The Two Elsies

Elsie Dinsmore #11

by Martha Finley

While the Dinsmores, Travillas, and Raymonds spend the summer in Nantucket, Lester and Elsie Leland are called to the bedside of Lester's dying brother. His only child, Evelyn, is left in their care. Upon the Lelands' return to Ion from Nantucket, Elsie's dear old mammy, Aunt Chloe, passes away. Lulu and Evelyn become close friends, and the four families decide to spend the Christmas holidays and winter at Viamede. All the children are enrolled in Oakdale Academy as day students. Lulu, however, gets into trouble when she strikes her teacher with a book, and her stubborn refusal to submit to Mr. Dinsmore's authority is eclipsed only by the news that her father is lost at sea.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Christian Fiction, Christian, Fiction, Classics, 19th Century, Childrens

224 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1885

About the author

Martha Finley was a teacher and author of numerous works, the most well known being the 28 volume Elsie Dinsmore series which was published over a span of 38 years. Finley wrote many of her books under the pseudonym Martha Farquharson.

For more information, please see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martha_F... or, http://marthafinley.wordpress.com/

Reviews

[Katja Labonté · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars & 5/10 hearts.
HORACE DINSMORE IS AT IT AGAINNNN.
No but really. He was really nice in book 10 and I thought he'd taken a back seat. And now he's back to the forefront again!
I really enjoyed the first part of this book. Elsie & Lester are really an amazing couple. I liked Eric, and Laura has potential as an interesting addition to the plot. Eva is a darling and I absolutely love her! I enjoyed seeing all the other characters too, as well.
However, Lulu & Dinsmore's battle annoyed me. Dinsmore was completely in the wrong, and Violet should have stood up to him. Even Elsie should have. He carried matters with far too high a hand and besides that what he was (trying to) force Lulu to do was just plain stupid and wrong--a child should never have to be with an adult (in authority) who is abusive. And his interference to make sure she didn't have a nice room or nice circumstances is just plain inappropriate. I'm glad that his family disapproved, but why on earth didn't any of them stand up to him? It was unjust and wrong. I was totally on Lulu's side and for the most part I applauded her. She behaved far better than he did, for all that he's an old man and many years a Christian while she's a passionate child and unsaved. The fact is, Dinsmore dislikes Lulu because she is the only one who does not fear him and let him boss her and he took his revenge here, even if he didn't admit it to himself.
After all that spiel--it ended okay, and as I said Dinsmore's action was not exactly condoned by his family. And the rest of the storyline/plot was good. Overall, I enjoyed it, because the right pretty much ended up winning. And as usual, the messages and theme were amazing.
Also, I loved seeing Mammy again! What a wonderful old lady she was! And I couldn't help crying at the death scene--it was so good and lovely!

A Favourite Quote: "You will surely get well; for I will pray day and night to God to cure you; and have you not taught me that He is the hearer and answerer of prayer, that He loves us, and that He is able to do everything?"
"Yes, dear daughter; and it is all true, but His thoughts are not as our thoughts; He may see best to take me now to the heavenly home toward which you too, I hope, are traveling; best for you as well as for me."
"O papa, how can it be best for me, when you are such a help to me in going that road; the only help I have?"
"He is able to raise up other and better helpers for you, dearest, and He Himself will be the best of all. Perhaps it is to draw you nearer to Himself that He is taking away the earthly father upon whom you have been accustomed to lean."
A Favourite Humorous Quote: "Molly certainly thinks there was never another baby quite equal to hers in any respect."
"Which is very natural," said Mrs. Dinsmore. "I remember having some such idea about my own first baby."

[Holly · Rating 5 out of 5]

THE TWO ELSIES is #11 in the Elsie Dinsmore series and one of my personal favorites. Elsie and her family spend the winter at Viamede, the beautiful Louisiana plantation inherited from Elsie's late mother. While there, all of the children attend a nearby school. Hot-tempered Lulu Raymond dislikes her music teacher and during a heated argument they come to blows. After he strikes her with a pointer, she smacks him across the face with her book and gives him a black eye! This is perhaps the funniest scene in the entire 28-book series, which doesn't normally deliver much humor. But young readers will likely applaud Lulu's reaction. Signor Foresti is surely a bully who deserves what's coming to him. He's an Italian too, hence Roman Catholic...and we already know, from previous Elsie books, what author Martha Finley thinks of "popery"!

Lulu then falls a-foul of Horace Dinsmore, who insists that she return to her music lessons with the bully. Lulu refuses. A long conflict begins, with Lulu in disgrace until she will submit. The suspense lies in wondering how this contest will end. In many ways it mirrors the struggle between Elsie and her papa so many years ago, in ELSIE'S HOLIDAYS, but Lulu isn't the meek little saint that Elsie was back then...

[Shari Klase · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good series

I really enjoy reading this series. It follows the family as they grow up. My only criticism of this one is that it leaves the story unfinished but I suppose it will be satisfied in the next book. These are worth reading if you like a good, wholesome series in which everything turns out right in the end.

[Faith Burnside · Rating 1 out of 5]

That title pretty much sums it up.

[Meadow Frisbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lulu gets in trouble when she strikes her teacher with a book, then regused to submit, The Leelands vist a dying relative and are left his daughter, and Elsie enjoys the endless pleasures of being a grandmother.

[Ellyn Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

So far, this book is good. I'm not very far into it, but I like all of the Elsie Dinsmore books so I think this will be good too.

[Nicole C. · Rating 1 out of 5]

I know, first book of the New Year, and I pick ... this? *sigh*

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

This series is a bit Calvinistic in its theology, and it's also a bit uber-Christian; i.e., the Christians are really, really good and the non-Christians are really, really bad.

[Kayla · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another good Elsie book! A very enjoyable read.