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The Pink House
Norah, a disabled child of seven, loses her mother and is sent to live in the strangely complicated household of her Aunt Rose. She learns to fight the loneliness and indifference she finds there, and makes a place for herself with the help of the staunch Aunt Poll, and the friendship of Paul, sensitive eldest son, whose difficult relationship with Aunt Rose proves a salient factor in the development of plot.
326 pages
First published January 1, 1950
1 person is currently reading
156 people want to read
About the author
Nelia Gardner White
28 books10 followersNelia Gardner White, one of five children of a Methodist minister, lived in several small towns as she was growing up. Though the family had very little money, the atmosphere of the home was happy; life was filled with "books, friends, and fun." By taking many different sorts of jobs, White was able to attend Syracuse University for two years (1911-13) and the Emma Willard Kindergarten School (1913-15). After several years as a kindergarten teacher, she married a lawyer. The couple had two children.
During World War II, as a guest of the British Ministry of Information, White wrote articles about England. In 1948 she won the $8,000 prize in the Westminster Press Fiction Contest with her novel No Trumpet Before Him. White gives great credit for her start as a writer to Maude Stewart, a teacher in the kindergarten school who helped her toward an understanding of human character and of the various relationships between people. White contributed articles about child care to a kindergarten magazine. She began writing fiction with stories for kindergarten children and four novels for young people and then branched out to adult fiction. The rest of her life is a record of much industry and a great deal of success. Hundreds of her stories appeared in such popular magazines as the American, Ladies' Home Journal, People's Home Journal, Midland, McCall's, Pictorial Review, Forum, and Good Housekeeping. In addition, she wrote 25 novels.
During World War II, as a guest of the British Ministry of Information, White wrote articles about England. In 1948 she won the $8,000 prize in the Westminster Press Fiction Contest with her novel No Trumpet Before Him. White gives great credit for her start as a writer to Maude Stewart, a teacher in the kindergarten school who helped her toward an understanding of human character and of the various relationships between people. White contributed articles about child care to a kindergarten magazine. She began writing fiction with stories for kindergarten children and four novels for young people and then branched out to adult fiction. The rest of her life is a record of much industry and a great deal of success. Hundreds of her stories appeared in such popular magazines as the American, Ladies' Home Journal, People's Home Journal, Midland, McCall's, Pictorial Review, Forum, and Good Housekeeping. In addition, she wrote 25 novels.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
November 16, 2025
10🌟! I'm writing this now (as I'm crying) because I don't want to forget how much this book has affected me and how beautiful it is—both in writing and in content. The Pink House (which I bought and chose to read for my birthday month because I love the color pink)completely floored me. I had no idea this vintage novel would grab hold of my heart and not let go until the very page...and maybe not even then.
This story is about the Dickinson family (through several decades), strength of character, honesty, disappointments, searching for self and love...always about love as the basis of life. It surprised me how quickly I became caught up in this novel. I was extremely reluctant to put it down—sometimes, I would read almost 100 pages in one sitting and, other times, only a few pages because I wanted to savor the book slowly and absorb every single word.
My favorite characters (besides the main protagonist of orphan Norah Holme) are Aunt Poll, Unger the cook and Doctor Rob. Nelia Gardner White's description of each of the characters and the pink house itself are burned in my brain forever.
Although the content and writing is not the same, The Pink House has hints of The Eliots of Damerosehay by Elizabeth Goudge and Coming Home by Rosamund Pilcher. This is not a cheerful (or depressing) book, but it has a more serious and earnest tone that I loved.
I don't usually choose books that are like this but, at the time, I honestly thought it was "simply a vintage romance"...and, oh my goodness, it is not. It's so much more. The depth of spirit in this story astounded me in such a way that I feel a little lost at the moment. I will 100% read this novel again and it is now one of my all-time favorites forever.
Highly, highly recommended!
This story is about the Dickinson family (through several decades), strength of character, honesty, disappointments, searching for self and love...always about love as the basis of life. It surprised me how quickly I became caught up in this novel. I was extremely reluctant to put it down—sometimes, I would read almost 100 pages in one sitting and, other times, only a few pages because I wanted to savor the book slowly and absorb every single word.
