
A young girl begins to chronicle life after the death of her mother, when her family—her preacher father, two older brothers and a bustling aunt—must leave their familiar town for a modest home in Lincolnshire. The move is both a physical and emotional journey, marked by cramped train rides, the weight of grief, and the uneasy hope of a fresh start in a strange village. Through her eyes we glimpse the daily hardships of a modest household, the tension with the minister’s wife, and the bittersweet moments that linger when the old house is finally packed away.
Grietje, the narrator, describes herself with a frank, self‑deprecating humor, noting her red hair, pale complexion and the teasing she endures from her brothers, Daan and Alex. Yet beneath the jokes lies a fierce ambition: she wants to become a writer and is already gathering material from the people around her. Her voice is lively and observant, promising a tale of family bonds, personal growth, and the quiet resilience that carries them forward.
Language
nl
Duration
~4 hours (264K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Credits
Produced by R.G.P.M. van Giesen
Release date
2015-12-20
Rights
Public domain in the USA.

d. 1929
Best remembered for lively children's stories with a strong Christian message, this late Victorian and Edwardian writer produced a long stream of popular books that stayed in print for decades. Her fiction often blends adventure, family life, and gentle moral lessons in a way that still feels warm and readable.
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