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Winter Cottage
A family that is down on its luck during the Depression appropriates a summer cottage in the Wisconsin woods, where they spend the winter and welcome all visitors, including a runaway youth and two strangers. How Pops and his two daughters cope with their misfortunes without losing heart is a very entertaining story.
178 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1968
10 people are currently reading
1340 people want to read
About the author
Carol Ryrie Brink
65 books178 followersBorn Caroline Ryrie, American author of over 30 juvenile and adult books. Her novel Caddie Woodlawn won the 1936 Newbery Medal.
Brink was orphaned by age 8 and raised by her maternal grandmother, the model for Caddie Woodlawn. She started writing for her school newspapers and continued that in college. She attended the University of Idaho for three years before transferring to the University of California in 1917, where she graduated Phi Beta Kappa in 1918, the same year she married.
Anything Can Happen on the River, Brink's first novel, was published in 1934. She was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Letters from the University of Idaho in 1965. Brink Hall, which houses the UI English Department and faculty offices, is named in her honor. The children's section of the Moscow, ID Carnegie public library is also named after her.
Brink was orphaned by age 8 and raised by her maternal grandmother, the model for Caddie Woodlawn. She started writing for her school newspapers and continued that in college. She attended the University of Idaho for three years before transferring to the University of California in 1917, where she graduated Phi Beta Kappa in 1918, the same year she married.
Anything Can Happen on the River, Brink's first novel, was published in 1934. She was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Letters from the University of Idaho in 1965. Brink Hall, which houses the UI English Department and faculty offices, is named in her honor. The children's section of the Moscow, ID Carnegie public library is also named after her.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 103 reviews
November 27, 2016
Lovely winter read, written in 1939 describes how a family down on their luck shelter in a summer cottage during the hard months of winter. About hope, making friends and trusting people.
February 1, 2015
Winter Cottage by Carol Ryrie Brink read January 2015
Absolutely loved this little-known gem. Though Winter Cottage collects dust while its more famous sister, Caddie Woodlawn, gets all the fame, WC is an excellent book in its own right and it's a shame that it is out-of-print. My library still has a copy in circulation, thank goodness, and if you can get your hands on a copy I urge you to read it without delay before libraries start discarding them.
As with Brink's other works, the characters in this story feel real, not only because of her deft characterization but because she does not shy away from delving into moral complexities. Pop is a dreamer for whom the workaday world is a struggle; though he can quote poets at length, he has been a failure in every job he's endeavored and the Great Depression certainly hasn't helped matters. Yet, for all of this, he is a kind and intelligent man, and a loving (widower) father who tries to provide for his girls, Araminta (Minty) and Eglantine (Eggs) -- and oh! those names! As soon as I read them, I remembered my mom had read me this book when I was a girl. Those names are memorable! ;-) Younger daughter Eglantine shares her father's dreamy nature. Moreover, she and Pop are not overly troubled by the little ups and downs of life; they don't fret and trust that things will work out. Minty has a more practical nature and shoulders much of the responsibility for their day-to-day life. She loves her Pop and admires him in many ways, but also wishes someone else would see things her way sometimes. Indeed, when the family's car breaks down and they stumble upon a summer cottage, vacant for the winter, Minty feels intensely uncomfortable staying the night there, though she is not immune to its charms. Yet, Pop figures that no one would mind them staying there, especially if they left some rent money at the end of the winter (just trusting that between now and then he would find some way to earn that money) and it would forestall their having to move in with his unpleasant sister-in-law. Eggs is keen, but Minty's conscience prickles. The story contains several more situations like this, that really draw out questions of what is “right” and what is “wrong” and I appreciate that Brink treats children with respect by showing characters (adults, especially) with all their “gray areas.” Above all, the story is just a delight to read! Highly recommended.
Absolutely loved this little-known gem. Though Winter Cottage collects dust while its more famous sister, Caddie Woodlawn, gets all the fame, WC is an excellent book in its own right and it's a shame that it is out-of-print. My library still has a copy in circulation, thank goodness, and if you can get your hands on a copy I urge you to read it without delay before libraries start discarding them.
As with Brink's other works, the characters in this story feel real, not only because of her deft characterization but because she does not shy away from delving into moral complexities. Pop is a dreamer for whom the workaday world is a struggle; though he can quote poets at length, he has been a failure in every job he's endeavored and the Great Depression certainly hasn't helped matters. Yet, for all of this, he is a kind and intelligent man, and a loving (widower) father who tries to provide for his girls, Araminta (Minty) and Eglantine (Eggs) -- and oh! those names! As soon as I read them, I remembered my mom had read me this book when I was a girl. Those names are memorable! ;-) Younger daughter Eglantine shares her father's dreamy nature. Moreover, she and Pop are not overly troubled by the little ups and downs of life; they don't fret and trust that things will work out. Minty has a more practical nature and shoulders much of the responsibility for their day-to-day life. She loves her Pop and admires him in many ways, but also wishes someone else would see things her way sometimes. Indeed, when the family's car breaks down and they stumble upon a summer cottage, vacant for the winter, Minty feels intensely uncomfortable staying the night there, though she is not immune to its charms. Yet, Pop figures that no one would mind them staying there, especially if they left some rent money at the end of the winter (just trusting that between now and then he would find some way to earn that money) and it would forestall their having to move in with his unpleasant sister-in-law. Eggs is keen, but Minty's conscience prickles. The story contains several more situations like this, that really draw out questions of what is “right” and what is “wrong” and I appreciate that Brink treats children with respect by showing characters (adults, especially) with all their “gray areas.” Above all, the story is just a delight to read! Highly recommended.
November 11, 2025
What a cozy, warm-hearted read!
Pop, Minty and Eggs have hit on hard times - like everyone else during the Great Depression - so of course their car would break down on their way to live with their Aunt.
But maybe it's not such a bad turn after all.
The hidden and comfortable cottage they discovered nestled in the woods gives them more than just a warm, dry place to spend the night. It gives them hope and a brighter future!
This book has all the wondrous winter scenes and themes within its pages. From a cottage in the woods, to eggs and pancakes in the skillet and chess games at night in front of a wood fire.
Friendships are begun, family relationship blooms and love abides.
Ages: 8+
Content Considerations: "Golly" "gee" and the like are used. A teen boy runs away from home but is encouraged to write his mother and say he's safe and will be in touch again soon. In the end, he realizes he shouldn't have run away and returns home to make amends. The father in the story isn't always the brightest or most responsible - it is not done in such a way as to make adults look stupid like some stories do. There is a scene with Indians dancing and they're called heathens by some nuns. A man smokes a pipe.
**Like my reviews? Then you should follow me! Because I have hundreds more just like this one. With each review, I provide Content Considerations, mentioning any objectionable content I come across so that parents and/or conscientious readers (like me) can determine beforehand whether they want to read a book or not. Content surprises are super annoying, especially when you’re 100+ pages in, so here’s my attempt to help you avoid that!
If you’re considering a book or looking for a new title to read, check out my highly categorized shelves, read my reviews and Friend or Follow me to spiff up your feed with clean, wholesome, living books.
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Pop, Minty and Eggs have hit on hard times - like everyone else during the Great Depression - so of course their car would break down on their way to live with their Aunt.
But maybe it's not such a bad turn after all.
The hidden and comfortable cottage they discovered nestled in the woods gives them more than just a warm, dry place to spend the night. It gives them hope and a brighter future!
This book has all the wondrous winter scenes and themes within its pages. From a cottage in the woods, to eggs and pancakes in the skillet and chess games at night in front of a wood fire.
Friendships are begun, family relationship blooms and love abides.
Ages: 8+
Content Considerations: "Golly" "gee" and the like are used. A teen boy runs away from home but is encouraged to write his mother and say he's safe and will be in touch again soon. In the end, he realizes he shouldn't have run away and returns home to make amends. The father in the story isn't always the brightest or most responsible - it is not done in such a way as to make adults look stupid like some stories do. There is a scene with Indians dancing and they're called heathens by some nuns. A man smokes a pipe.
**Like my reviews? Then you should follow me! Because I have hundreds more just like this one. With each review, I provide Content Considerations, mentioning any objectionable content I come across so that parents and/or conscientious readers (like me) can determine beforehand whether they want to read a book or not. Content surprises are super annoying, especially when you’re 100+ pages in, so here’s my attempt to help you avoid that!