My favorite characters (besides the main protagonist of orphan Norah Holme) are Aunt Poll, Unger the cook and Doctor Rob. Nelia Gardner White's description of each of the characters and the pink house itself are burned in my brain forever.
Although the content and writing is not the same, The Pink House has hints of The Eliots of Damerosehay by Elizabeth Goudge and Coming Home by Rosamund Pilcher. This is not a cheerful (or depressing) book, but it has a more serious and earnest tone that I loved.
I don't usually choose books that are like this but, at the time, I honestly thought it was "simply a vintage romance"...and, oh my goodness, it is not. It's so much more. The depth of spirit in this story astounded me in such a way that I feel a little lost at the moment. I will 100% read this novel again and it is now one of my all-time favorites forever.
Highly, highly recommended!
December 19, 2025
I picked up the Quite Literally Books copy of this gem because… to be honest I really liked the cover design and I’m a sucker for a book that just feels good in your hand. I’m so so glad I judged the book by its cover on this one.
From the first chapter, I was in. Nelia Gardner White has a way with prose that feels almost musical. It felt like reading one, big love poem dedicated to growing up.
All the characters are rich and full of life, hopes, dreams, disappointments, regrets, passions, and loves. And you really feel all of the emotions being poured out on the pages. I was rooting for every single character (except one which I won’t disclose, and even that gets nuanced).
If you like slow burns, coming-of-age tales, real and raw stories, and want to immerse yourself in a vintage farm setting for a couple days, pick up this one up.
From the first chapter, I was in. Nelia Gardner White has a way with prose that feels almost musical. It felt like reading one, big love poem dedicated to growing up.
All the characters are rich and full of life, hopes, dreams, disappointments, regrets, passions, and loves. And you really feel all of the emotions being poured out on the pages. I was rooting for every single character (except one which I won’t disclose, and even that gets nuanced).
If you like slow burns, coming-of-age tales, real and raw stories, and want to immerse yourself in a vintage farm setting for a couple days, pick up this one up.
May 17, 2025
I love the back story of how this novel, originally published in 1950 by an author most people would not recognize, came to light all these years later. Two life-long friends have formed a publishing company, Quite Literally Books, dedicated to publishing/reissuing American women authors “who’ve been shelved for far too long.” I also love their just-as-long history with public libraries and their conversations with one another talking about books. So check them out at quiteliterallybooks.com.
From the opening pages, I was taken with the characters. Seven-year-old Norah Holm comes to live with her Uncle John Dickenson at a small country estate, the Grange, when her beloved mother dies. Frail, using crutches due to one leg being shorter than the other, Norah spends her time quietly observing her colorful (and self-possessed, even mean, sometimes) cousins Mary Ellen, Jed, Dosie and Paul, and trying to remain invisible. Add to the mix their mother, Aunt Rose, beautiful but haughty, arrogant, almost oblivious to her family. Aunt Poll, pragmatic, perceptive, focused on remaining independent, becomes Norah’s mentor, taking on her education, exposing her to great minds, constantly challenging her thinking, answering her questions, however difficult.
There is a Charles Dickens quality to the plot with the orphan thread and even a memory of “The Secret Garden;” yet, how Norah evolves in this house filled with secrets is a more complex story. As Norah becomes more astute and confident, her “orphan” status fades, and she is firmly embedded in the Dickenson family. The outlier is Aunt Rose whose cutting behavior toward Paul is mysterious to Norah and accepted as normal by the cousins. I found it interesting to watch Norah develop and the cousins grow while Aunt Rose is diminished.
The novel is also filled with minor characters who play a big role in Norah’s life and are intrinsically connected to the family; these threads are some of my favorite in the book.
The concept of secrets often drives this novel: who harbors secrets? Do they protect, and can the telling hurt or destroy? Does anyone have the right to tell? In “The Pink House,” there are small secrets, harmless enough in life, but also life-changing secrets, which almost hold characters hostage. Loneliness is also inherent within almost every character in the novel; thinking about how oblivious some were to each other’s loneliness, or how dismissive, reminded me how relevant this issue continues to be. Secrets and loneliness…
Another question wrestled with involved love. Norah protects her secret love for Paul and Aunt Poll advocates for “half a loaf is better than no bread.” Marriage without love? Marriage at all? Sacrifice all for love?
