Philomena

A heart warming story teaching kindness to others

Beautiful story with solid moral underpinnings. Kids love it!

Kate Seredy is a wonderful author who changes the world for the better for each person that reads her books. She has a way of bringing your heart out of the world's hands - cleaning it off and polishing it until it shines, ready for you to put it back in the world in a much better state. This book has so many things going for it and it's just a fun pretty quick read. I loved it (can you tell?)

Great book for young girls. 60 years later, it’s still a great book for young girls.

This was the very last of the Kate Seredy books I had never read (thankfully I found GYPSY and THE TENEMENT TREE online), and it was reprinted a few years ago in this trade paperback format with cover art by another artist. Philomena lives in a small Bohemian town with her grandmother, Baboushka, who brought her up after her parents died. In her town, girls her age (twelve) journey to Prague and go "into service" for four years learning to be good workers before coming home at age sixteen to be married. Every woman in the small community has done so, except for Philomena's aunt, who wrote home saying she was marrying a wealthy man and not returning. So when it's time for Philomena to do the same, Baboushka bids her to go to Prague to find her aunt and work for her. Alas, Philomena can't find her aunt, but she has many adventures with different employers before her journey comes to an end, and also makes many friends. Throughout her journey, although homesick, she works hard, remains friendly and optimistic, and is always ready to comfort the sad and rescue the abused. Sometimes her escapades are amusing, other times sad, and the text is illustrated by Seredy's lovely pre-World War I views of Prague and the traditional clothing of the time. A sweet tale of faith, determination, and courage, although today's parents may find it horrifying that a twelve-year-old was allowed to go to a big city alone.

Have loved Kate Seredy since I was a little kid, and that's a long time ago. I just reread this and it'still magical. Perfect to read to your kids at bedtime to tweens.

I have looked for this book in print for year. Love the story and am very happy with the book quality and all the original pictures.

Amusing. Quite a cheerful, cheeky child!

It was not the edition that I had had as a child, but that was okay as I bought it for my children. However, there were more stains and foxing of the pages than the description by the seller. However, acceptable for a well loved, delightful book.