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Carr Family #4
Clover
Clover is the fourth book in the popular What Katy Did series. After Katy’s wedding, the focus shifts to her little sister Clover. Their brother Phil encounters serious illness in the winter, and Dr. Carr sends him with Clover to the mountains of Colorado. Clarence Page, their naughty cousin from the other books, lives nearby. He is a rancher now with an attractive English partner, Geoff Templestowe, whom Clover falls for.
108 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1888
30 people are currently reading
859 people want to read
About the author
Susan Coolidge
389 books175 followersSarah Chauncey Woolsey was an American children's author who wrote under the pen name Susan Coolidge.
Woolsey was born January 29, 1835, into the wealthy, influential New England Dwight family in Cleveland, Ohio. Her father was John Mumford Woolsey (1796–1870) and mother was Jane Andrews. She spent much of her childhood in New Haven Connecticut after her family moved there in 1852.
Woolsey worked as a nurse during the American Civil War (1861–1865), after which she started to write. The niece of the author and poet Gamel Woolsey, she never married, and resided at her family home in Newport, Rhode Island, until her death.
She edited The Autobiography and Correspondence of Mrs. Delaney (1879) and The Diary and Letters of Frances Burney (1880). She is best known, however, for her classic children's novel, What Katy Did (1872). The fictional Carr family was modeled after the author's own, with Katy Carr inspired by Susan (Sarah) herself, and the brothers and sisters modeled on Coolidge's four younger Woolsey siblings.
Woolsey was born January 29, 1835, into the wealthy, influential New England Dwight family in Cleveland, Ohio. Her father was John Mumford Woolsey (1796–1870) and mother was Jane Andrews. She spent much of her childhood in New Haven Connecticut after her family moved there in 1852.
Woolsey worked as a nurse during the American Civil War (1861–1865), after which she started to write. The niece of the author and poet Gamel Woolsey, she never married, and resided at her family home in Newport, Rhode Island, until her death.
She edited The Autobiography and Correspondence of Mrs. Delaney (1879) and The Diary and Letters of Frances Burney (1880). She is best known, however, for her classic children's novel, What Katy Did (1872). The fictional Carr family was modeled after the author's own, with Katy Carr inspired by Susan (Sarah) herself, and the brothers and sisters modeled on Coolidge's four younger Woolsey siblings.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 79 reviews
March 20, 2015
What a lovely continuation of the What Katy Did series! This one focuses on Clover, who goes west with her younger brother Phil so that he can recover his health. Once there Clover can't help but feel homesick, till she sees her cousin who has settled down in the high valley with a friend of his. Soon Clover is inundated with visits from them both, and she finds she may not want to go home after all…
I always did like Clover a bit more than Katy. Katy was so perfect in a practical way. Even when she went Touring Europe she didn't buy herself pretty gifts. Clover is much more "giddy" in comparison to Katy. But compared to me she is the picture of virtue as she always manages to be soft and sweet even with selfish pigs.
It was a much shorter book than I'd expected, but since there is one more in the series I wont complain. As always in Susan Coolidge's books the descriptions are beautiful and you feel like you are right there. My only qualm is that she like to leave somethings hidden and known only to the character. So when someone suddenly stops visiting Clover we don't know why, its left a mystery. Otherwise the book was great.
G rating Nothing to upset the most upsetable in Clover!
Note: I labeled this as YA, but Clover herself is 22. I'd say it's similar in style to Freckles, A Girl of the Limberlost, Daddy-Long-Legs, Dear Enemy and Seven daughters.
I always did like Clover a bit more than Katy. Katy was so perfect in a practical way. Even when she went Touring Europe she didn't buy herself pretty gifts. Clover is much more "giddy" in comparison to Katy. But compared to me she is the picture of virtue as she always manages to be soft and sweet even with selfish pigs.