Under the grayness of WW II, much changes for Norah and the Dickenson family, their stories often taking surprising turns, epiphanies experienced, new ventures explored. I did not want to leave them or the “Pink House” and hoped life would be kind to them when I closed the book.
From the opening pages, I was taken with the characters. Seven-year-old Norah Holm comes to live with her Uncle John Dickenson at a small country estate, the Grange, when her beloved mother dies. Frail, using crutches due to one leg being shorter than the other, Norah spends her time quietly observing her colorful (and self-possessed, even mean, sometimes) cousins Mary Ellen, Jed, Dosie and Paul, and trying to remain invisible. Add to the mix their mother, Aunt Rose, beautiful but haughty, arrogant, almost oblivious to her family. Aunt Poll, pragmatic, perceptive, focused on remaining independent, becomes Norah’s mentor, taking on her education, exposing her to great minds, constantly challenging her thinking, answering her questions, however difficult.
There is a Charles Dickens quality to the plot with the orphan thread and even a memory of “The Secret Garden;” yet, how Norah evolves in this house filled with secrets is a more complex story. As Norah becomes more astute and confident, her “orphan” status fades, and she is firmly embedded in the Dickenson family. The outlier is Aunt Rose whose cutting behavior toward Paul is mysterious to Norah and accepted as normal by the cousins. I found it interesting to watch Norah develop and the cousins grow while Aunt Rose is diminished.
The novel is also filled with minor characters who play a big role in Norah’s life and are intrinsically connected to the family; these threads are some of my favorite in the book.
The concept of secrets often drives this novel: who harbors secrets? Do they protect, and can the telling hurt or destroy? Does anyone have the right to tell? In “The Pink House,” there are small secrets, harmless enough in life, but also life-changing secrets, which almost hold characters hostage. Loneliness is also inherent within almost every character in the novel; thinking about how oblivious some were to each other’s loneliness, or how dismissive, reminded me how relevant this issue continues to be. Secrets and loneliness…
Another question wrestled with involved love. Norah protects her secret love for Paul and Aunt Poll advocates for “half a loaf is better than no bread.” Marriage without love? Marriage at all? Sacrifice all for love?
Under the grayness of WW II, much changes for Norah and the Dickenson family, their stories often taking surprising turns, epiphanies experienced, new ventures explored. I did not want to leave them or the “Pink House” and hoped life would be kind to them when I closed the book.
June 18, 2025
Started slow and ominous, but by the end the wisdom on the page was CHEF'S KISS. Watching Norah learn to reach out, care about others, observe, become someone who others can confide in... it was lovely and brought a tear to my eyes. Some unexpectedly deep coming-of-age learnings here — like the opposite of a sheltered mind is a curious one.
PS: The Quite Literally Books edition is gorgeous — nice paper, font, cover, heft in hand.
PS: The Quite Literally Books edition is gorgeous — nice paper, font, cover, heft in hand.
July 16, 2025
Beautiful and melancholy coming of age story.
July 17, 2018
very sweet book.
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September 28, 2020I was disappointed that this wasn't actually about a house, but instead was about a really warped family and a rather drippy pov character.
October 11, 2025
Beautifully written and insightful.
April 23, 2011
A sweet book. Written as a memoir a LONG time ago, and with many of the characteristics of books of that generation. That said, I did enjoy it; not a great book, and not overly taxing on my mind, but not all books have to be, to be worth reading. The heroine grows up, becomes stronger, and lives happily ever after. Her Aunt Poll is well drawn and would be worth of a book of her own. A good rainy day read.
April 26, 2011
I did like this book. It was kind of a sad book in a way but a good book of a girl over coming her lameness and becoming a very independent woman. There are many different people and stories to follow in this book but it is mainly Norah and what her life was like growing up. I did like the ending it made me smile. I was very worried as I was reading of how it was going to end cause there are many sad parts in the book. Over all it is a pretty good book
June 16, 2025
Similar to literary classic Jane Eyre, The Pink House is a dark family saga written by prolific but forgotten 20th century woman author Nelia Gardner White. It was an easy read and very enjoyable. I recommend it! I loved reading the new edition put out by Quite Literally Books.
September 10, 2014
My favorite book growing up..... I read it many times.
October 7, 2015
I loved her style of writing. like Little Women.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews