30/100: The Penderwicks

The Penderwicks - WikipediaYAY! I've hit 30 books!

April has been a really slow month for me. Due to a family tragedy, my interest in reading plummeted. I have not wanted to touch a book for the past couple of weeks. This month has been hard. So when I did decide I wanted to pick up a book again, I wanted something comforting.

Comfort reads, for me, are familiar and usually re-reads. I already know what's going to happen, so I'm not surprised or blind-sided. My comfort read this time just so happened to be a childhood favorite, The Penderwicks. I can't tell you how many times I have read this over the years. It's actually a series, with 5 books I think, but I have only read the first two. I think there was just something about the original book that touched my heart and kept me coming back, over and over again.

The Penderwicks reminds me of Little Women in a way. Four sisters, an absent parent, and a boy that becomes a close friend. Each sister has a fully developed character and storyline and we truly get to know every one of them. It's a simple story but it packs a punch. The themes in this book cover everything from grief and first love to sisterhood and friendship. The girls are relatable, including their sisterly disagreements, and the relationship between Jeffrey and his mother is both entertaining and thought-provoking. I need to read the whole series because I'm curious to see where Jeanne Birdsall takes these girls next.

Stats:
Completed: Apr 22
Rating: 5 stars
Pages: 262

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