all the money on clothes) and only marginally less selfish than Helen. She's beautiful and charming so men do everything for her, and it's only a slight fault but Helen is awful for doing the same, why? Just because she likes parties more than her mother? None of the girls seemed well-parented, it seems like just coincidence that one turned out ok. (Rosemary is presented as turning out ok because she really likes kids, but we don't know why and never see her being nice.)

I felt slightly bad for Ralph no, Ralph is the character that Jane bases on him in her historic romance. Reggie? Anyway, I felt bad for him making a dumb marriage and throwing away his career-advancing research position, but if you're going to be a jackass who goes out with one girl and drops her for her prettier sister then I don't really care what happens to your shallow ass.

Of course as always with Stevenson living in a tiny rural town is just the best, nice people don't like cities. Why have your characters go on a trip round the world and not bother describing any of it?

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

The end of this book made me cry, which is very unusual. In one sense, this book has an ache at its heart, the ache of missed connection and of a broken marriage and of regret. But that’s also what made the ending so moving. The moment when Ronnie realizes he was Ralph…that really got to me too.

Funny, I was expecting this to be Anna’s story, but it’s whole-heartedly Jane’s story. I loved her growth and maturity, her writing and her commitment to live without blinkers. I love that she is so interested in the world around her and is able to let the people she knows be complicated, especially Mrs. Millard, Helen, and Ronnie. I love that she lives peaceably with Aunt Margaret for so long and becomes the member of the family who can rise to the crises with grace.

Mrs. Millard is a fascinating character! She does so much for Jane both in terms of her start and growth as a writer and in her character growth. The metaphor of the pearls is so interesting. They come to life as Jane comes to life perhaps? If Helen is the diamond (flashy, sparkly, gaudy), then Jane is the pearl (quieter, refined, understated)? And Jane is a pearl of great price. I really like that this book does not dwell on Jane’s sadness at losing Ronnie. She’s stoic but not in a bad way. She simply adjusts her life to facts and makes it meaningful in satisfying ways. She knows her limits with Ronnie all along, so in that way the ending is satisfying as well. She will marry Ronnie when she is ready and not sweep him off his feet like Helen did.

Val is such a dear little boy. In some ways, this felt a lot more like a Rosamunde Pilcher novel than a DES novel. Pilcher’s novels have more ache in them (sometimes I enjoy that in her novels, sometimes not). Selfish, beautiful women like Helen always seem to have a sensitive, intuitive child like Val. It reminds me of the mother/daughter pair in Winter Solstice.

I’m not sure if it was just the name connection, but Anna Harcourt reminded me of Anna Karenina. They are both beautiful women with incredible social poise and intuition. I’m glad this Anna gets a happy ending. It strikes me that Andrew's story is a parallel to Jane's story, so his eventual happy marriage to Anna is a foreshadowing of Jane's eventual happy marriage to Ronnie. In both cases, it perhaps would have been "better" for the two couples to marry originally and cut out Gerald and Helen, but then there would be no Helen, Rosalie, Jane, or Val. That's the terrible irony of the missed connections. It almost feels tragic at points with Ronnie/Helen/Val/Jane, but of course, this is a comedy and not a tragedy in the end and all comes right. (Though the ending is perfect in its poignancy, I would still love a sequel!)

[Alisha · Rating 3 out of 5]

The beginning of the book was the best. Jane and her sisters Helen and Rosalie, along with their mother, leave London for Scotland when they find that their income is reduced. The story is told through the eyes of Jane, who is astounded at the way her mother slips comfortably into a middle class country life. Her sisters are not as happy. Helen, the oldest, is set upon always getting what she wants no matter what. And Rosalie is the indecisive sister, always being compared to the others and never really knowing where she stands. Meanwhile, Jane gets to know her new Scotland home and finds it lovable. She begins working for an eccentric neighbor lady who is writing a book. This is the part of the story where she gains a little confidence and finds her vocation.
The remainder of the story uses some typical D.E. Stevenson tropes, including missed opportunities, a mismatched marriage, a sad child, and the compression of years of experiences into a few paragraphs. This part of the book I found less satisfying, but still very readable.

[Bookworman · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a lovely story. I know I read it before but I didn’t remember at all.

[Julie Durnell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this slow and sweet story!

[Gina House · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5🌟 An enchanting book! It's definitely now one of my favorites by D.E. Stevenson. I adore books that have a lot of interesting, lively characters, cozy domestic details and everyday, home-oriented activities. This book had all of those things and more!