It was a much shorter book than I'd expected, but since there is one more in the series I wont complain. As always in Susan Coolidge's books the descriptions are beautiful and you feel like you are right there. My only qualm is that she like to leave somethings hidden and known only to the character. So when someone suddenly stops visiting Clover we don't know why, its left a mystery. Otherwise the book was great.
G rating Nothing to upset the most upsetable in Clover!
Note: I labeled this as YA, but Clover herself is 22. I'd say it's similar in style to Freckles, A Girl of the Limberlost, Daddy-Long-Legs, Dear Enemy and Seven daughters.
March 17, 2018
Dee-lightful! Its almost 6am..and a happy scratchy eyeballed few hours its been reading this under the covers so as not to wake the poor dear husbandling who puts up with my wild reading habits.
My romp back into the Carr family's world has been all over the place but very much enjoyable.
It not as detail packed as Katy's books but its still lovely and filled with glimpses of warm humor.
The characters nicely captured whether good (Clover, her family, her friends) or tiresome (that Mrs Watson), the descriptively gorgeous scenery that made me want to visit the rocky mountains, and the simple natural development of plot from the sweet wedding of Katy, to the exciting travels and new acquaintances of Clover and Phil on their journey from Colorado, all added a charming facet to the story.
And especially the development of dear Clover and her change in perspective, from the beginning of disgust at husbands and travelling far from home, to then learning to make her own many states away in the unknown and possibly finding her own romance.
If you loved What Katy Did be sure to check out the rest of the series, Im sure you wont regret it.
My romp back into the Carr family's world has been all over the place but very much enjoyable.
It not as detail packed as Katy's books but its still lovely and filled with glimpses of warm humor.
The characters nicely captured whether good (Clover, her family, her friends) or tiresome (that Mrs Watson), the descriptively gorgeous scenery that made me want to visit the rocky mountains, and the simple natural development of plot from the sweet wedding of Katy, to the exciting travels and new acquaintances of Clover and Phil on their journey from Colorado, all added a charming facet to the story.
And especially the development of dear Clover and her change in perspective, from the beginning of disgust at husbands and travelling far from home, to then learning to make her own many states away in the unknown and possibly finding her own romance.
If you loved What Katy Did be sure to check out the rest of the series, Im sure you wont regret it.
August 1, 2010
Who would imagine, that I would read Clover or Katy Book 4 at my age, but I am glad I did, it brought back to mind how greedily I had read the other three.
Clover goes to Colorado to nurse her brother Phil, loves Colorado and its beautiful mountains, in fact she never wants to get back to the East, luckily for her she meets and falls in love with Geoff.
What is striking about the book is the simplicity with which life was lived. Katy's wedding is elegant because it is so simple, everybody who matters to Katy is cherished and treated like a honored guest, something that hardly happens these days
The descriptions of Colorado are beautiful, the gorges and canyons are described with great feeling, the flowers are amazing, makes me want to visit Colorado and its wild beauty. Maybe someday!
A truly delightful book, it shows life as it ought to be lived
Clover goes to Colorado to nurse her brother Phil, loves Colorado and its beautiful mountains, in fact she never wants to get back to the East, luckily for her she meets and falls in love with Geoff.
What is striking about the book is the simplicity with which life was lived. Katy's wedding is elegant because it is so simple, everybody who matters to Katy is cherished and treated like a honored guest, something that hardly happens these days
The descriptions of Colorado are beautiful, the gorges and canyons are described with great feeling, the flowers are amazing, makes me want to visit Colorado and its wild beauty. Maybe someday!
