Wirral Libraries Bookbuzz discussion

This book is aimed at 9-12 year olds. Having read it and enjoyed it as a child, I came across it as a library ebook so decided to revisit it.
It is a morality story, aimed at guiding young women down the path of righteousness. It is the story of 12 year old Katy Carr, an adventurous, outspoken,confident,tomboy growing up motherless and with a mostly absent (due to his work as a doctor) father growing up in small town America.
The first part of the story paints a picture of Katy and her siblings enjoying a freedom from parental control and ignoring the guidance of their long suffering Aunt Izzie. After a visit from her saintly, invalid cousin, who Katy greatly admires and wishes to be like, Katy in a temper, ignores her aunts instructions not to use the new swing. The result is a fall and a fractured spine. Punishment for being disobedient. Katy ends up bedridden and then wheelchair bound for several years. Re-enter the cousin, preaching kindness through pain, and redemption through suffering. This transformation from tomboy to gentle, disciplined, submissive daughter is what the second part of the book is about.
Written in 1872 it is certainly a book of it's time. The writing style is very dated and the ideas shocking to the modern reader. The ideas that children should be obedient at all times, girls should become saintly young women of christian morals, disability is a punishment and the "reward" of a cure only achievable through goodness would certainly lead to some very interesting discussions.
Did I love this book as a child?Yes. Do I love it as an adult? Not so much. As a fictional snap shot of a particular time I found it enlightening. As an example of the morality tale, and understanding the context in which it was written, I found it interesting and thought provoking. Would I recommend it to a class of 11 year olds? Possibly, but only if it was read as a precursor to discussing the role of women, children and the disabled in the Victorian era.
Perhaps, after all, it is best not to revisit the books of our childhood but to keep the happy, warm memory of them intact.

I agree with your comment about not revisiting books we loved as children. I was terribly disappointed to re-read Mallory Towers and I've been disappointed when reading some Roald Dahl's to my children too.