
Paddy-The-Next-Best-Thing - by Gertrude Page
Contents
CHAPTER I Concerning Paddy’s Blouse.
CHAPTER II The Misses O’Hara.
CHAPTER III Eileen the Dreamer.
CHAPTER IV Paddy’s Adventure.
CHAPTER V Ted Masterman.
CHAPTER VI Lawrence Blake.
CHAPTER VII Lawrence Finds Eileen on the Shingles.
CHAPTER VIII Paddy’s Pigs.
In this lively early‑20th‑century tale, Paddy Adair is a bright‑hearted, self‑styled “next‑best‑thing” who spends an afternoon wrestling with a mountain of blouse patterns. With her sister Eileen, the dreamy-eyed poet, perched by the window, Paddy’s frantic fashion debates turn the room into a stage for witty banter and affectionate teasing. Their contrasting personalities—Paddy’s flamboyant practicality and Eileen’s quiet imagination—create a charming clash that feels both intimate and universally relatable.
Set against the backdrop of an Irish loch and its misty hills, the story follows the sisters’ everyday adventures, from wardrobe crises to spontaneous laughter, hinting at larger family dynamics and budding friendships. As Paddy navigates choices of colour, fabric, and sentiment, listeners are drawn into a world where humor, love, and the simple pleasures of domestic life intertwine, promising a warm, character‑driven journey that begins with a playful tumble of pattern books.
Language
en
Duration
~10 hours (595K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Release date
2011-12-06
Rights
Public domain in the USA.
Subjects
1872–1922
Best known in her day for warm, readable romances, she drew on life in Southern Rhodesia to give her stories a strong sense of place. Her novels, especially Paddy the Next Best Thing, found a wide popular audience in the early 20th century.
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