A truly delightful book, it shows life as it ought to be lived
January 18, 2026
Susan Coolidge returns to the story of the Carr family in this fourth installment of her series, following upon the 1872 classic,
What Katy Did
, and its two sequels,
What Katy Did at School
(1873) and
What Katy Did Next
(1886). Opening in the family's Ohio hometown of Burnet, the story begins with Katy's wedding to Ned Worthington, with whom she became engaged in the previous book. Done in Katy's own style—simple but full of love—the wedding goes off without a hitch and the newlyweds depart, with the narrative turning to younger sister Clover. When Phil becomes ill and doesn't recover properly, he and Clover are sent west to Colorado, in the hope that the mountain air will aid in his recuperation. They come to St. Helen's (which seems to be a fictionalized version of Colorado Springs), where they settle into a boarding house and quickly make friends. Amongst these is cousin Clarence Page, whom Clover met in
What Katy Did at School
, and his business partner Geoffrey Templestowe, an expatriate Englishman with whom he co-owns the High Valley ranch. The rest of the book details their exploration of the Colorado countryside, and the romantic entanglements between Clover and her three beaus...
Published in 1888, Clover and its direct sequel, In the High Valley (1890), are lesser-known additions to the Carr family saga, more commonly known as the "Katy Books." As the title makes plain, it switches focus from eldest Carr daughter and sister Katy, to next-oldest child Clover, although Katy still has her share of attention, especially in the earlier part of the book. I found it immensely engaging, no less so than the earlier books, and read it in two sittings (albeit separated by many days). Clover is an amiable heroine, and I enjoyed reading about her adventures, from the trials and tribulations of putting up with the querulous Mrs. Watson to her reunion with Clarence and meeting with Geoff. There is a great deal here about the beauty of Colorado and the Rockies, and that too I enjoyed. We lived in Denver for two years when I was very young, and some of my few memories of that period involve the immense beauty of the mountains, into which we would travel to meet up with relatives. I have a vivid memory of a camping trip to a mountain valley with gorgeous vistas, so I appreciated that aspect of the narrative here, and the exploration of local sites of beauty. I think that "Odin's Garden," an area of almost unearthly rock formations, must be a reference to the Garden of the Gods. In any case, despite it being considered almost an afterthought by many readers, I found this one every bit as entertaining as its predecessors. Then again, I didn't grow up reading the three "Katy Books," so I have no particular allegiance to her as a character, and no qualms to seeing another Carr sibling take center stage. Recommended to anyone who has read previous books about this family. For my part, I'm looking forward to In the High Valley , also set in Colorado.
Published in 1888, Clover and its direct sequel, In the High Valley (1890), are lesser-known additions to the Carr family saga, more commonly known as the "Katy Books." As the title makes plain, it switches focus from eldest Carr daughter and sister Katy, to next-oldest child Clover, although Katy still has her share of attention, especially in the earlier part of the book. I found it immensely engaging, no less so than the earlier books, and read it in two sittings (albeit separated by many days). Clover is an amiable heroine, and I enjoyed reading about her adventures, from the trials and tribulations of putting up with the querulous Mrs. Watson to her reunion with Clarence and meeting with Geoff. There is a great deal here about the beauty of Colorado and the Rockies, and that too I enjoyed. We lived in Denver for two years when I was very young, and some of my few memories of that period involve the immense beauty of the mountains, into which we would travel to meet up with relatives. I have a vivid memory of a camping trip to a mountain valley with gorgeous vistas, so I appreciated that aspect of the narrative here, and the exploration of local sites of beauty. I think that "Odin's Garden," an area of almost unearthly rock formations, must be a reference to the Garden of the Gods. In any case, despite it being considered almost an afterthought by many readers, I found this one every bit as entertaining as its predecessors. Then again, I didn't grow up reading the three "Katy Books," so I have no particular allegiance to her as a character, and no qualms to seeing another Carr sibling take center stage. Recommended to anyone who has read previous books about this family. For my part, I'm looking forward to In the High Valley , also set in Colorado.
May 21, 2023
5+ stars (8/10 hearts). Books 3 & 4 in this series are even better than the first and second books, in my opinion! I loved this story! Opening in Burnet, as always, this tale whisks us across the continent to the Wild West of 1870s Colorado with sweet little Clover…
The plot of this book was so fun. Katy’s wedding was just so sweet and beautiful!! And it was delicious to see Rose Red & Roselein again, as well as all the Carrs and Cecy and Cousin Helen and Ned. <3 I love that family so much. The trip was delightful to read about, and Clover & Phil’s adventures in St. Helen’s were just as enjoyable. The writing style of Coolidge is just suited for this type of story—her descriptions and humour were excellent.
I loved having Clover as the main character! She is such a nice, independent girl, different from Katy, but still very sweet and lovely. Clarence was awesome to meet again and he improved so much. And Geoff was so nice. Phil was quite a fun character too, as was Doctor Hope… and Mrs. Watson. ;P The romance was so sweet and subtle and slow, just delightful. (I’m a sucker for scenes about how home is so much nicer when a woman is there <3).
Overall, this was just such a sweet, lovely tale, with a beautiful focus on the meaning of home & family, and the perfect continuation of the series!
A Favourite Quote: “...she ran down stairs, looking so blithe and bright that Phil cheered at the sight of her, and lost the long morning face he had got up with, while even Mrs. Watson caught the contagion, and became fairly hopeful and content. A little leaven of good-will and good heart in one often avails to lighten the heaviness of many.”
A Favourite Beautiful Quote: “Such a wonderful and perfect little river, ... here slipping noiselessly down long slopes of rock like thin films of glass, there deepening into pools of translucent blue-green like aqua-marine or beryl, again plunging down in mimic waterfalls, a sheet of iridescent foam. The sound of its rush and its ripple was like a laugh. Never was such happy water, Clover thought, as it curved and bent and swayed this way and that on its downward course as if moved by some merry, capricious instinct, like a child dancing as it goes.”
A Favourite Humorous Quote: “‘Keep in mind the epitaph raised in honor of an exemplary wife of the last century,—“She never banged the door.” Qualify yourself for a similar testimonial.’
“‘Tanta never does bang doors,’ remarked Amy, who had come in as this last “elegant extract" was being read.
“‘No, that's true; she doesn't,’ said Clover. ‘Her prevailing vice is to leave them open.’”
The plot of this book was so fun. Katy’s wedding was just so sweet and beautiful!! And it was delicious to see Rose Red & Roselein again, as well as all the Carrs and Cecy and Cousin Helen and Ned. <3 I love that family so much. The trip was delightful to read about, and Clover & Phil’s adventures in St. Helen’s were just as enjoyable. The writing style of Coolidge is just suited for this type of story—her descriptions and humour were excellent.
I loved having Clover as the main character! She is such a nice, independent girl, different from Katy, but still very sweet and lovely. Clarence was awesome to meet again and he improved so much. And Geoff was so nice. Phil was quite a fun character too, as was Doctor Hope… and Mrs. Watson. ;P The romance was so sweet and subtle and slow, just delightful. (I’m a sucker for scenes about how home is so much nicer when a woman is there <3).
Overall, this was just such a sweet, lovely tale, with a beautiful focus on the meaning of home & family, and the perfect continuation of the series!
A Favourite Quote: “...she ran down stairs, looking so blithe and bright that Phil cheered at the sight of her, and lost the long morning face he had got up with, while even Mrs. Watson caught the contagion, and became fairly hopeful and content. A little leaven of good-will and good heart in one often avails to lighten the heaviness of many.”
A Favourite Beautiful Quote: “Such a wonderful and perfect little river, ... here slipping noiselessly down long slopes of rock like thin films of glass, there deepening into pools of translucent blue-green like aqua-marine or beryl, again plunging down in mimic waterfalls, a sheet of iridescent foam. The sound of its rush and its ripple was like a laugh. Never was such happy water, Clover thought, as it curved and bent and swayed this way and that on its downward course as if moved by some merry, capricious instinct, like a child dancing as it goes.”
A Favourite Humorous Quote: “‘Keep in mind the epitaph raised in honor of an exemplary wife of the last century,—“She never banged the door.” Qualify yourself for a similar testimonial.’
“‘Tanta never does bang doors,’ remarked Amy, who had come in as this last “elegant extract" was being read.
“‘No, that's true; she doesn't,’ said Clover. ‘Her prevailing vice is to leave them open.’”
August 7, 2018
I came late to the Carr family saga, like in my late thirties. I love The Katy Chronicles: What Katy Did; What Katy Did at School; And What Katy Did Next, and have read it several times, which is why I am so sad to give this volume only three stars. Why? Because there's so little story compared to the pages and pages and pages of overdescription of Nature's beauties. Since I can't visualise things I've never seen, all those passages of rocks and chasms and flowers were totally lost on me, though I did websearch a few of the flowers--but there were far too many I'd never heard of to make it practical to break the reading every few lines to search another one. What little activity there is, isn't given in much detail. We are told that there were many tea parties, dinners and other activities--but that's all. If not for Katy's wedding at the beginning, it wouldn't seem like a Coolidge novel at all.
I downloaded this from Gutenberg and am glad I didn't spend money to buy a hard copy.
I downloaded this from Gutenberg and am glad I didn't spend money to buy a hard copy.
July 26, 2015
Part of a series I read the first 3 volumes of as a child. This was 50 cents at a fleamarket so I bought it.
Most of this book is set in Colorado (where I've also visited), and reading tales about places you at least somewhat know and that are set on another time is always fun. But reading these kind of books as an adult where the greatest thing a woman can aspire to is a husband really makes you want to throw the book to a wall and scream in frustration. Also the educating and moralizing tone that used to get on my nerves already as a child had not changed in this part. I guess I'll still read the last one of the series if I happen to find it.
Most of this book is set in Colorado (where I've also visited), and reading tales about places you at least somewhat know and that are set on another time is always fun. But reading these kind of books as an adult where the greatest thing a woman can aspire to is a husband really makes you want to throw the book to a wall and scream in frustration. Also the educating and moralizing tone that used to get on my nerves already as a child had not changed in this part. I guess I'll still read the last one of the series if I happen to find it.
August 24, 2012
Oh, the joys of iPhones! I recently found four of the five 'What Katy Did's for free on iBooks. I had been rather upset because I have managed to mislay books two and three of the series, and had never read number four.
I finished it in a day, and it bought me right back to my childhood (which isn't really so far away.) Susan Coolidge is, for me, as readable and as enjoyable as when I first read her. Now I've a compulsion to road-trip across America and study horticulture, which aren't bad side effects, I'd say.
April 2, 2016
Old-fashioned but still enjoyable
August 28, 2015
http://wordnerdy.blogspot.com/2015/08...
I found out a year or so ago that the What Katy Did series actually has five books, not three! But I've been putting off reading the last two in case I didn't like them. Clearly, I'm finally getting to them. In this fourth one, Katy gets married, and then Clover takes their youngest brother out West for health-related reasons. Lots of funny little moments ensue, along with lots of descriptions of scenery and food. It's all a sort of cheerful industrious Christian sort of story (actually, the Christianity is sliiightly toned down here compared to, say, the first one in the series. Why did I love that book so much? I guess Katy is just that awesome?). All is nice and pleasant. No complaints, though I also wasn't really /excited/ by much of it. That's how these sorts of stories go, though.
I found out a year or so ago that the What Katy Did series actually has five books, not three! But I've been putting off reading the last two in case I didn't like them. Clearly, I'm finally getting to them. In this fourth one, Katy gets married, and then Clover takes their youngest brother out West for health-related reasons. Lots of funny little moments ensue, along with lots of descriptions of scenery and food. It's all a sort of cheerful industrious Christian sort of story (actually, the Christianity is sliiightly toned down here compared to, say, the first one in the series. Why did I love that book so much? I guess Katy is just that awesome?). All is nice and pleasant. No complaints, though I also wasn't really /excited/ by much of it. That's how these sorts of stories go, though.
July 21, 2016
Sometimes, in a charity shop, you get lucky: a hardback copy of Clover, with dustjacket, priced 65p. I don't think I even knew at the time I found it that there was a sequel to What Katy Did Next.
And what a little gem it is, probably the best of the 'Carr family' books. I totally approve of Katy's relaxed and understated wedding, and I love the journey to Colorado. Clover's own romance is lightly drawn and the story is a gentle one - yet well worth reading, just for the descriptions of St Helens and its surroundings.
And what a little gem it is, probably the best of the 'Carr family' books. I totally approve of Katy's relaxed and understated wedding, and I love the journey to Colorado. Clover's own romance is lightly drawn and the story is a gentle one - yet well worth reading, just for the descriptions of St Helens and its surroundings.
September 21, 2007
Sequel to What Katy Did Next, follows much the same formula. Heroine travels to Colorado to look after her consumptive younger brother, gets proposed to by the wrong man, then (without exchanging more than 10 words onstage) hooks the right one.
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September 1, 2013
I didn't know there was a fourth Carr book until a friend mentioned it. I loved it - the same sweet, gentle, rather pious style as Coolidge's other books. A very pleasant, quick read.
March 23, 2017
Yet another delightful instalment to the series. I often wonder why so few people have heard of these books; they are worth every minute spent reading them.
February 25, 2021
Clover by Susan Coolidge is a wonderful children’s historical novel and the first book in the Clover Carr Chronicles. It continues on from where the Carr Family series finished.
Clover is just as enchanting as the previous novels. Clover is the sister down from Katy. She is quieter but just as kind and good hearted.
The book moves from the family home to the mountains as Clover offers to look after her younger sibling who is in ill health, needing the fresh mountain air. Here, we see Clover blossom.
The reader ‘walks’ through the mountains due to rich descriptions from the author.
It is delightful watching the children grow up and become independent adults. Susan Coolidge novels ooze charm and are positively delightful.
Clover is just as enchanting as the previous novels. Clover is the sister down from Katy. She is quieter but just as kind and good hearted.
The book moves from the family home to the mountains as Clover offers to look after her younger sibling who is in ill health, needing the fresh mountain air. Here, we see Clover blossom.
The reader ‘walks’ through the mountains due to rich descriptions from the author.
It is delightful watching the children grow up and become independent adults. Susan Coolidge novels ooze charm and are positively delightful.
August 17, 2023
It was a lovely wee story but it failed to hold my attention very much - my mind kept wandering as I was reading the pages, which isnt usually a good sign. It's of it's time, just a simple well written story, where nothing very much happens. I probably would have enjoyed it more had I read it in childhood. It is good though but I think you need to be in the right frame of mind to read it.
June 17, 2020
Same kind of book as the others but I was less interested because I'm much more attached to Katy as a character.
July 6, 2024
It gives me joy to read sweet, simple, old-fashioned stories like this. I wish life were still this simple.
June 28, 2018
This is most likely my favorite of the Carr family books, not necessarily because it's about Clover, but because there's actually a main plot thread. Sure, lots of things work out within days, but throughout the book there's some worry. Plus, Katy wasn't perfect for the entire thing, because she wasn't often around. ;)
The close family relationship was still there, and it was quite sweet. But Clover's anxiety was portrayed quite well, and was also understandable; I mean, would you want to go halfway across the country with only your little brother, who's ill, and then having to be 'under' the care of a strange woman who needs more care than she can give? I certainly wouldn't call that a restful trip. But Clover handled it very well, yet her responses to her circumstances weren't like Katy-perfection. They were real and commendable at the same time.
The ending was sweet, as well. I felt bad for poor Clarence, but the conclusion for him was for the best. But boy, did I have a soft spot for him. He reminded me of a certain boy--one of my personal characters. He's just that perfect blend of immaturity, boyishness, and adoration. He'll grow up in time, I'm sure.
I also loved the simple faith element in it. It wasn't talked about every page, yet I knew it was a part of their lives--like Geoff's church every Sunday. Precious. Far from shoved in one's face, yet the author's worldview is quite clear.
