Little Girl Lost

by Temple Bailey

Araminta is the beautiful young step- sister of three unwed older girls who resent her popularity among the desirable bachelors of their set, a genteel circle living in stately opulence upon their fertile Maryland estates. Spurred by the hope of freedom from her jealous sisters, Araminta elopes with a beau, then, having seen once again the knight she worships, repents her folly in time to return home still unattached. She achieves fame upon the New York stage, but love is yet un- captured, so after grievous cogitating, she heeds the call of her heart to homeward hie and plight her troth with the dear lad who bides there faithfully waiting.

316 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1932

About the author

Known as "Queen of the Romantic Novel", Irene Temple Bailey was born in Petersburg, Virginia. Her childhood was spent in Washington, D.C., and she attended a girls' school in Richmond, Virginia. In the early 1900s, she had her fiction published in national magazines such as The Saturday Evening Post, Cavalier Magazine, Cosmopolitan, American Magazine, McClure's, Woman's Home Companion, Good Housekeeping, and McCall's.

Her success with short stories inspired her to try her hand at books, and her first novel, Judy, was published in 1907. She eventually wrote over 25 best-selling books and became one of the most successful authors of her time. Later she also ventured into screenwriting; in 1914 she wrote the screenplay for the Vitagraph Studios film Auntie.

Temple Bailey is probably most famous for her short story, "A Parable of Motherhood."

Source: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/1...

Reviews

[Lori · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have found a new (to me) author to love. This book was published in 1932 and so may seem dated to modern readers. I loved the fairy tale quality of this book. There is no actual magic, only that created by the people themselves as they learn to know their own hearts and the hearts of those around them. It is something like Cinderella except that the sisters aren't really wicked and even through their jealousies, love each other. There is a "prince". It just takes some time for our heroine to recognize him. I loved the gentle lessons of this novel and look forward to reading more from Temple Bailey.

[Kailey (Luminous Libro) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Araminta is barely nineteen when she agrees to elope with Barney. But she doesn't really love him; she just wants to get away from her stepsisters at home. Araminta is also trying to forget about Jan, the gentleman who broke her heart two years before. But when she unexpectedly sees Jan on the night before the wedding, Araminta calls off the elopement and decides to take up a career as an actress in New York. The critics think she has some talent and Araminta throws herself into her acting career, working herself to death trying to forget both Barney and Jan. Through the course of a year, she tries to make sense of her own heart and find her way back to the man she truly loves.

I loved this sweet clean romance! Araminta discovers that you can't base a lasting relationship on glittering words and sweet gestures. Love requires a deeper connection and a steadfast affection that will weather the storms of life. Both of the men who Araminta loves have very different philosophies and dreams about what they want out of life, and Araminta has to decide which of them most closely aligns with her own values. I really liked that, although she gets swept away in the romance at first, she later takes time to analyze each man's moral character and choose the man who will truly make her happy.

The writing is delightful and I loved all the snappy dialogue. The supporting characters are memorable and complex, especially Araminta's stepsister Leontine. The plot really keeps you wondering, because their plans are always changing and new circumstances arise that seem to tear the characters apart even more.

I especially enjoyed the Christian themes in the background of this story! Araminta's grandfather is a Bishop, and she turns to him for advice and wisdom when she is confused. She takes time to pray for God to guide her in her decisions, and tries to live up to her spiritual ideals with courage and honesty. It was really inspiring to see how her faith in God was the deciding factor in her character development as she matures.

I can't wait to read more books from this author!

[Holly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed Bailey's book, but it is Not the Little Girl Lost book as described. I remembered the "orphan seeking her identity" as a book my 6th grade teacher read to our class in 1996. Bailey's novel is not narrative a 6th grade teacher would've picked. Anybody had any pointer to finding the other?

[Rhoda · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great little gem of a book - can’t resist a story based in Maryland, plus with a character named Rhoda!

[Morag · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really good read, but not my favorite of Temple Bailey's novels.