If you’re considering a book or looking for a new title to read, check out my highly categorized shelves, read my reviews and Friend or Follow me to spiff up your feed with clean, wholesome, living books.
I have an Instagram account that’s pretty bookishly unique too!
January 3, 2023
If you are looking for cozy: make hot chocolate and read this delightful book.
In 1930, a head-in-the-clouds widower — who quotes Wordsworth, Browning, Homer, Nash, and Shakespeare but has few practical skills — and his two daughters are stranded in northern Wisconsin near a vacant vacation cottage on a lake. Out of options, they "rent" the cottage without permission, planning to put money (that they don't have) on the kitchen table when they leave in the spring. The older daughter, Minty, is the only one who seems capable of discipline, thinking ahead, and practical wisdom. Minty is a 13 year-old version of Anne Elliot from Persuasion.
Snow flurries blow more marooned travelers into the cottage, the household expands, they devour Pop's delicious pancakes, and make the kind of home entertainment you'd find in Little Women.
Fermin Rocker's illustrations are excellent.
Thank you to Carrie Reading to Know for her review. I checked all my usual sources (library, Paperbackswap, Libby, Hoopla) for this 1939 novel. A recent reprint starts at $20 at several online bookstores. Happily, I found it at archive.org where one borrows books by the hour (renewable). I'm not a fan of reading from a screen, but this was definitely worth it.
In 1930, a head-in-the-clouds widower — who quotes Wordsworth, Browning, Homer, Nash, and Shakespeare but has few practical skills — and his two daughters are stranded in northern Wisconsin near a vacant vacation cottage on a lake. Out of options, they "rent" the cottage without permission, planning to put money (that they don't have) on the kitchen table when they leave in the spring. The older daughter, Minty, is the only one who seems capable of discipline, thinking ahead, and practical wisdom. Minty is a 13 year-old version of Anne Elliot from Persuasion.
Snow flurries blow more marooned travelers into the cottage, the household expands, they devour Pop's delicious pancakes, and make the kind of home entertainment you'd find in Little Women.
Fermin Rocker's illustrations are excellent.
Thank you to Carrie Reading to Know for her review. I checked all my usual sources (library, Paperbackswap, Libby, Hoopla) for this 1939 novel. A recent reprint starts at $20 at several online bookstores. Happily, I found it at archive.org where one borrows books by the hour (renewable). I'm not a fan of reading from a screen, but this was definitely worth it.
May 10, 2020
I reread this recently for the first time in years, and it did not disappoint. It's still an amazing book.
I wasn't able to write a review like I wanted, but I recommend it to anyone who likes classic middle-grade historical fiction and stories about strong, loving, lively family relationships. It also has an interesting and unique, though simple plot; well-developed, unique, real characters; and themes of determination, family, friendship, and trust.
Winter Cottage is by the author of Caddie Woodlawn. Not many people know about her other books, but they're amazing as well. If you enjoyed Caddie Woodlawn, you should check out some of her other books! I recommend this one, Family Grandstand, and a couple others, but especially the sequel to Caddie. All of her books are about wonderful, fun, close family relationships.
I wasn't able to write a review like I wanted, but I recommend it to anyone who likes classic middle-grade historical fiction and stories about strong, loving, lively family relationships. It also has an interesting and unique, though simple plot; well-developed, unique, real characters; and themes of determination, family, friendship, and trust.
Winter Cottage is by the author of Caddie Woodlawn. Not many people know about her other books, but they're amazing as well. If you enjoyed Caddie Woodlawn, you should check out some of her other books! I recommend this one, Family Grandstand, and a couple others, but especially the sequel to Caddie. All of her books are about wonderful, fun, close family relationships.
November 14, 2019
I loved it. Would love to find a copy of this for my shelf 💕 but it’s VERY hard to find/out of print
February 1, 2025
A sweet story. Anyone who has had the pleasure of living in a Summer Cottage will appreciate the ambience created in this book (even though it is winter!). A bit dated but perhaps that’s the charm.
November 1, 2025
Such a lovely, comforting book despite its Depression-era setting. Minty, her father and her younger sister Eglantine, (known a Eggs) are on hard times and are forced to move to their aunt's unwelcoming home. But the car breaks down on the way, and they seek overnight shelter in a summer cottage that has been closed up for the year. The overnight stay was so much fun and so magical that they talk themselves into staying for the winter and leaving rent for the family. It turns out to be a magical, never to be forgotten respite from financial difficulties, and Pops, Minty and Eggs all show resilience and good spirits. They welcome Joe, a homeless young man into the cottage, and their natural generosity and kindness saves them from misfortune. A wonderful story of the power of kindness, the necessity for resilience, and the importance of creativity in making life meaningful.
January 8, 2023
This was such a charming read! It gave me so many Melendy family vibes from the single-father family to the adopted boy to the glory of nature right outside the front door to the creativity and energy of the three kids. Father Sparkes is always quoting poetry and he’s a hospitable, kind-hearted dreamer. Thirteen-year-old Araminta (Minty) is the practical housekeeper who has to turn her mind to worldly things while her father is dreaming. It’s a tough situation for her at the start but the Winter Cottage brings her stability so that she can be a playful kid again. Eglantine is the younger sister and she is called Eggs. 😆
The book starts in the autumn and ends in the spring, but the middle chunk of the book is set during winter. The adopted-for-the-winter boy, Joe, and the girls have all sorts of adventures in the house and out of it. There is even a huge snowstorm that keeps them housebound for three full days. I love the details about the Sparkes’ housekeeping in the cottage and Father Sparkes’ delicious pancakes with the funny names for the different sizes. There are some delightful twists and turns to the story. I think this would make such a fun winter read aloud with kids.
The book starts in the autumn and ends in the spring, but the middle chunk of the book is set during winter. The adopted-for-the-winter boy, Joe, and the girls have all sorts of adventures in the house and out of it. There is even a huge snowstorm that keeps them housebound for three full days. I love the details about the Sparkes’ housekeeping in the cottage and Father Sparkes’ delicious pancakes with the funny names for the different sizes. There are some delightful twists and turns to the story. I think this would make such a fun winter read aloud with kids.
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May 12, 2021a comfort reread of a winter in the Great Depression in which a desperate family -- father, two girls, and a lost boy-- spend the winter in a summer cabin in Wisconsin shut up for the season. The depiction of local Native Americans is uncomfortable (which if you've read Caddy Woodlawn won't surprise you), but life in the cabin is great reading and there's a nice twist at the end..
February 6, 2024
4.5🌟 A cozy winter adventure! I really enjoyed this middle grade book about the Sparkes family—Pops, Minty and Eggs. Their car breaks down and they end up taking shelter in a cottage near the road. Unfortunately, a snow storm hits, their father becomes ill and they have to ask strangers for help.
The girls are sweet, likable and helpful to their father, especially Minty, who always keeps her head and pretty much takes care of the entire family.
There's only one reason why I didn't give this book a five star rating. The father truly irritated me. Although he is kind, he is incredibly irresponsible. His head is so much in the clouds of poetry that he does not even think of taking care of his two young daughters.
After he gets sick, it's completely up to Minty and her little sister to look after them all. Pops simply goes around quoting poetry for any situation, although sometimes makes pancakes for a meal. But, that's the extent of his parental responsibilities.
Thanks to Minty's quick thinking and brave heart (and also some help from their runaway visitor Joe), the family manages to turn things around in the end.
But, if you can overlook this, the book is wonderfully written and I had a hard time putting it down. I loved the domestic descriptions and how lively the story felt while reading it. I'll have to give another Carol Ryrie Brink book a try!
Also, if you loved this book, I think you would also love Apple Tree Cottage by Virginia Frances Voight!
Many thanks to Kate (@nocomplimentstoyourmother) for recommending this book to me!
The girls are sweet, likable and helpful to their father, especially Minty, who always keeps her head and pretty much takes care of the entire family.
There's only one reason why I didn't give this book a five star rating. The father truly irritated me. Although he is kind, he is incredibly irresponsible. His head is so much in the clouds of poetry that he does not even think of taking care of his two young daughters.
After he gets sick, it's completely up to Minty and her little sister to look after them all. Pops simply goes around quoting poetry for any situation, although sometimes makes pancakes for a meal. But, that's the extent of his parental responsibilities.
Thanks to Minty's quick thinking and brave heart (and also some help from their runaway visitor Joe), the family manages to turn things around in the end.
But, if you can overlook this, the book is wonderfully written and I had a hard time putting it down. I loved the domestic descriptions and how lively the story felt while reading it. I'll have to give another Carol Ryrie Brink book a try!
Also, if you loved this book, I think you would also love Apple Tree Cottage by Virginia Frances Voight!
Many thanks to Kate (@nocomplimentstoyourmother) for recommending this book to me!
January 2, 2023
Easy reading because it was so delightfully FUN! This book has all the charm of Caddie Woodlawn but is a fun, cozy winter tale about a down-on-his-luck widower and his two daughters. A heartwarming story that I highly recommend.
December 21, 2021
Read this in one sitting!
January 25, 2011
Just came across this one again - wow, does it bring back memories! My Dad must have read this to us half a dozen times, we loved it so much. I remember the kids entering contests (which they found on the backs of tin cans and flour sacks)in order to try to earn money to pay the rent (on the empty cottage they occupied). If I remember right, the Dad used to make pancakes he called "golwallopers" and "whales". Absolutely loved this as a kid.
April 17, 2011
Little did I know when I first read and fell in love with this book that one day I too would be entering sweepstakes (and winning).
The charm of this family - the enterprising father and the two daughters who yearn for a settled home - makes you root for them and crave just a taste of Pa's famous pancakes.
The charm of this family - the enterprising father and the two daughters who yearn for a settled home - makes you root for them and crave just a taste of Pa's famous pancakes.
February 15, 2014
So glad I heard about this through the Betsy-Tacy list. It has some of the same "homemaking" charm as another favorite, Dandelion Cottage, the coziness of winter, and a fun twist at the end.
January 1, 2025
I loved it. Likely would have enjoyed it more in my era of finding and reading Caddie Woodlawn but it’s a comfortable read that drops you into a cottage kept warm and bright in the middle of the forest. I will be watching for a copy for my shelves.
December 2, 2025
Perfect winter book
November 17, 2016
The family is down and out in the winter of 1932. While on the way to horrible Aunt Amy's in Minneapolis, the car breaks down and the Sparkes family are forced to stop in the snowy woods on Wisconsin. They find an empty summer cottage and move in to spend the winter. Pops is sure his ship will come in soon and he'll be able to leave rent at the end of the winter. Thirteen-year-old Minty isn't so sure. She's the practical one of the family while her father, a poet, and sister "Eggs" are dreamers. When Minty finds a picture of the girl who lives in the house in the summer, Marcia Vincent, it becomes all the more important to her to pay Marcia back.
This is a sweet little story. It shows some of the realities of the Depression in a gentle kid-friendly manner. It could seem a little dark to adults since Pops is a dreamer and unable to support his family, but it's not meant to be. I could really relate to Minty. I'm the rational sibling in my family. I couldn't put the book down for worrying how Pops would come up with the money and whether the Vincents found them. I skipped ahead to the end but found it a little confusing without having read the middle! Part of the ending was a bit of a surprise but the rest wasn't really. It's a typical children's book of this period. The story makes camping in the winter woods without technology or newspapers sound like fun. If I hadn't already been craving pancakes, I would be now after reading this book. I want Pops' secret recipe for gollwhollickers! I love diner pancakes the size of a dinner plate. I've never seen a whale before but it sounds really good.
The story features a visit to an Indian reservation. There's some typical stereotypical content of the period "squaw", "brave" and "heathen" (this from the nuns at the mission). A "heathen" Indian dance scene is portrayed from the point-of-view of a child who is having a great time. It didn't come across as terribly bad and it did acknowledge that the Indians were there and had their own culture. The scene is as much fun as the scenes in the cabin.
Fans of classic children's literature will enjoy this one and reading it with a young child.
This is a sweet little story. It shows some of the realities of the Depression in a gentle kid-friendly manner. It could seem a little dark to adults since Pops is a dreamer and unable to support his family, but it's not meant to be. I could really relate to Minty. I'm the rational sibling in my family. I couldn't put the book down for worrying how Pops would come up with the money and whether the Vincents found them. I skipped ahead to the end but found it a little confusing without having read the middle! Part of the ending was a bit of a surprise but the rest wasn't really. It's a typical children's book of this period. The story makes camping in the winter woods without technology or newspapers sound like fun. If I hadn't already been craving pancakes, I would be now after reading this book. I want Pops' secret recipe for gollwhollickers! I love diner pancakes the size of a dinner plate. I've never seen a whale before but it sounds really good.
The story features a visit to an Indian reservation. There's some typical stereotypical content of the period "squaw", "brave" and "heathen" (this from the nuns at the mission). A "heathen" Indian dance scene is portrayed from the point-of-view of a child who is having a great time. It didn't come across as terribly bad and it did acknowledge that the Indians were there and had their own culture. The scene is as much fun as the scenes in the cabin.
Fans of classic children's literature will enjoy this one and reading it with a young child.
November 13, 2015
This was a dear story - a children's book actually but I found it a delightful change of pace. The illustrations were well done as well. Minty is wiser than her sixteen years and is the mother figure for her younger sister, and handles Pop, who is a bit of a dreamer, quite well.
November 21, 2024
I’m certain I must have read this book before. However, I didn’t remember anything! This was a sweet and cozy read—a little mystery, a little poetry, delightful hospitality, creative boredom busting, comfort food! 💗
December 26, 2023
Delightful read aloud.
January 3, 2025
Such a sweet and cozy middle -grade book. Perfect for the end of the holidays.
January 2, 2020
Loved reading it out loud to the family during the Christmas season.
June 18, 2017
This is fabulous. Warm, detailed, and tiptoeing on the edge of timelessness. Even the part that could read as dated - the visit to the nearby reservation - is elevated by the nuanced acknowledgement of the missionaries on site. I really like stories about capable children accommodating for their less-worldly parents (much more realistic than absent parents!) and poetry-quoting Pop is hilarious.
Also, this is Excellent Example of Inflation #1 of the books I read today. Next up: The Saturdays.
Also, this is Excellent Example of Inflation #1 of the books I read today. Next up: The Saturdays.
January 4, 2023
Pluses: the same homey details and light humour as Baby Island and Caddie Woodlawn.
Minuses: the whole part in the middle about the Indian village and the nuns. Problematic in the same ways as the scalp belt episode in Caddie Woodlawn. There was also a rude bit about "deaf and dumb."
Overall: I think there are better books for children to read.
Minuses: the whole part in the middle about the Indian village and the nuns. Problematic in the same ways as the scalp belt episode in Caddie Woodlawn. There was also a rude bit about "deaf and dumb."
Overall: I think there are better books for children to read.
December 30, 2018
I'm amazed at how many years I went without realizing that Brink wrote any other books besides Caddie Woodlawn!
A darling story about family and kindness during the hard years of the depression
A darling story about family and kindness during the hard years of the depression
April 17, 2017
Araminta and Eglantine (Minty and Eggs) Sparkes, are reluctantly moving with their unemployed father to live with their deceased mother's sister as the Great Depression begins. Their luck seems to be against them as they take a wrong turn onto a remote country road and their car breaks down. The sisters go exploring while their father attempts to find out what is wrong. They find an abandoned cottage and enter through an unsecured window. Little do they know that they are about to embark on an adventure that will change their lives.
The story is replete with life lessons in consequences to choices, trust, honor, resourcefulness, and friendship while at the same time capturing a time now long gone and filled with warmth, generosity, and adventure.
The story is replete with life lessons in consequences to choices, trust, honor, resourcefulness, and friendship while at the same time capturing a time now long gone and filled with warmth, generosity, and adventure.
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January 29, 2020I recently read this seasonally appropriate book by the Newbery-medalist author of Caddie Woodlawn. It was a bit predictable, but an enjoyable & sweet read. I’m glad my library system still had a copy in circulation because it’s scarce and out of print, so the used book prices are through the roof. I’m still kind of amazed my library just let me walk out with it though! I’ll be returning it ASAP before it meets with any child-related accidents!
February 9, 2024
I’ve been trying to read more children’s/middle grade books so I have some good read-alouds for my own children once they’re older. This couldn’t have been cuter; a great example of how a very simple story can be charming and cozy. Perfect quick winter read.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 103 reviews