I really should read more middle-grade fiction. I always want to read romance, but sometimes the simple is better.
The close family relationship was still there, and it was quite sweet. But Clover's anxiety was portrayed quite well, and was also understandable; I mean, would you want to go halfway across the country with only your little brother, who's ill, and then having to be 'under' the care of a strange woman who needs more care than she can give? I certainly wouldn't call that a restful trip. But Clover handled it very well, yet her responses to her circumstances weren't like Katy-perfection. They were real and commendable at the same time.
The ending was sweet, as well. I felt bad for poor Clarence, but the conclusion for him was for the best. But boy, did I have a soft spot for him. He reminded me of a certain boy--one of my personal characters. He's just that perfect blend of immaturity, boyishness, and adoration. He'll grow up in time, I'm sure.
I also loved the simple faith element in it. It wasn't talked about every page, yet I knew it was a part of their lives--like Geoff's church every Sunday. Precious. Far from shoved in one's face, yet the author's worldview is quite clear.
I really should read more middle-grade fiction. I always want to read romance, but sometimes the simple is better.
December 19, 2013
Fourth in the series featuring the Carr family, although until recently I only knew the three 'What Katy Did...' books which were popular in my childhood. I was delighted to find that there are two further books about the same people, available free for the Kindle since they are long out of copyright.
This book is about Clover, second in the family, although it begins with preparations for Katy's wedding. But the bulk of the book is about Clover travelling to Colorado with Phil, youngest of the family, now a teenager but quite sickly. There's a lot of observation of scenery which I skimmed, and some amusing passages with Mrs Watson, a querulous elderly lady who was supposed to be helping the two young people, but who turns out to be more of a burden.
It's unsurprisingly rather dated by now, but I'm not sure why it was not in print when I was younger as it's a pleasant read, even though Katy does not feature heavily. I quite enjoyed getting to know Clover in her own right, and pleased when several young men start to pay attention to her. I assume it was originally intended for teenagers, but suspect it's of more interest to adults like me who grew up reading the 'Katy' trilogy.
This book is about Clover, second in the family, although it begins with preparations for Katy's wedding. But the bulk of the book is about Clover travelling to Colorado with Phil, youngest of the family, now a teenager but quite sickly. There's a lot of observation of scenery which I skimmed, and some amusing passages with Mrs Watson, a querulous elderly lady who was supposed to be helping the two young people, but who turns out to be more of a burden.
It's unsurprisingly rather dated by now, but I'm not sure why it was not in print when I was younger as it's a pleasant read, even though Katy does not feature heavily. I quite enjoyed getting to know Clover in her own right, and pleased when several young men start to pay attention to her. I assume it was originally intended for teenagers, but suspect it's of more interest to adults like me who grew up reading the 'Katy' trilogy.
March 3, 2012
I love all of the Katy series of books and I'm really pleased this is no exception.
In Coolidge's previous books, Katy has taken centre stage, with Clover featuring in her life, so it was very nice in this novel for Clover to be established as a character herself.
The story follows Clover as she moves east with her ill brother Phil, to act as his carer as he recovers. The east is newly developed in the US and so provides many new wonder and creates many new friendships for the pair, some which prove to be very strong and last a lifetime.
Coolidge has again written a beautiful little novel, with very engaging characters, and a simple but well-flowing plot to keep engaged. This was a really lovely quick read, and I will continue to read any more of Coolidges offerings that I can get my hands on.
In Coolidge's previous books, Katy has taken centre stage, with Clover featuring in her life, so it was very nice in this novel for Clover to be established as a character herself.
The story follows Clover as she moves east with her ill brother Phil, to act as his carer as he recovers. The east is newly developed in the US and so provides many new wonder and creates many new friendships for the pair, some which prove to be very strong and last a lifetime.
Coolidge has again written a beautiful little novel, with very engaging characters, and a simple but well-flowing plot to keep engaged. This was a really lovely quick read, and I will continue to read any more of Coolidges offerings that I can get my hands on.
July 19, 2012
This is the fourth in an old series by Sarah Chauncey Woolsey, aka Susan Coolidge. As a kid I bought the first three at my local bookstore (What Katy Did, What Katy Did At School, and What Katy Did Next), but not seeing any others at the store, did not realize that there were two more in the series. I loved the What Katy Did books and read them over and over as a kid. Just happening to Google the series recently, I found out of the existence of the two other books - I was astounded! I was even more happy when I was able to download them for free on my Kindle. I thoroughly enjoyed this one, where Katy's younger sister Clover takes the spotlight and goes out West. But, this book is best enjoyed as a continuation of the series, not on its' own. If you like Little Women, or Anne of Green Gables, then this would be your kind of series!
May 31, 2014
This 4th, less well known volume of the Carr Family saga starts with Katy's marriage to Ned, of course a very sensible and temperate occasion. Then, the story concentrates on Clover, and her experiences when she travels with her youngest brother to a Colorado mountain town where Phil has the best chance of recovery from a lingering illness. As ever, Susan Coolidge describes their surroundings in vivid detail and it is clear she is writing about a landscape she had viewed herself. With less of a moral message than the first three books, this story is more about Clover embracing a new challenge in an unfamiliar environment.
June 7, 2013
While this instalment of the Carr family follows Clover rather than Katy, I found it well worth a read for its description of the way the 'wild west' grew up. Clover travels to St Helens, expecting a wild unfinished place, only to find a fully grown town (complete with opera house). I also enjoyed the descriptions of the canyons, mountains and wilderness. Not a book full of action, and certainly not a modern book with much plot or character development, but an entertaining peep into the past.
November 10, 2013
Although I read the first three of the Katy books in my youth, I wasn't till I got a Kindle a couple of years ago that I even knew there were any more in the series.
Book Four deals with Katy's sister Clover taking their brother Phil out west to recover from an illness. This is a whole new world for them and a lot of the book consists of descriptions of the landscape and flora of the region. There are new people to meet, as well as some faces from the past.
I didn't enjoy this as much as the first three books in the series, but found it worth reading.
Book Four deals with Katy's sister Clover taking their brother Phil out west to recover from an illness. This is a whole new world for them and a lot of the book consists of descriptions of the landscape and flora of the region. There are new people to meet, as well as some faces from the past.
I didn't enjoy this as much as the first three books in the series, but found it worth reading.
August 6, 2015
Clover continues the story of the Carr family, only this one centers on Katy’s sister Clover and her brother Phil as they embark to the "Wild West" in hopes of improving Phil’s poor health. Clover learns to love the beauty and excitement of the West while making new friends and visiting her cousin Clarence. This installment was a bit more slow-moving than the others, but it is still an interesting read and should be read by fans of the previous three books.
July 4, 2013
Part of the "What Katy Did" series, but one I don't think I've read before! The first third of the book is still mostly about Katy and her wedding, but the rest focuses on Clover and Phil staying out west while Phil recovers from an illness (and meeting her future husband). It's a pretty cute book, but not as interesting as the earlier ones in the series.
December 27, 2013
It was okay - pretty much the same as What Katy Did Next in terms of shape, but still enjoyable to read more about the Carr family. I never knew this book existed as a child however, so have no fond recollections of it which makes me judge it a bit harshly for its brevity etc as my brain wanted it to be a proper novel, but that's my problem, not the book's!
June 15, 2016
I found the first part of the book to be cloying and sticky sweet. It was, of course, about a wedding, but Katy and some of the others were just *too* righteous. Ick. However, my interest picked up again as they went west. I liked the rest of the story quite a bit. Still old fashioned. Still sweet and innocent. But really good, too.
July 11, 2017
If you liked the other Katy books, you'll love this. The setting is slightly different, as with each of the other books. There is a great deal of time spent describing travel, scenery, food, lodgings, days out, and so on. The plot is largely predictable. But it is quite charming.
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