Although I have a few favorites ahead of this book (including The English Air, The Fair Miss Fortune, Katherine Wentworth, and The House on the Cliff), this is still pretty high up there on my contentment scale.

I loved following along with appealing Anna and her delightful daughters, their move to the country, and all of the ways the daughters (especially Jane) grow and change. It's like a mini family saga (a genre I really enjoy) where you learn more about each family member as the years go by. This book almost reminds me of a shorter version of Coming Home by Rosamunde Pilcher mixed with Miss Buncle's Book and a tiny bit of Sense & Sensibility.

This is close to my 20th book read by this beloved author and I never get tired of her witty, engaging writing style. Even the least interesting books of her books are still heads above many other books I've read. I'll always have a huge place in my heart (and bookshelves!) for D.E. Stevenson!

[Mary Durrant · Rating 5 out of 5]

A charming novel with wonderful characters.
Anna and her daughters , Jane, Helen and Rosalie are left destitute after the sudden death of her Husband.
They have to leave their life in London and move back to Scotland.
Then Jane meets Ronnie who finds all the girls attractive but he can only marry one.
A lovely comfort read on a rather dreary wet day.
Beautifully written and entertaining.

[Tania · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lovely, cosy, comfort read.
Anna is left considerably poorer when her husband dies. Instead of down-sizing in London, she decided to move the family back to Scotland, where she grew up. Two daughters are reluctant to go, but Jane, the main character, decided to make the most of it. The sisters all fall for the same man, and the story unfolds.

[QNPoohBear · Rating 2 out of 5]

When Jane's father dies, his income dies too and the ladies are left nearly penniless. For Anna and her daughters, it means downsizing or getting jobs! In the post-war (WWII) society jobs for women are still scarce. Pretty Helen decides to stay in London and model for Madame Peridot, the dressmaker. Rosalie, the second sister and nearly as pretty as Helen decides to become a secretary, while Jane feels she can not abandon her mother when her mother decides to return to her native Scotland. The other sisters come too and they soon find their mother adjusts quickly to village life while the girls struggle. Visits to Cousin Andrew and his sister Cousin Margaret in Edinburgh are the highlight of their lives. While visiting Margaret, Jane discovers in the woman a kindred spirit and longing to travel. She also meets a kind, funny, handsome man whom she longs to know but feels too tongue tied. Rosalie eventually finds her niche while Helen lives a charmed life. Jane struggles until she meets the slightly scandalous Augusta Millard, a writer who helps Jane find direction.

This is not D.E. Stevenson's best work. I didn't care for the first person narration because it made the story dull. The action is told rather than shown. There are little glimpses of local color and brief mentions of characters in previous novels like Celia's House. I liked that a lot and wanted more. I kept waiting for the introduction to end and the actual story to start. There are minor plots within the story that kept me wanting to read but the outcome was very disappointing. As with many old books, there are outdated attitudes to contend with. A character moves to Africa and refers to the native servants as "boys" and speaks about only engaging servants who don't understand English for a reason. Another character talks about making a comfortable home and supporting her busy working husband. Blech. There are possibly Austenesque shades in this story. As I know Stevenson was a fan, I think they may be deliberate or the story begins in a similar manner to Sense & Sensibility and Persuasion.

The characters here are flat and dull with the exception of Mrs. Millard. Anna, the title character, is beautiful and vivacious without being pretentious. She accepts life as it is and enjoys what she can make of it. I liked her a lot. Her daughters, on the other hand, are awful. Helen is beautiful and spoiled. Whatever Helen wants, Helen gets. I thought for a time that Helen reminded me of Mary Crawford in Mansfield Park and perhaps that was the point but the story diverges from the source material if that is the case. The end of Helen's story is completely random and stupid. Rosalie is the angel in the house character. She doesn't have much of an identity for most of the story. She struggles to find her place in the world and when she does, she is content to play a supporting role. Jane is the only one who maintains any independence. I felt bad about what her sisters did to her but she found her way only to have the plot take a completely different turn than I would have liked. It's a similar plot Stevenson used before. I didn't like it. I did like Jane when she was kind of like Georgette Heyer but 17th century and not 18th/19th.

I love Mrs. Millard. She's fun and her humor is a bit caustic. I don't think everyone will like her and I didn't like how she doesn't let anyone close to her. It makes her a more interesting character at any rate. I would have liked more about her. I loved the biography she was writing and the archive she had access too. I'd love to work with her! Her maid probably does her more harm than good. I did not like the snooty Frenchwoman. I also liked her friend who makes the 17th century come alive for Jane. The only other primary characters I liked were Andrew and Margaret. It's a pity Stevenson made them brother and sister but it was the only way she could get the plot to advance. Andrew and Margaret have better chemistry than most siblings and are very kind friends to their impoverished relatives. I can relate to Margaret's hopes and dreams better than any other character. The two characters that had potential to be the best were Gowan and Mrs. Gowan, the locals who help the family at Timble Cottage. Gown knows all the old stories and makes the history of the area sparkle with life. Mrs. Gowan is kind and cheery. Sadly they are hardly in the story.

Dr. and Mrs. Ferguson are a nice couple but they let their emotions out to the wrong person. It's understandable they feel a certain way but also be happy for your brother even if it's not what you want. Ronnie is awful. At first I liked him because he has a sense of humor and then I just hated him. His character is very weak and he doesn't know how to take action without overthinking things. Val is one of those awful English boys who becomes ill whenever they don't get their own way. Thank goodness for Chairley, one of the best characters in the novel. Chairley is so awful but he's good for Val.

If you need to read to go to sleep, try this book. Otherwise, Stevenson has better novels than this.

[Cynthia Dunn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was really loving it and thought it might even be a five until the end. It's as if she had a deadline to meet. Totally rushed and brought me down to a three.

[Beccie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you, thank you, Endeavour Press, for releasing D.E. Stevenson ebooks for $3.99! I have been on an orgy of re-reading them. There is nothing like curling up with good, stalwart, full of integrity characters in a beautiful setting living a simpler life.
This one has hints of The Four Graces and The Young Clementina , so even though I have read it a few times before, I was getting Helen confused with Kitty and expecting other plot lines to appear. But still a wonderful, sweet read.

[Gina Boyd · Rating 4 out of 5]

This reminds me a bit of Little Women, but without such a mania about being good, and without the fourth sister.

Stevenson has a bit of a thing for young women who have the endure the men they love either marrying another woman (who is inevitably the wrong woman, of course), or swearing their love and devotion and then dying in either WWI or WWII, leaving the poor women bereft and never to love again. The poor women whose men die become either bitter or jolly, fascinating spinsters. The women whose beloveds marry their sisters end up talented, kindly, spirited martyrs who get a happy ending.

It's all very melodramatic in a way that's like chocolate chip cookies for your brain--warm, cozy, and delicious.

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review upon reread, a year and a half later: this book is one of my favorite D.E. Stevenson novels. It’s atmospheric, delightful, and an excellent character study. Bumping my rating up to five stars.

Old review, which is really not a review: This one reminded me a bit of The Young Clementina, and I think it is similar to The Four Graces which I have not read. (But the blurbs alone are very like.)

[Classic reverie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was fun reading this Scottish writer and thinking about life in the small towns of Scotland, thinking about unknown ancestry there. I had read Celia's House and Listening Valley, which the unknown ending of a character going of to world war 2 and their fate was a snippet in this book. It is about 3 sisters all different in looks and personality, and there outlook and how they lived life. An enjoyable light read!

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I was glad Jane was loved in the end. Anna Harcourt fairly recently widowed is informed by Uncle Leonard that her husband Gerald did not leave them well provided for and they must leave give up their nice home and move to a flat. Anna sees this will not do and that her daughters used to many things will not like living among their friends without new things to buy. Uncle Leonard suggest that the girls get jobs but after hearing all, Anna is determined to move back to Scotland and her hometown of Ryddelton. The girls can not imagine their mother cooking, cleaning and living in a small town. She is determined and finally all the girls decide to live in Timble cottage arranged by her cousin Andrew. Helen is the oldest and the prettiest and Rosalie is always seen as "not as pretty as Helen", and is in her shadow. Jane does not take after her mother and sisters but is plain, she takes after her dead mother's brother who died young in WW 1. Jane wanted to go to Oxford but that is out. The cottage needs a little help but really is quite comfortable by the help of Andrew. Andrew has always loved Anna, but after Anna's marriage Gerald and him did not get along, so he has only seen her several times when she was married. Andrew lives with his sister, Margret who takes care of the house. They invite the girls and especially Helen alone to go to a ball and enjoy the visit and found a job. Rosalie started helping the local doctor and his wife, the Fergusons. Jane visits Andrew and Margret, but while waiting she sees a young gentleman that attracts her. His aunt has dropped her purse and he is helping her to find the items with Jane's help. They are meet but all she knows is his aunts name and his first name, Ronnie. Jane is shy but Ronnie wants her to stay but she says she must get back to meet someone. She dreams and wonders about him but not until Rosalie mentions Dr. Ferguson's brother, Ronnie, does it dawn on her it might be the same person. Rosalie is smitten with him and Jane stays quite and is disquieted when it is him, he remembers meeting Jane. Jane runs into Mrs. Millard, an author, after hitting her with her bike. Her wrist is sprained and Jane offers her assistance. Mrs. Millard book is on the 1600's and Esmeralda, a colorful lady. The research is fascinating and Jane dreams up a story with the main male character to be Ronnie. She writes the book and Mrs. Millard wants to see it. Mrs. Millard is insightful and quite brisk in her remarks but she likes the book and Jane, and helps to publish the book. Mrs. Millard takes some pearls from her bank vault and they are so sickly looking that she encourages Jane to wear them, rather then put them back in prison. Rosalie invites Ronnie to the cottage and he is enjoying himself but is awed when Helen comes home. She is like an angel but all but the two see what disappointment this brought Rosalie. Helen and Ronnie are married but the families are sad. Ronnie gave up a post that he would have loved because of Helen. His brother is upset and see how Helen changed him. They are married and Helen spends money without care. Rosalie is upset but starts to help more families and their children and finally falls in love with a widower with children. He is not handsome but is kind & loves her. Meanwhile after Mrs. Milford leaves and gives the pearls to Jane. These pearls where given to her by her sweetheart who died in WW 1 before she could get married but had his son who died in WW 2, and married an older gentlemen when she was first pregnant. She likes Jane but can not get attached to anyone from past trouble with that. Jane writes several books and they sell. Jane encourages Andrew to propose to her mother and she accepts after Andrew professes his long love. His sister Margret and Jane go on a tour of the world. They come home after hearing about Rosalie's marriage. Meanwhile Helen had a baby boy but she is not found of the child but wants to enjoy life. Helen wants to go away from London and Ronnie accepts a post in Africa. Jane receives a letter from Ronnie, saying he needs her help because Val, his son needs looking after because Helen left him for another man. Helen writes she wants a divorce but Jane finds out this happened in London too. Ronnie blames himself for not being there for her but he had to work. Val is very clinging to his father but he needs someone to take care of him, so he asks Jane and Jane takes Val home with her. Margret, Jane and Val live happily and Val starts to feel better and starts to love Aunt Jane. Helen cares little for this ugly looking boy but Jane can relate to him and she will tell him the truth always. He makes friends at the cottage and starts school. Ronnie does not know where Helen is and filing for a divorce, he wants to wait until he hears from Helen. Andrew knows Helen to be in Switzerland at a health spa that helped her before but she us dying and feels cheerful and wants to go back to Ronnie. Jane calls Ronnie to come but it is too late. She is buried.Jane and Ronnie talk and enjoy each other but Jane is upset because even though she is happy, when he is gone she will be miserable. He takes up a post where he wanted to go long ago but not for Helen he would have. He wants to take Val. Jane is sad but understands. Ronnie comes for Christmas, Jane and him are comfortable when after putting Val to bed they hear him crying. He wants Jane and wonders why he can't be with his father and her. Ronnie states he was thinking the same thing. Jane says it is too soon but promises she will be coming and marry Ronnie.

[Bree (AnotherLookBook) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wish I could describe just what I love about every single D.E. Stevenson book. This one was no different.

[Bless Your Memory · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh how I love British Literature!

[Theresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anna has three daughters, Helen, Rosalie and Jane.

Jane has a problem. She has two lovely sisters, and they are both (recently) married. Jane, sadly (you will see why this is sad for Jane later in the book), is not.

Helen is the family beauty:

“Helen was late for our lunch appointment, but I had managed to reserve a table in the crowded restaurant and I was sitting waiting for her when she came in. She was as beautiful as ever, and her clothes were perfection, and as she made her way towards me between the tables a great many people turned their heads and gazed at her. She did not notice the stares for she was used to admiration; probably she would have noticed if people had not stared.”

What is interesting about Helen is, as beautiful as she is, she is also very self-centered and her actions reflect her self-absorption! Jane, on the other hand, not as beautiful, is used to being secondary and her character is much more appealing, as she reacts to the slights of Helen:

“Hallo, Jane!” (Helen) said, smiling in a friendly manner. “It’s nice to see you – and you’re looking very well. You’ll never be pretty but you’ve got quite an air.”

“Thank you for those kind words,” I said, laughing.”

(me: “LAUGHING”??? you can see here, what a good sport Jane is!)

Anna discovers that the family is in serious financial straits, and must make a lifestyle change.

“It’s not thunder. It’s and earthquake,” declared Helen. She sat down on the end of my bed and added, “Uncle Leonard came to tell Mother that we’re penniless.”

Next morning Uncle Leonard came again and there was a family conclave….the plain fact was we had been ‘living up to our income.’ There were no debts but nothing had been saved.”

Anna decides to take her three daughters back with her to live in Scotland, her childhood home. The varying reactions of her daughters give the reader insight into how each character makes choices that influence their lives in different ways, and affect others.

Stevenson’s insight into human nature once again amazes me! She manages to create a believable story and sympathetic characters and keeps the reader’s interest. Jane, the most mature of the three daughters, has revealing conversations with her mother:

“It was no good discussing the matter. I just said, “Well, I don’t think you should let them be rude. Honestly, Mother, you should speak to them seriously.”

“Perhaps I should – but I’m sorry for them,” she declared….”Helen has always had exactly what she wanted too easily and she thinks she can go on having exactly what she wants. Perhaps she will, too. And poor Rosalie doesn’t know what she wants, which is almost worse. You and Helen have played “Pull devil, pull baker,” with Rosalie for years.’

“Mother!”

“Oh, perhaps not consciously – but it comes to the same thing. She’s had no chance to develop her own personality. I often wonder why sort of lives they will have,” Mother continued. “Life is so dangerous. You make your bed when you’re very young and you’ve got to lie on it whether its comfortable or not.”

Later on, the reader will discover how Mother is right….how the choices Rosalie, Helen and Jane all make, affect their lives. Without giving too much away, I will say that Jane’s good nature goes for a long way in this novel! (and Jane *does* find fulfillment later on, in writing.) Rosalie makes a choice that will ensure her comfort, and Helen continues to pursue a selfish life, expecting that Jane’s good nature will enable her to live the way she wants to (and it makes for a story with very interesting twists and turns!) Helen’s marriage, partly *because* she is so self-centered, is not a success:

“You can smile,” said Helen. “I don’t suppose you were there very long. If you have lived next door to her for years you wouldn’t have felt like smiling. She was always popping in at unexpected moments and finding fault with everything; asking why I did this and didn’t do that. She used to tell me that whatever time of night Dr. Orton came home from the hospital she was waiting for him with a hot meal.”

“It was true – ” I began.

“Oh yes, it was true. She was so worthy, and of course I was unworthy of Ronnie. They both thought that.” Helen sighed and added, “I suppose they were right….but I really am going to be quite different in future. I’m going to settle down and be a model wife.”

Publishers are re-issuing several of D.E. Stevenson’s novels. I hope they republish this one, and would like to see many more enjoying her books! they are always a fun read.

[Cindy · Rating 4 out of 5]

DE Stevenson books are great escapist books. They are all out of print but you can sometimes find them in libraries or used book stores. Half.com and Amazon sometimes have them. They were reissued in the 60s/70s in paperback w/ Romance Novel covers. ARRGHHH! What an insult. They are sweet and delightful little books that are always great rereads on a day you need to escape to somewhere warm.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

After reading “The Handmaid’s Tale,” I needed a read that was heartening but not vacuous, and “Anna and Her Daughters” was just the thing. While not a great book, it is a good one, and if only for this passage alone, I gave it 4 stars.


“They don’t understand anything,” declared Mother smiling at me rather sadly. “They don’t even know that there’s anything to understand. They’re like horses with blinkers —they just see what’s in front of their noses and nothing more. I’m always terribly sorry for horses with blinkers,” added Mother with a sigh.

[Katherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this years ago but didn't remember much of it aside from the fact that I liked it a lot. Luckily, at some point, I'd picked up a copy when I saw it in a used bookstore. Recently I decided to revisit some of the books I have little memory of--other than a general sense of enjoyment-- and this seemed a likely choice. And it was. However it turns out I LOVE this book!

It's the story of three very different sisters, each poised on the brink of adulthood. Due to drastically reduced financial circumstances their mother, Anna Harcourt, is compelled to move the family from busy, stylish London to the quiet village in rural Scotland where she grew up. The eldest daughter, Helen, is a stunning beauty, Rosalie, a shadowed less confident, less dynamic version of Helen, and Jane, the quiet, bookish youngest daughter, who looks nothing like her pretty sisters, is the narrator. This sets the scene for various complications and interactions as the adjustment this change necessitates brings to the forefront their individual strengths or weaknesses, all portrayed in a very real, and emotional, way. Overall, this is lovely tale of home and hearth, weaving a spell of gentle domesticity. But there is depth as well, as the question arises whether each will find within herself the love and courage required to face life's challenges. A profoundly satisfying story.

Another gem to add to my favorites.

[Carol Bakker · Rating 3 out of 5]

The setting is pure Austenesque: a financially oblivious widow with three daughters has overspent her resources while living in London. They move to Scotland to pare their living expenses down to the £500 annual income. The oldest daughter is gorgeous and selfish; the middle daughter is vanilla and vacant; the youngest daughter—of course! her name is Jane—is smart, plain, and sensible.

Enter stage left: a young, handsome, marriageable man. Every reader knows that he is the man for Jane. But Jane...well, things do not progress the way we expect. Ach! I was unhappy with the way Stevenson resolved Jane's situation.

Fun quotes:

"Fifty sounds stodgy. It sounds like an overcooked rice-pudding."

Here's a note on hospitality. Asterisks mine!

"Mother was pleased when she heard that Rosalie had asked a friend to tea, for she was of a hospitable nature and there was nothing she liked better than entertaining guests. *She liked preparing for them too;* and when I went into the kitchen on Sunday morning she was beating up eggs for a chocolate cake and looking as happy as a queen."

And finally,

"Life is like a bog. If you stand still too long your feet begin to sink into the mud."

Scottish word of the day: thole (v. to endure something without complaint or resistance)

Odd orthography: "paper d'oylies"

The last four months I've borrowed a D.E. Stevenson book on my Kindle, a perk of Amazon Prime. And while I have enjoyed this little touch of Scotland, I'm ready to move on.

[Kilian Metcalf · Rating 4 out of 5]

The intertwined lives of four women are followed over the years. Some find their HEA, some don't, but all are interesting.

My favorite character is the youngest daughter, Jane, who learns how to write from working as secretary to a writer.

All four women live interesting and independent lives, but they maintain the family connection over the years. Unusual in a DE Stevenson novel, instead of having one person at the center, all four have separate story arcs.

[Cindy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finally bought my own copy on Kindle, I love the world this author shares with us.

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this one. Complete little story nicely wrapped up.

I read kindle version but had a different cover

[Mo · Rating 4 out of 5]

3 1/2 stars

I agree with my friends Sarah and Claude... this had a strong beginning, but a weak ending.

[ValeReads Kyriosity · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meh. Story was kind of uncomfortable. Had one of Stevenson's worst theological takes yet.

Reader was good.

[Tamara York · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am trying to read more of D.E. Stevenson's work after loving the Miss Buncle trilogy. This started off really strong...a woman and her three daughters move to a small cottage in Scotland after the father dies and have to make a life for themselves. I liked Jane, our MC, who gets a job helping a local eccentric writer. I enjoyed the small nod to Miss Buncle Easter egg and the mentions of Robert Louis Stevenson, D.E. Stevenson's cousin. However, the plot pace took a strange turn from there. It zoomed ahead many years and sped through several plot arcs that weren't expected. It came to a screeching halt of an ending. I think I would have enjoyed it more if it had kept the nice steady pace it started with. A little more character depth would have been nice as well. (Note: this had a very British colonial viewpoint in the trip to Africa segment. The language and descriptions of the African servants does not read well today.). I will try some more of Stevenson's work but this one wasn't quite what I had hoped for.

[Michelle Fournier · Rating 4 out of 5]

A simple, old-fashioned story set in a cottage in Scotland. Light romance, Thoroughly enjoyable. I appreciated the many Robert Louis Stevenson references ☺️

“The silence blessed me so beautifully that every unworthy thought was banished, and I felt happy and at peace with all the world.”