Four girls of forty years ago

Four spirited sisters, aged from seven to twelve, have been uprooted from a bright western home and placed in a somber New York townhouse near Washington Square. Their widowed father, desperate for work, has gone to China, leaving the girls under the watchful yet distant eye of a stern step‑mother and a frail grandfather. In the meantime, their beloved nurse, Lizzie, is abruptly dismissed, thrusting the children into a world of unfamiliar chores and quiet fears.

Through the hazy recollections of Dulcie, Daisy, Molly and Maed, listeners glimpse the girls’ attempts to stitch together a sense of family while navigating the constraints of a rigid household. Their tender camaraderie, whispered prayers, and makeshift routines reveal a resilient childhood struggling to find warmth amid an imposing, old‑fashioned home. The story gently captures the everyday triumphs and anxieties of these young girls as they learn to care for one another in a time of sudden change.