My mother used to talk about this book. When my brother and I grew up she felt able to spend some of her spare money on rebuilding her collection of Abbey Girls books. Which her aunt (not even her mother please note) gave away when she went to university. Anyone out there thinking of doing this - ask first.
Mummy was able to get hold of many Abbey Girls books quite cheaply but Biddy's Secret was far beyond her means. The last time I looked original copies were being sold for £150 or more. So thank you to the Elsie Oxenham Appreciation Society for this reprint.
As so often with the Abbey Girls it really has dated quite a lot. Our heroines are mostly quite wealthy, wearing fur coats without a second thought and leaping on and off trains and boats without having to count the cost. Or into chauffeur driven cars... Even if they were brought up on a country farm these's always a fortune to be inherited from somewhere. And of course most of them marry wealthy business men or chaps with titles but they do try hard to help a friend in need.
I always thought from what my mother had to say that Biddy (spoilers) had produced a child out of wedlock! But no. She does have a baby and there is no husband, but it turns out he was a bad lot and abandoned her the instant he had his wicked way with her. Oh dear. No wonder she keeps it a secret. Anyway, lucky for everyone he has the good manners to go to South America and die. Phew.
As ever with Elsie J Oxenham this book is stuffed with agonising. Why did Biddy do this? Why did Maidie do that? Will Mary-Dorothy be upset? What would Rosamund say? What will Joy do? Can Ruth help or is she too busy getting engaged? Should we ask Jen to help? Well, yes. I think we can count on Jen to help out and make sure poor Biddy is not cast into the outer darkness. And it seems that at long last Maidlin is allowed to grow up. About time too.
I enjoyed reading this book very much. But perhaps only because I've been reading EJO books for years and I don't take them too seriously.
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Top reviews from other countries
- owlserviceReviewed in the United Kingdom on November 17, 2013
I've wanted to read this for years (includes spoilers)
- Claire BadcockReviewed in the United Kingdom on February 14, 2015
Maidlin gets a life and Biddy gets her comeuppance!
